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TV

HDTV: high resolution TV which provides extremely detailed and quality pictures compared to analog viewing. HDTV has become mainstream in America and provides DVD quality images.

LCD: a grid of small squares which can be either On or Off and provide the colours Red, Blue or Green.

Plasma: a gas based screen that produces the images. This type of screen passes an electrical current through atoms in the screen to create the image on screen.

MP3/Portable Audio

Hard Disk: uses a Metal spinning disk which stores information magnetically. The benefit of these players are that they have extremely high capacities (up to 16,000 tracks). Drawbacks include a shorter battery life.

Solid State: uses Flash Memory similar to a Sim Card microchip to store the information. The benefit of using Solid State MP3 players are that they have long lasting batteries due to them having no moving parts. They are also more robust and less prone to shock damage from drops. Drawbacks are that the capacities are on the smaller side but they are increasing.

Speakers

5.1/7.1 - 5.1 and 7.1 speaker systems are becoming more commonplace as they provide ultimate sound quality at an affordable price. The 5 stands for the number of speakers and the 1 states that a subwoofer (bass) is included.

2.0/2.1 - 2.0 and 2.1 speakers are great for easy listening and areas with limited space. They provide decent sound quality and are standard use in most TV's and Audio Systems.

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