A Basic HDTV Buying Guide

I've been planning to buy an LCD TV for the past 6 months and after long hours of reading, this is what I learned so far. I believe this would help buyers choose the right television set for their needs. This is not a comprehensive guide BTW for what I included here are just the most common questions a not-so-techie-soon-to-be HDTV owner must know.

If you’re having problems deciding on which HDTV to buy, listen-up because Headstart will help you comprehend all that “High Definition” gibberish and misconceptions.



Is getting a television with a higher contrast ratio better than the one with a lower one? In theory, it is better to get a higher contrast ratio. But a problem with current models is that we will never know the real score when it comes to contrast ratios since different manufacturers employ different techniques to test it. Independent tests prove that current TVs have no more than a 1500:1 contrast ratio so it is best not believe the outrageous numbers posted.

Is it worth having a 1080p capable TV? The answer is a big NO. Use the money you’ll save to buy a kick-ass BlueRay player or a sound system to get the most out of your movie experience. Tests show that common individuals can’t distinguish between 780p/1080i (‘p’ means progressive, ‘i’ means interlaced) and 1080p on a 60-inch screen! Since most of today’s HDTVs play 780p and 1080i natively, you can just choose the best that fits your budget.

Another thing is the choice between Plasma and LCD. There is no clear winner between the two because each technology has its own advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to contrast, plasma wins hands down because each pixel produces its own light and just turns itself off to produce black. On the other hand, LCD has a backlight to produce images, so if you want black, each pixel needs to block-off the light from behind. Added to that, plasmas have wider viewing angles unlike LCDs which would look bad when viewed off-axis. But despite these disadvantages, LCD panels consume less power, run cooler, and will probably last longer than most plasma panels in the market today.





Lastly, make sure you test each brand and model and get the one that pleases you (and your eyes). Never rush to buy an HDTV just because you were overwhelmed by its posted specifications. Also, it is important to set a budget for a particular screen size. LCD TVs are your best bet on 32-inchers and below; but if you want 47” and above, plasmas are cheaper to buy than LCD.

That's it, I hope I clarified some things. Don't forget to listen in every Friday at 9PM to Headstart on NU107 -- the newest tech and lifestyle show on radio! (This article will be broadcast there.)

The Nokia 6500 Slide (Short Review)

A slight upgrade of its “Classic” sibling, the Nokia 6500 Slide offers added features including 3G capability, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss Lens, a MicroSD slot for memory expansion, and FM radio for those long hours of commute.

Crafted with brushed stainless steel, this relatively heavy phone is impervious to fingerprints and scratches. At 3.2 megapixels and 8x digital zoom, the 6500slide’s camera offers decent quality for a phone in its price range. As with all camera phones, shooting in low-light is not its strength, but a built-in dual-LED flash helps capture moments in the dark.

A music player and FM radio are included if you want to listen to music while jogging or in the gym. One notable feature is that you can use a Bluetooth stereo headset to enjoy your music wirelessly; however, you can’t use your standard 3.5mm earphones because Nokia opted to use a 2.5mm jack. You’ll have plenty of space for storing your files, with an internal 20MB memory and a MicroSD slot which supports up to 4Gigabytes.

Like the N82, a TV-out feature is also included which you can use to display whatever is on the phone’s screen. This is very useful in presenting pictures and videos in a classroom or even in a conference room. Yet, unlike the N82, it doesn’t have WiFi capability to access the internet while you’re sipping coffee at your favorite coffee shop.

Over-all , the Nokia 6500 Slide is a very responsive phone equipped with tons of features such as 3G compatibility, the 3.2 Megapixel camera with LED flash, Music player and FM radio, MicroSD memory slot, and TV Out. If you’re a student or a professional who wants a well-built, feature-packed phone, the Nokia 6500 Slide will serve you well.

(Thanks to Nokia and Bridges for lending us the phone.)

The New Nissan Livina -- A Test Drive

I've been one of the few chosen individuals to test-drive the new Nissan Grand Livina at the Subic Bay Freeport and Subic International Raceway on May 22-23, 2008. The Livina is a new breed of MPVs that will surely kick the Innova's butt. Built lower than the common MPV, it has lower center of gravity and reduced body-roll. Its third row can be folded up completely, providing more space for your stuff, however, the second row doesn't give much leg-room (that was the only thing that bugged me).


It was such an experience to see this baby (from what I've seen, it's far from one) pushed to its limits. Packed under the hood is an MR-18 (derived from the Nissan X-Trail) 1.8L Gasoline Engine that spews out more than enough power to make this MPV fly -- I mean really fly! At second gear (it is worth mentioning that there is a SIXTH gear), you can still make the tires squeal. We made it run at 198 Kilometers per hour with three passengers and the aircon turned on, no sweat! Despite its power, it is unbelievably fuel-efficient -- 14++ kilometers per liter coming from Laguna, passing through congested Metro Manila roads, to the Total Station along NLEX (somewhere in one of the far Bulacan towns). We got that without even trying to ease on the accelerator! Event record of the same trip is at 24 kilometers per liter by no other than George Ramirez.


It handles well for its size and ride is pretty smooth. Well, that's because its suspension system shares the same technology with what the Nissan 350Z has. It really lives up to its promise as the MPV that feels and drives like a car.

I know the SRP already but prices are yet to be announced to the public, but I assure you it's worth the money. The base model already comes with the 1.8L Engine with Continuous Valve Timing Control (CVTC), electronic power steering, power locks and windows, MP3 Radio, and mags to boot!

If you have plans of buying an Innova, hold that off for now and wait for the handsome Nissan Grand Livina to come out. I tell you, you won't be dissappointed.

Philippine Television Show Marketing Woes

A short background on the thing I do for a living:
I handle the marketing department (the entire department consists of just one person, and that is... hmm, just me) of a technology/lifestyle/automotive show on one of the most-watched (surely in the top 4) television channels in the Philippines.

I really hate it when those people you send proposals to just ignore you and treat you like a f-ing beggar. (Hey dude, is it that hard to send an email reply that you received my proposal and you are not interested with it?) Also, when you call them, their tone of voice seems like you've killed their cute puppy or something. I'm not a credit card or real estate sales agent that you can just shoo-off, I'm part of the media too you know. (I've nothing against credit card or real estate agents. I'm just using them to stress the "ahente stereotype".)

Sometimes when we need to feature a particular tech product or gear, we borrow a test unit for us to use and review for a week or two. Some companies lend us the product with no effort on our part. (*Kudos to Nokia and Asus for treating us right.) But some require us to submit a proposal, call this, call that, WTF? If you guys don't realize, we're giving you FREE, yes, FREE advertising with absolutely no cost to you! So why would you want us to suffer?

When these people have a press conference and they need us to be there, we gladly cover the event for them. But when time comes that we're the ones needing their support, they just ignore us? What the heck?

I just hope that these people get to their senses. I'm sorry for the rant. Just finding a way to vent it out.

Chevy errr... Chery QQ!

For the past few months, I've seen those tiny cars in our streets and I became really curious about it. At first glance, this car looks like a Chevrolet Spark but at closer inspection, it's just a mere "pirated" copy. It has a letter A for a logo (I still don't know what it stands for) and a "QQ" badge stuck on the rear gate.

Curious as I am, I keyed in Google "QQ"..... And lo and behold, it is called Chery -- coincidently, very close to Chevy! Chery is the most popular Chinese car brand in the world which started in 1997. The QQ is their most popular car and thousands already own one.

Latest news is that Cherry has developed a three-cylinder, 800cc TURBO assisted engine which packs a max power output of 44kw at 6000rpm. The company plans to install this engine into the QQ3 and the QQ5. In the aesthetic side, many owners also found a way to modify this little car to look like a revving monster.

The entry-level production car comes equipped with a 3-cylinder, 800cc engine which revs out 51 horses at 6000 rpm,power steering, power windows, power side mirrors, and keyless entry. All this for only P350,000-ish! Well, don’t be fooled by its cheap price and nice looks. It has some dark secrets...

Check out this crash test of the QQ:

And an interesting comparison of Chery’s safety with other car makers:

In this price range, it’s better for you to get the Chevy Spark or the Suzuki Alto. In the end, it’s still your choice if you want to buy this cheap car that might turn out as an expensive coffin. You’ve been warned.

That’s the dose for today. Stay tuned for more!