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HDTV Shopping Guide
In the beginning, there was black and white. Okay, so in the beginning there were books, but lets move into the 20 th century. So there was black and white and everyone was happy. Then there was color, and everyone rejoiced, except that they had to buy a new TV. Then, for quite a while, there was nothing. As screen sizes went up and resolution didn't, image quality suffered. Never noticed? Well let me put it this way, the television system that you're used to, NTSC, was made to look its best on a 19-inch television. So how big is your TV? To make these larger sets look better, and to improve the picture on everyone's television, the move towards HDTV started. Yes, you'll have to buy a new TV.
![[IMG]](http://www.hometheatermag.com/images/hdtv.5.jpg)
First, The Basics
Let's start with the basics. Regular TV (NTSC), the one you've watched your entire life, has 480 lines of vertical resolution and is cleverly named 480i. That is to say, the image on screen is made up of 480 horizontal lines stacked on top of each other like pancakes. The "i" stands for interlaced. This means that the 240 odd lines are shown on screen, then the 240 even lines are shown. This is done fast enough so your brain combines them to see 480 overall lines. The best 480i source is DVD, which has a maximum horizontal resolution of 720 lines. Most standard television signals (cable, satellite, VHS) have much less horizontal resolution, but all have 480 lines vertical.
HDTV on the other hand, comes in two major flavors: 720p and 1080i. There are arguments on each side as to which is better, but thankfully you don't need to worry about that. All HD displays will display both formats. Because HD is a widescreen 16
format (1.78:1), 720p has a horizontal resolution of 1280 vertical lines. The "p" stands for progressive, which means all 720 lines are shown on screen at once. Very few broadcasters use 720p, instead most go for 1080i. 1080i's resolution is 1920 by 1080. It is interlaced like 480i, but in this case there are 540 lines alternated at any give time. Both resolutions are significantly and noticeably better than what you've been seeing on your TV. In addition to the extra resolution, all HDTVs have enhanced color fidelity as well. So every color is a little more lifelike. But the benefits of HD don't stop there.
HDTV is not just for your eyes, your ears get to play too. Stereo, and more recently Dolby Surround were both big steps with basic television. HDTV ups the ante with the audio as well by incorporating Dolby Digital, just like a DVD. Many programs (but not all) are even in 5.1 surround sound. This, like DVD, is three speakers up front, two in the back, and one subwoofer to help out with the low bass sounds.
Getting Your First HDTV![[IMG]](http://www.hometheatermag.com/images/hdtv.4.jpg)
Getting HDTV is far, far easier than you think. You will, of course, need a new TV. These are dropping in price quickly, with some of the least expensive sets coming in just over $1000. As you increase screen size, the price, of course, goes up. The big rear projection HDTVs can be had for around $2500 with the largest, fully integrated (with an HD tuner) sets coming in between $3500 and $4000. Most are still CRT based, just like every other TV you've ever had, but several new technologies are starting to hit the market that are garnering a lot of attention. DLP, LCD, and LCOS are small chips that manipulate light to put an image on the screen. Each does this in a different way, but "how" is less important in this case than "how well." Each is capable of a very bright, detailed image, but compared to CRTs, the black level (how dark the image can get) isn't as good. Plasmas are very popular, and can offer similar picture quality to DLP, LCD, and LCOS. Not all are HD capable. The lesser expensive plasmas are referred to as EDTV. These don't have any better resolution than DVD. Plasmas also have the added benefit of being able to hang on a wall (with the right support, plasmas are very heavy). The only downside is, like CRT, they are capable of burning an image on its screen. So, if you play video games on your TV, or watch a lot of cable news (those tickers are really bad for CRTs and Plasmas) than plasmas may not be the way for you to go. If the set you have your eye on doesn't have a built in HDTV tuner, you will also need one of those. This lets you pluck the HD signal out of the air for free. Most people will be able to get HD using a regular antenna (see if you can at www.antennaweb.org). You can also get HD from a cable or satellite provider. These let you get HBO, Showtime, ESPN, Discovery, and others in HD. In most cases, you will need a new dish and box. Contact your provider to discuss specific upgrade possibilities.
So now the question you have is; "Should I upgrade?" Absolutely. Once you see the difference that HD offers, there is little chance you'll ever want to go back to lowly NTSC ever again. Most network primetime is now available (including Monday Night Football) in HD, and almost all look tremendous. Your DVD collection will look bigger and better thanks to HD's wider screen and greater resolution. Most electronic stores have an HD demo set up. It's worth checking out. Chances are, it will look even better in your home.
Alles over HDTV
Let wel op, bovengenoemde tv kanalen zijn Amerikaans... In Europa is alleen euro80 ofzo, niet veel soeps.
Laatst bewerkt: 26 mei 2005
