KITCHEN APPLIANCES - How to Choose a Refrigerator

Refrigerators' energy conservation has improved a lot since mandated standards were set in 1993 and 1998. Today's refrigerator-freezer models also offer a lot more convenience. You can still get the basic 18-cubic-foot, freezer-on-top model with wire shelves, but the most popular style offers 20 cubic feet of storage; adjustable glass shelves; meat keeper with temperature control; vegetable crisper with humidity control; ice-maker; and door bins.

Next in cost and convenience are models with the freezer located below the refrigerator (a very good option for people with bad backs) and 22-cubic-foot capacity. Side-by-side designs and water- and ice-dispensing "convenience centers" built right into the door add further appeal. Built-in refrigerator-freezers and commercial, stainless-steel models are top-of-the-line choices for luxurious looks or serious, high-volume storage

How much refrigerator do you need? One rule of thumb says plan on 12 cubic feet for two people and 2 more cubic feet for each additional household member, but other considerations also matter. If you like to stock up during sales, or cook often for crowds, the more room the better. Side-by-side models are easiest to organize, but the smaller models have relatively narrow freezers. Make sure the model you buy can fit a frozen turkey or pizza! In all cooling sections, look for pull-out, roll-out bins and baskets that make it easy to see everything without having to dig around, squandering energy (yours as well as the refrigerator's!)

Beyond the main fridge, if you've got the room, a separate, under-counter refrigerator for soft drinks and a wine cooling compartment are entertaining options. If you're a serious entertainer, you may want to look into ice makers that fit into the space of a trash compactor and produce large quantities of ice daily.

Developments in LCD TVs

During these last few years, LCD TVs have been coming out bigger and cheaper. Yet there is a lot more to the latest developments in LCD display technology than just a more affordable big screen TV. In particular, we have seen a leap in overall picture performance of LCD HDTVs, with sets capable of improved screen uniformity, better off-angle viewing, deeper blacks, more accurate colors, higher refresh rates, improved LCD response times, and high contrast ratios.

This is all apart from cleaner video processing, enhanced features - in particular the latest 'hot' spec of the day - IPTV support with Yahoo widgets found on most premium HDTVs, a thinner profile, and equally important, lower power consumption.

The more expensive LED LCDs using LED backlights with local dimming technology can do better as further explained in our LCD display technology guide here. In particular, both the 55-inch Sony KDL-55XBR8 released in November 2008 and the Samsung 55-inch UN55B8500 released in late 2009 are capable of exceptional overall picture performance that expert reviews say is very much in line with that of the best plasma HDTVs. However, even these very expensive LED LCD TVs have their own issues as well both with viewing angle and blooming - typical of LED TVs using a full array backlight with local dimming technology.

At the same time, even the less expensive edge-lit LED TVs offer significant improvements with respect to conventional LCDs when it comes to the rendering of deep blacks, improved contrast ratios, ultra-slim inch thick profile even at massive 60-inch screen sizes, and improved power consumption that is some 40% less than that of conventional LCD TVs. For example, sets such as the recently released 52-inch EX700 edge-lit Sony LED TV are capable of exceptional power efficiency that no other CCFL LCD or plasma TV can ever achieve.

Mind you, nothing is perfect. Both the 2010 Sony LED TVs and the Samsung 2009 edge-lit LED TVs reviewed on our site suffer from what appears to be lack of brightness uniformity across the full screen area.

This lack of screen uniformity is common with most LED TVs; comparative reviews of the Sony's edge lit LED KLV-40ZX1M LED LCD television show that this exhibits even worse uniformity than the Samsung LED TVs. With 2010 LED TVs, things seem to have improved significantly in this area but at the more expensive price one has to pay for a LED TV, we expect something better...

This is their real problem - LED TV sets are still relatively expensive though the latest price drop we have seen for edge-lit LED TVs makes these LED TVs more within reach of the average household budget. However, expect to spend anything between $600 and $1,000 more than corresponding conventional LCD HDTVs. The popular Samsung LN46B750 1080p CCFL LCD Television is selling at almost $1,700 as against the $2,300 of the equivalent feature spec Samsung UN46B8000 LED HDTV. This difference would shoot upwards with LED TVs using local dimming technology; the recently released high-end Samsung UN46B8500 is presently selling at $3,100. Surely, Samsung UNB8500 series represents the very best LED LCD TV ever released - with superb picture performance irrespective of brand and display technology.

LCD Televisions: Sleek and Versatile

...but do they really make good televisions?
Up to not long ago, you had no choice for a direct-view display - all TV sets were of the same kind, using that old but reliable cathode-ray tube technology, simply referred to as CRT.

That is no longer true. LCD display technology that has become so popular with laptop screens, is being used to a great effect in small to medium screen size televisions.

In particular, at sub-42-inch screen sizes, LCD is at present the only mass-market flat-panel display technology.

Larger screen sizes up to 60-inch are also readily available, but at this screen category, plasma HDTVs still carry a price advantage. Price difference however is highly dependent on model and brand, while within the same brand, the price difference between sets of similar specs is just marginal.

For example, the Samsung 55-inch LN55B650 LCD HDTV is selling on amazon at a reduced price of $2,000 - which is practically the same as that of the slightly bigger but similarly spec 58-inch Samsung PN58B650 plasma HDTV.

And speaking of big screen flat-panel TVs, this is the year when massive 60-inch LCDs are start selling at truly affordable prices -with a price that is very much in line with that of plasma TVs. A case in point is the recently released 60-inch KDL-60EX700 Sony LED TV, which is selling online for under $2,700.

However, with the latest affordable prices for medium to large flat panel TVs, it is the 50 to 55-inch TV set that is turning out to be the real favorite big-screen size in home entertainment. It is a screen size that does provide a more immersive movie experience over smaller 40 to 46 inch sets, with only a minimal increase in the invested capital.

Head Light Bulb Upgrade

Beware of increased-wattage bulbs. Although some people say they have had good luck with them, they create extra heat caused by the increased wattage. If you try one of these, don't blame me if a lens or wire melts, and/or you blow a fuse.

Also another new trend is "blue ion" bulbs. AVOID THESE! They are simply regular halogen bulbs dipped in a very thin blue paint. Visibility is actually *REDUCED* with these bulbs, all in the interest of trying to imitate the real "Xenon" bulbs in the high-end Mercedes models. Those are a completely different technology -- it's called High Intensity Discharge (HID), and it's the same principle as the fluorescent lights in the office buildings... The electricity has to "jump" across a gap between two metal leads through a gas (in this case, Xenon). Those require thousands of volts of electricity at the bulb and thus have built-in transformers and everything.

Maybe one day there will exist a retrofit HID kit for the Maxima (JC Whitney is already selling them for other cars). However, expect the price of this to exceed $1,000. One other thing you should know about HID lamps in the USA: in bad conditions like rain or fog, they actually hurt visibility because their bluish light is reflected off the moisture and causes glare. Euro-spec headlights don't have this problem because they have a sharp cutoff to not blind other drivers. However, USA DOT-approved headlights have a soft cutoff that glares upward (to light road signs ABOVE the roads; LAUGH). So if you do decide to spend the money to buy a HID kit, I propose a better use of your money: order a set of Maxima QX headlights from a European Nissan Parts Department. These should cost $400 for the pair but they will offer much better visibility than any USA-spec headlights. Also, because of the longitudinal filament used in the H4 bulb (used in the Euro-spec headlights), they respond much better to wattage increases, i.e. visibility improves a lot with wattage increases, whereas with USA-spec headlights a wattage increase usually will not grant you much better visibility.