Buying an HD TV

What is HDTV?

Let's start with a definition... HDTV is an acronym for High Definition Television. With HD, you get a picture that's really sharp and clear, which can make movies and sports programming a lot more enjoyable. Compared to standard-definition TV, HDTV has almost seven times more pixels on the screen. Unlike the television broadcasts of the past 50 years, you can now see the blades of grass on the football field, or that flaw in Katie Couric's makeup.

Just keep in mind that even though your television might be HD ready, not all channels are broadcast in HD, and service providers (cable, satellite or fiber optic) will probably charge you an extra fee for HD service. And here's something most people don't know: you DON'T need to have cable or satellite service to get HDTV broadcasts. See Free HDTV on Your PC for more details on that.

It's true that the FCC has mandated that all television signals in the US must switch from analog to digital broadcast signals by February 2009. But this has nothing to do with standard versus high-definition TV. Any regular or HD television for sale now will have a digital tuner. The only people that need to worry about the analog-to-digital switch over are those with really old television sets who use an antenna to receive over-the-air signals. (See Goodbye to Analog TV.)

A few more terms before we get into reviewing specific HDTV models... You'll see models listed as 720p or 1080p resolution. Technically, both are HD, but 720p is sometimes considered the poor cousin of the High-Def 1080p. You might save a few bucks by purchasing a 720p model, and unless you have a very discerning eye, you won't be able to tell the difference. Both will look great, compared to an old standard definition TV display.

And when it comes to the inputs on the back of your HD TV, you may be a little overwhelmed at first glance. Older TV sets had just a hookup for coaxial cable and your antenna leads. Today's televisions can be connected to a variety of audio, video and other electronic equipment, so don't be surprised to see inputs for Coaxial cable, RCA audio, Composite video, Component video, S-video, VGA, DVI, and HDMI.

Coax	RCA Audio	Composite Video	Component Video

S-Video	VGA (PC)	DVI	HDMI

You'll never use all of those, unless you have a boatload of fancy audio, video and stereo equipment that you want to plug into your TV. On my HDTV setup, which is very common, the cable box plugs into either the Coax or HDMI port, and the DVD player plugs into the RCA audio (red/white inputs) and the Composite video (yellow input). Video cameras may plug into the Component or S-Video ports. If you plan to use your big-screen HDTV as a computer monitor, you may find the VGA or DVI inputs useful. (See TV as Computer Monitor.)

HDTV Reviews and Buying Advice

Right now there are some great deals in HDTVs, because technology is improving and prices are dropping. I have personally searched through the current crop recently when I did my own shopping, and here are my top three HDTV models:

You will immediately be stunned by the Aquos LC-60C52U by Sharp. The flat panel screen features full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a 2000:1 contrast ratio. The black TFT panel has a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees and built-in TV tuners. Encased in a piano black cabinet, it features bottom-mounted speakers and an included table stand if you prefer that to wall mounting. The Aquos has an enhanced black level, easily discernible when you see it in action.

So much for the technical specs. One of the best aspects of this HDTV is that you can place it almost anywhere, including light sources such as windows or doors. As a matter of fact, I saw one at a Costco near the entrance and sat transfixed until I was dragged away. For in and output it has access for HDMI, S-Video, RCA and PC and all the bells and whistles of most large screen TVs like a timer, favorite channel selection, flashback, etc.

This jumbo LCD TV can handle both analog and digital transmission and its screen has a diagonal measurement of 52 inches. It has an expected lamp life of 60,000 hours (about 40 years at 4 hours a day.) The LC-60C52U is not cheap at about $2,500.00 with remote, but if this is to be your last TV purchase for a while, you might want to consider it as an investment. By the way, the Aquos is also available from as small as 20" up to 65", so you can opt for a smaller or larger display with the same quality.

My family once had an old Zenith console. We chose that particular model because it had the best picture we could find and the least amount of glitz. That TV lasted over 20 years, even when it got to the point that we had to bang on it occasionally to make it behave. The company has come a long way since then. One of the forerunners of HDTV, Zenith still has one of the best pictures when I compared it to its competitors.

Their 50-inch Plasma Integrated Z50PX2D features excellent images and incomparable sharpness. At a size of 55 x 30 x 4.0 inches without a stand and a weight of about 97 pounds, it has a 1366 x 768 (720p) resolution, an 8000:1 contrast ratio, and will look great even in bright rooms. Zenith gives it a lifetime of about 60,000
hours, which translates into 6.8 years of non-stop "The Price is Right" episodes. The TV has HDMI, S-Video, RCA and PC inputs and there are many extra features on this model such as custom channel and input labels, favorite channel selection, menus in English, Spanish, and French, auto off, closed captioning, and screen adjust. You have a choice of silver or dark silver.

Again, Zenith offers many different sizes and prices, from 42 up to 62 inches, so I chose the middle ground which will set you back about $1499 for this model. Plasma is such fine technology that it is difficult to ignore.

For a final selection, I've got a Sony. Their Trinitrons are so precise that they are used at television stations and on film locations. Take a peek at their 46" Bravia XBR-Series. The HDTV shown has a size of 29 x 50 x 4.8" without base and a weight of 73 pounds. With the same clarity of the Trinitron, it has a 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution, built-in tuners, a 16:9 aspect ratio with an 18000:1 contrast ratio, a 3D digital comb filter, and Sony's Motionflow technology for a 120 Hz refresh rate.

While many TVs feature 8-bit processing, the company’s 10-bit panel offers 64 times the amount of color. They have quality enhancement with their Digital Reality Creation Multi-function v2.5. This is a fancy term for letting you know you get their sharpest image available. Needless to say they have other technology such as Advanced Contrast Enhancer, Live Color Creation, and x.v. Color. Even if you don’t know what any of it means, you will admire the way the picture looks. The Bravia includes all the special onscreen features of its other two competitors.

As far as in and outputs, the Bravia can handle component video, s-video, composite, RF, DVI, and HDMI for a connection to almost anything electronic. I not only like the look of the Bravia, I have noticed while shopping online that there are incredible deals on them. The Sony site has them at an MSRP of $3900, but you can probably find for much less at discount stores, so do some online homework.

It's certainly worth checking out widescreen HDTV's now, when prices are probably the lowest they will be for a long time. These are great not only for family gatherings around the holidays, but in anticipation of the Super Bowl and baseball season that's just around the corner. What's your favorite HD TV model? Post a comment and tell us about it...