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Non-technical Guide to Buying an HD Television

 

 

Here is a bare bones non-technical guide to HD Televisions.  I am not an expert in this field, but I just wanted to discuss a few things that I had questions about when searching for an HDTV. If you have already started doing research, this guide will be too basic.  This is for the person who has interest in buying an HDTV set, but wants to know the basics before they start researching it more.  When I first started looking to purchase an HDTV I was surprised to find out that limited content is currently available.

Prices of HDTV’s are dropping each month, so many people may be considering spending the cash for the upgraded experience of watching High Definition broadcasts.  I have put together a little guide to helping the people who are just starting their search for an HD television.  This is not an expert guide and will only contain information on the basics of what to know and look for when starting your search for an HDTV. 

One thing to remember is that not all content is broadcast in High Definition.  I think that this is the major disappointment when someone brings home a new HDTV.  After spending thousands of dollars on a TV, you want to see a major improvement in the quality of your tv picture.  Many of the major networks offer primetime and news coverage in HD, but most cable TV only networks  are still broadcast in standard definition.  You may have to buy upgraded HD converter boxes from your cable or satellite provider in order to view HD content on your new HDTV.  These converter boxes are usually offered for an additional monthly fee.   You will often hear stations advertise that they are “available in HD” and that to call your cable or satellite provider to find out the details.  Many cable companies offer pre-packaged HD content for a fixed monthly rate and not all stations that are “available in HD” are actually part of the packages.   My cable provider currently offers around ten channels that are broadcast in HD and that includes the big four network stations.   All other tv channels are broadcast in only standard definition and they normally look fairly poor on an HDTV.  I had a friend who moved into a new apartment building that offered satellite tv as part of the lease agreement.  He was surprised to learn that the building’s satellite provider did not offer HD and he was stuck with watching standard definition content on his new HDTV.  It would be a good idea to call up your local cable or satellite provider before buying a new HDTV.  

 

What does 1080i and 1080p mean for me? 

 

Whenever you go to one of the major electronics stores, you will certainly have the salesperson throw out terms like 1080i , 1080p, or True HD.  What does this mean to you?  In simple terms, they are referring to the resolution of the television.  1080i refers to a resolution of 1920(horizontal)x1080(verticle) interlaced and 1080p refers to 1920(horizontal)x1080(verticle) progressive.  What is better ?   Without getting too technical, progressive scan is usually better, but it really depends on the source material.  If you have an HDTV that is capable of displaying 1080p, but the source material is only broadcast in 1080i, you really wouldn’t a clearer picture on your tv.   When the salesperson uses the term True HD, they are usually referring to 1080p.   Currently, you will only get 1080p content if you have a Bluray(Sony Playstation 3) or HD-DVD player.  No over the air broadcast content is currently available in the 1080p resolution.

Cnet explains HDTV Resolutions    

HD Ready or HD Built-in

HD Ready refers to the TV being capable of receiving HD broadcast content with an add on HD converter box.  Buying an HD ready will usually mean that you have to spend a few hundred bucks on an HD receiver box.  HD ready TV’s are great if you plan on using it as a television monitor to display Bluray or HD-DVD content.   An HD built in TV is ready for HDTV right out of the box.  You can hook up an external antenna and have it up and running in as little as 30 minutes.  As a rule, I would say to grab an HD built-in tv and don’t worry about any expensive add ons later. 

The third question down in the guide below offers some more information.

HDTV answers guide

Aspect Ratio

Most HDTV sets are widescreen, but most non-HD content is not.  This may cause you to have to adjust the aspect ratio of your television based on the content.  Most TV’s offer several modes including wide and fixed that help you fine tune your viewing.  For the most part, I usually set the TV to normal, full, or wide mode.   Full and wide modes generally stretch content that isn’t a native HD format. 

LCD or Plasma

 

I really don’t know enough about the differences between the two to really get into this, so I can’t really tell you which format is better.   With my Sony HDTV, the salesperson let me know that I would need a replacement bulb every two years or so.  The bulbs can be found online for as low as $99, but I am sure that you will need a professional to install them.   I’ve read that Plasma screens are better when viewed in dark rooms and LCD screen are better for rooms with more light. The article below should shed some light on the subject.

Plasma vs. LCD -  Which is right for you?

High Definition Multimedia Interface

The future will be the HDMI input .  Try to look for a tv with as many HDMI inputs as possible.  Most HDTV sets should come with two inputs.   As more devices move over to being HD, the HDMI interface will be more important.  For now, you will only need the HDMI interface for your Bluray, HD-DVD, or upconversion progressive scan DVD players.   The HDMI plug is the way your high definition products will interface with your television.  The HDMI cables are the high definition versions of the RCA connection cables.  The more of these you have, the easier it will be to hook up multiple devices to your HDTV.   HDMI cables will generally set you back around $100 or so, but you should be able to find some upconversion DVD players that have them included for free.  I have run into a few Toshiba DVD players that been nice enough to include a free cable.

 

HDMI

 

These are just some of the basics.  Do your research before going out and spending thousands of dollars on a new HDTV.   Generally speaking, you will notice that your standard DVD’s played on an upconversion DVD player look great.  The resolution of the picture will not be the 1080p that Bluray offers, but it will look clear enough for the average home theater viewer.  Hold on to your standard DVD’s for now and wait for the Bluray and HD-DVD units to come down in price.  The Bluray and HD-DVD movies are running anywhere between $19.99 and $39.00.  I don’t know about you , but I don’t want to spend more than $15 for a movie these days.  If you are a home or apartment renter, be sure to contact the property owner to see if they allow satellite or cable service and ask your neighbors if they are able to receive over the air HD content with an external antenna.   If you have a complex television setup with multiple DVD,VHS,receivers, and Tivos, you may have a several hour setup when your new HDTV is delievered.  We had problems connecting the Tivo and kept on getting connection errors that stated that our cable didn’t allow that type of connection.  Call you cable or satelitte provider to make sure that your Tivo will interface properly with your HD Cable converter box.

 

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