Toshiba 42WP26 Plasma TV - Specs

Traditional TVs have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (squarish), which represents the ratio of the width of the screen to the height. Widescreen TVs have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (also known as "letterbox", a rectangular shape). If you plan to watch a lot of DVD movies on your TV, you might want to consider a widescreen TV, as many DVDs support the 16:9 aspect ratio. If you have a widescreen TV and are viewing standard programming, the picture will appear in letterbox format, meaning that the picture will appear with black boxes on either side or the top and bottom of the screen.
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Digital TV Standard refers to the way in which your television receives and displays signals:

EDTV (Enhanced Definition Television) - The picture quality of EDTV is superior to that of standard analog TV (480i) but not as good as HDTV (1080i or 720p). EDTV displays the picture at a resolution of 852x480 (480p) lines in either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios and it includes Dolby Digital sound system.

HDTV (High Definition Television) - An improved television system which provides twice the vertical and horizontal resolution of existing television standards. It also provides audio quality approaching that of compact discs. It capables of displaying on a wider screen (16x9 as opposed to the conventional 4x3) and at higher resolution.

SDTV (Standard Definition Television) - The SDTV picture, having either in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios, is better and of higher quality than the one of NTSC, however, it does not reach the quality and resolution of HDTV.
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Flat Panel TVs use LCD, Plasma, or today's new type of viewing screen LED.

LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) use liquid crystals as optical shutters, which control the amount of light passing through the thin display screen, creating vivid, life-like colors. LCDs are commonly used on microwaves, calculators and computers, as well as projection (up to 60") and direct view (10"-30") TVs.

Plasma displays use a complex gas-based system. The benefits are a vivid, bright, clear picture with a slim form factor that can be mounted on a wall or on a pedestal. Plasma TVs range from 42 inches to 63 inches.

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) can provide brighter, crisper displays on electronic devices and use less power than conventional light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or liquid crystal displays (LCDs) used today, it also can be viewed in bright lighting conditions, at greater angles.
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Diagonal Screen Size is the size of your TV screen, measured diagonally in inches.
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The broadcast formats supported by your television dictate what sort of signals your television is able to receive and process. It is important that your television not only support but is also able to display the formats you wish to view. A supported format can be understood by your television, but not necessarily displayed in its optimum form. 1080i, 1080p and 720p are standards for HDTV, while 480p and 480i are standard definition formats.
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The broadcast formats displayed by your television dictate what sort of signals your television is able to receive and display. The number represents how big the picture will be, and the letter represents the way in which the image is refreshed. Generally, the higher the number, the more clearly it will show up on bigger screens. While progressive (p) formats refresh images twice as often as interlaced (i) formats, most users would not notice a significant difference between the two. 1080i, 1080p and 720p are standards for HDTV, while 480p and 480i are standard definition formats.
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Display Resolution measures picture quality in pixels. The more pixels a television can display, the sharper the image. More pixels also provide higher-quality color.
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