At Zobo.tv, we sell a TV or film screen in every single sale. After all, they are the centerpiece of any home theater. One of the most frequent questions our Sales Representatives are asked is, Should I buy an LCD or Plasma display?
While they look the same, they both have different features that may factor into your purchasing decision. Depending on your viewing and usage, you may find one is better suited to your needs. What’s the difference? The basic technology that makes up the TV is relatively simple. A Plasma screen is basically made up of “cells” or phosphors that light up in various intervals, which in turns displays a television image. An LCD utilizes a liquid crystal polymer (similar to what you would find on a computer monitor or cell phone screen) that is charged with an internal light source to project the image onto the display.
So how does this technology effect which type of display you choose? There are both advantages and disadvantages to both. Mainly, Plasma TVs are available in larger displays, and sports and movie buffs will enjoy better motion tracking and contrasting colors. Video game enthusiasts and TV buffs may enjoy an LCD over a Plasma simply because there are immune to “burn-in”, the condition where images can become burned into the display, so when a game is paused (or a news/sports channel with a ticker running) for hours on end, it will not harm the display over time. LCDs also offer higher levels of brightness than Plasmas and are more energy efficient.
On the other hand, while Plasmas have a shorter lifespan than LCDs, they are typically more affordable, whereas LCDs do not deliver the same crispness and natural picture that a Plasma offers. LCD models are offered in high resolution models (HDTV with 720 and 1080 resolution) in more sizes than Plasma displays, but they also don’t offer as wide of a viewing angle.
Industry-wise, we are seeing a trend more towards LCDs as prices continue to drop. Many display manufacturers are focusing R&D on tweaking the technology to make LCD technology more competitive at larger screens, which Plasma still dominates. Whichever model you choose for your home entertainment system, you’re sure to enjoy years of viewing pleasure with your new TV.
As we move into 2009, the home entertainment and consumer electronics industries are seeing fundamental changes in how we enjoy our personal media content.
We no longer have CD towers and bulky stereos. Friday night trips to the video store are a thing of the past. Everything we want to watch or listen to is now digital, and that means we have access to nearly everything at the touch of a button (literally).
One of the most common questions we get at Zobo is, “How do I get all of my stuff in one place?” “Stuff” is a pretty broad description, but we know exactly what you mean. You have music on your iPod, your home movies on your camcorder, your pictures on your computer. Dozens of DVDs and CDs in piles around your house. Who wouldn’t want instant access to all of this through one medium, and easily accessible right on your TV?
With the introduction of products like Apple TV and Vudu, we are seeing more and more people interested in learning how to store and organize all of their media content in one place. Whether you choose to do that on your computer or an external hard drive, its easy to do. Imagine being able to sit down at your TV and be able to access all of your pictures, music, movies, favorite TV episodes, and more. Family game night has never been more fun.
The relationship between the internet and home entertainment continues to grow as more and more products are introduced that allow people to organize and enjoy all of these easily. Interested? Simply visit your nearest Zobo.tv store and find out how easy it is to get all of that stuff taking over your house onto your home entertainment system.
While industry giants such as Tweeter and Circuit City are filing for bankruptcy and shutting down store fronts, with others surely to follow, we want our customers to know that Zobo.tv remains a viable and evolving company.
Why are we different? For ten years, Zobo.tv has adopted a persona as an anti-big box environment. Instead of 100 stores, we have stayed small and local with two showrooms in the Charlotte area. By keeping our footprint and overall operations at that scale, we are able to not only minimize our costs and overhead, but offer our customers the absolute best in customer service. Our Sales and Installation teams are not part-time student workers; they are trained professionals who know the ins and outs of home theater and entertainment, and can offer you the best possible advice and feedback on what is going to work for your home, business, and most importantly, your lifestyle.
We are proud to be a local Charlotte business as we continue to support and contribute too many local organizations and benefits. Our strong ties to this community are what have made us so successful over the last decade, and we look forward to continuing serving our loyal customers in the Charlotte area. We are passionate about maintaining relationships with every person that has ever purchased anything from our stores, and that has attributed to our continued growth as customer referrals remain our largest source of new business.
Sticking to our business plan has worked well for us, and we are able to adapt and change as our industry, and the economy as a whole, faces challenging times for many. Zobo.tv remains committed to both our customers and our footprint in the Charlotte area.
“Go Green.” “Green’s the new Black” “Get Your Green On.” It seems every time you turn around these days, we are constantly being reminded of how important it is for the general consumer to try and think green when doing just about anything in life- transportation habits, shopping decisions, even the food we eat.
Companies in every sector of the consumer goods and services industries have thrown themselves into the Green Movement full-force. Some as simple as offering eco-friendly packaging or installing energy-friendly features in facilities and retail locations, others have embraced the concept wholly and have restructured their whole way of doing business to be Green to show their commitment to ensuring the protection of our environment.
Is Zobo.tv green? In 2008, our installation technicians and sales teams re-focused all driving routes, reducing gas consumption on company vehicles by 30%. By utilizing a local manufacturing company for many of the products we offer in our stores, we are also able to further reduce our carbon footprint by avoiding over-seas or long-distance delivery costs and fuel emissions. Our two retail locations participate in recycling programs to reduce the amount of cardboard we discard each week from product packaging, and our technicians return all copper wire scrap after installations, a big step in scrap metal recycling, which is very important in our industry.
We are also proud to partner with three of the largest consumer electronics manufacturers who are indeed Green- Pioneer, LG, and Sony. That means every product we sell made by these companies is fully vested in being environmentally friendly. Being green has become so much more than recycling, its now a foundation for some company’s complete business models.
LG Electronics not only implemented a Vision for Sustainability program that increased energy efficiency and recyclability for all of its products, it greatly reduced the amount of hazardous materials the company uses during the engineering and manufacturing phases.
Many people are familiar with the ENERGY STAR® logo on their washers and dryers or refrigerators, but you’ll also find them on a lot of audio/visual products from Pioneer, such as their Elite A/V Receivers and DVD players. The company has an Environmental Management Policy that commits to compliance with all environment laws and regulations, prevention of pollution, continual improvement, and communicating their environmental management commitment.
Sony as well has its own Green Management program, which outlines the company’s goals to position itself as a cutting-edge, global corporation, set targets for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and other sources of environmental impact, and create global challenges for the entire Sony Group. The company’s environmentally-friendly practices allow its popular BRAVIA® TV series to enjoy high energy efficiency levels.
Buying a new home theater or entertainment system can be a complicated decision, but by shopping at Zobo.tv, you’re not only simplifying the process, you’ll also be doing your small part by contributing to the protection of our environment.
May 2nd, 2008Lee
Charlotte, NC. – Zobo.tv, a Charlotte-based retailer specializing in custom home theater and audio installations, has been recognized for the second year in a row by CE Pro Magazine, in the custom installation publication’s prestigious annual rankings of custom installers nationwide.
“We’re excited to get the national recognition again this year, especially from CE Pro, which is the leading trade publication in our industry. It really speaks volumes about not only our Sales and Installation teams here, but the Charlotte market’s strong growth as well,” says Kyle Ray, General Manager.
Zobo.tv was ranked number 32 out of 100 top custom installation companies by the magazine this year, following up a 23rd ranking in 2007. It operates two locations in the Charlotte area, one in Pineville and one in North Lake Commons.
“To be ranked up there with large companies in cities such as Las Vegas and New York City is huge. The city of Charlotte is growing by leaps and bounds, and we’re so proud that Zobo.tv has been able to be a small part of that. A large part of our business is working with new home builders on features they want in their houses, and being there to help a new Charlotte resident make their home here in this area is really exciting,” says Erin Bowman, Marketing Communications Manager.
The CE Pro 100 list ranks the companies on a variety of factors including total revenues and profit, number of installations per year, variety of services offered to customers, and several other designations.
