[opendtv] Re: HDTV Buyer's Guide 2008

At 9:29 AM -0800 1/24/08, Kon Wilms wrote:

I notice that some manufacturers cheat. They call their sets 1080 (no
p) and the media immediately erroneously inserts an i. The Hitachi
ALIS is actually 1024x1080 pixels. They can't call it 1080p because
well... it's not. Just like the trick echostar used to pull with
480x480 scaled to 720x480.
Actaully I believe ALIS (Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) is only 540 lines vertically (per field), but they may claim 1080 because of the trick they play to make it work. Here is one definition I found at a plasma TV buying site: 

ALiS Plasma Display Technology
Plasma screens typically surround each pixel with a waffle-like cell structure that creates non-picture boundaries around the pixels. They reduce the illuminated surface area of the screen and produce a very noticeable grid pattern across the picture.The screen surface of an ALiS display is comprised of continuous vertical channels of phosphor material. Pixels are defined electronically instead of physically. Each picture element is also reduced in size for a significantly higher pixel density. The result is a smooth, seamless canvas on which the picture is displayed.
In essence, the plasma panel is scanned, much like a conventional CRT. For one interlaced field the position of the scan is the "upper surface" while in the next it is the "lower surface. It was a cheap way to make 1080i look as good as possible on a panel display. I'm not sure if anyone is still making Plasma displays using ALIS... 

Regards
Craig


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