flat-screen

Pioneer Elite HDTVs had been discontinued since 2009, but in a recent press release Sharp announced that it has been granted a license to begin producing Pioneer’s Elite brand of high-end displays in 2011. This is great news, especially since the Pioneer Elite screens were considered some of the top displays in their day, providing astounding color and black level reproduction. And the very impressive Pioneer Elite 60-inch flat-screen fit beautifully in the Banyan Creek XL TV Lift Cabinet.

After the country experienced a recession, however, these high-end (and high-dollar) displays could not withstand the onslaught of cheap LCD and plasma TVs. As part of the new deal, the flat-screen TV displays will be jointly marketed by Pioneer and Sharp, but they will only bear the name “Elite” and be sold, firstly, through Pioneer’s original Elite dealer network.

Sharp and Pioneer rightly believe that the market is once again ready for their Elite line of HDTVs, and we will be following the progress

Smart, connected TVs clearly offer more entertainment options than traditional flat-screen TVs, and those who already own them seem to enjoy accessing their apps, favorite websites and watching 3-D movies, all from the comfort of their homes. In fact, smart TVs were (and still are) great companions to an innovative TV lift cabinet, which raises and lowers your flat-screen TV with the touch of a button. But some analysts worry that smart TVs could experience slower than expected growth because of customer “FUD” (fear, uncertainty and doubt).

When the first flat-screen and HDTVs hit the market in the last decade and then dropped significantly in price in the latter half of the last decade, upgrading one’s TV seemed to be an easy choice. Many customers were able to upgrade into a larger screen, better picture quality and a much slimmer unit (perfectly suited for a TV lift cabinet) without emptying their wallets. The features and benefits customers were getting were clear-cut and understandable.

Just got a new flat-screen TV, or thinking about getting one, and want to protect your investment? Do you know how fragile the screen is? Well, the answer is that it depends on what kind of television you have.

In the world of flat-screen TVs, LCD and plasma sets are the two types currently being produced (and either will fit into a TV lift cabinet). But as far as fragility is concerned, one is definitely more fragile than the other. Plasma TVs are much heavier than LCD TVs, primarily due to the extra glass screen and components, and this heaviness contributes to it being more fragile than an LCD. However, a heavier TV could also make it harder to tip over.

LCD TVs, being lighter, means they can also be made thinner than a plasma screen, and many LCD TVs are commercially available as thin as 2” thick. A thin Plasma TV is about 3” thick.

While a discussion of fragility and TVs does little good if you’re planning on mounting and storing your TV in a TV lift cabinet, especially since the