Home entertainment appliances (HEAs) are an emerging category of high-performance electronic devices that allow consumers to enjoy the digital revolution at home. These devices have advanced computational capabilities that add more value and convenience when networked. Display platforms such as High-Definition Television (HDTV) units, plasma display panels (PDP) and LCDs (liquid crystal displays) are examples of HEAs that provide the video performance required by home networking enthusiasts.

HDTV is one of the most revolutionary technologies to hit home entertainment since the color TV. HDTV lets you watch motion pictures the way they were intended to be seen. HDTV is all about crystal-clear images and CD-quality digital surround sound based on Dolby Digital audio format. Consumers who want to watch a program in HDTV format will need to purchase a new digital television set. Commonly called wide-screen, digital TVs are nearly twice as wide as they are high. The screen itself looks more like a movie screen.

A PDP is a variation of the standard flat panel displays that are used for notebook PCs. It is a much larger version and consists of front and back substrates with phosphors deposited on the inside of the front plates. These displays have cells that operate similarly to a plasma or fluorescent lamp: the discharging of an inert gas between the glass plates of each cell generates light. Depending upon the type of gas used, various colors can be generated. In a monochrome display the light from the gas discharge is that which is seen on the display. However, to obtain a multicolor display, phosphors are required. The plasma panel uses a gas discharge at each pixel to generate ultraviolet radiation that excites the particular phosphor that is located at each pixel. Plasma has some distinct advantages over CRT television technology. For instance, A plasma based TV is never more than 4" thick and lightweight. This allows plasma panels to be hung on the wall making it an excellent solution when dealing with space restrictions. On the downside plasma technology is complex and the manufacturing process is time consuming. Currently PDPs are incapable of taking significant volumes of sales away from CRT TV. Additionally, older generations of color plasma TV/monitors have experienced gas pixels burning out on the panel creating a visible black spot on the screen. This leads to frustrated customers who need to pay for the display's repair.

An LCD display screen consists of two glass plates with liquid crystal material (transparent organic polymers) between them. They typically come in a variety of screen sizes starting at 15 inches and not bigger than 22inches. The LCD has an array of pixels that can be manipulated to present video information to the viewer. There is no bulky picture tube and a lot less power is consumed than their CRT counterparts. Many LCDs are reflective, meaning that they use only ambient light to illuminate the display. LCDs are practical for applications where size and weight are important. However, LCDs do have many problems with the viewing angle, contrast ratio and response times.

Future of Display Technologies

Although the transition to home entertainment systems has been relatively slow in the United States, it remains on a steady course of growth. As video display technologies continue to improve, resulting in the ability to offer lower prices, it is generally agreed by most analysts that digital video display units will begin to reach levels that fall within an affordable range for many households in a couple of years from now.