People spend a lot of time talking about how good a picture their
TV has and how much better they want the picture of their next TV to be. But
not a lot of time is spent talking about what the TV itself should look like.
Considering that a
television becomes the focal point of any room it's
placed into, discussing what it will look like and how it will affect the
room's decor should be a no-brainer. But it's not.
The reason for this is very 20th Century -- after all, it wasn't
until the appearance of the flat panel that there was any choice in having a TV
NOT be big and cumbersome. But once "thin" became "in" for
TVs (i.e., losing the TV's chunky cathode tube), everybody decided that having
a
flat panel meant every TV you could purchase would
at least look, if not perform, the same. And that the room the TV got placed in
would have to adapt to the TV and that was it.
That kind of thinking was wrong and still is.
TVs don't all look the same and that's a good thing
-- because not every room is the same as every other room. But differences in
the TV's physical appearance is more subtle today. So that's why it's time to
revisit the choices that can be made.
The TVs COLOR
Flat panel TVs look imposing when on, but once turned off they
become black from end to end. Unless, that is, the outside edges aren
’t
black also
— just because the screen goes dark doesn't mean that the TV
has to mirror that look all the way around. Having a silver trim changes the
“look
”
of the TV and, as a result, how it interacts with the room's appearance (as an
example, there's
Sony's 65” 4K UHD 3D Smart
LED TV featuring brushed silver). A color change might seem like a
simple thing, but
having the choice allows for more freedom of
expression when placing the TV into its new environment.
THE TVs SHAPE
Ever notice how round shapes are more enticing than squares?
Psychology aside, there's something to be said for breaking out from the
standard "flat" view of a TV, especially when it's not turned on. So
say hello to
curved TVs. These televisions have a subtle
"bending" at their extremes which is designed to create a more
immersive viewing experience. That's when the TV is on. But when it's off, the
curved shape attracts and intrigues the eye in a way that "flat" does
not. And through placement in a room,
a curved TV can extend this welcoming view to those
entering a room, even if the effect does not "shout" out what it's
doing. The TV ceases to be a "wall" and can become a positive element
of the room's total "look."
THE TVs MENU
A TV can become the visual equivalent of "background
music" in that it and its images playing across the screen become ignored.
While some might think that the best menus are those that remain totally
unobtrusive and unmemorable, an argument could be made for menus that are
striking and stand out
— increasing the visual appeal of the TV
in a room. Many types of menu-based operating systems for TVs have been
employed over the years -- from plain text overlaid on images to Las Vegas
neon-types -- but the best menus will retain
the intensity of the TVs display by calling
attention to itself without being obnoxious. This type of
menu will retain ease of use as well. But its
strongest suit will be to take the TV out of its doldrums and make it stand out
amidst the other furniture.
A television is an investment in visual technology that must
perform up to your standards each and every day. But it also should join in
being one of the household and contributing to the overall ambience of the
home. Today's televisions can answer that call.
0 comments:
Post a Comment