All About HDTV

Everything you wanted to know about HDTV but were afraid to ask

Why HDTV, and why now?

Lets keep it simple, HDTV is movie theater quality brought into the living room. Originally, television used the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' standardized screen size. This appeared as square, although it was really about a third wider than tall.

This size was prominent in motion pictures through the thirties, forties and early fifties. Since the late fifties films have been between two to three times as wide as tall. Why should home-theaters be stuck with Depression era screen ratios that leave the viewer missing a bunch of the picture, or with those annoying black letterboxes?

What are the different types available?

When choosing a HDTV there are many decisions you will need to make. Your current viewing habits though can guide these decisions. How much room is available for the new TV? Will I watch more HDTV broadcast, DirectTV HDTV or will I watch more cable HDTV. You will want to check a website's HDTV reviews but also keep in mind your needs. Types range as follows,

Plasma HDTV: By far the coolest of the HDTV screens, plasma offers bright contrasting colors that are produced by tiny neon like bulbs built into the front of the TV.

   
LCD HDTV: Is the same technology that we have been using for our flat panel computer monitors for a decade.

Microdisplay HDTV: DLP, LCoS and LCD's are projection HDTV, but with a brighter picture than that associated with older projection style TVs. Microdisplays also offers a shallower screen than tube and other projection televisions.

What are the prices?
The gap between home theater and movie theater is what HDTV was meant to address. Since 1998 the wider, clearer, and better standard has been available. So what are the options? First, you should know that there are more options than just those huge $10,000.00 HDTVs that sit as the focal point at your local mega-store. Many smaller sets could be the best HDTV for you and at a very affordable price.

Samsung HDTV offers a television that costs less than $500. The screen is 27" and offers 1080 lines of resolution.

Sony HDTV offers a flat panel LCD HDTV in the $800 range.

Samsung also has a 56" DLP HDTV Screen that offers incredible pixel-free viewing for a price not out of line with old school projection televisions (under $2995.00).

HDTV is a big shift but one that is much less painful and fraught with challenges than choosing Beta or VHS. The standard has been chosen, now all that's left is to find the television that is best for.

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