I recently turned my stuff-wanting attention to the purchase of a new television set. I’ve got the same RCA 32-inch tube that I bought for my first apartment after college, and while it doesn’t really show too many signs of wear, I still feel like something is lacking when I fire up a letterboxed movie and settle in with a bowl of popcorn. It just doesn’t quite have the zip that I imagine a newer TV might offer.
Plus, as many of you may already have noticed, it really has turned out to be the year of HD (High Definition) TV, and the precipitous drop in price for LCD TVs in particular has peaked my interest. I’ve been shopping 37-inch HDTV LCD models casually (looking here or there when the mood strikes, often led by a surfing stop at DealNews.com), and I’m starting to see some prices that are within striking distance of my budget … say, sub $1000. Way sub.
The questions that I’ve wrestled with in all this shopping, though, have answers that I thought might be worth sharing in this column. Especially if—oh, I don’t know—you’ve been hearing similar HDTV pining from a loved one and aren’t sure exactly which direction to take things around the holidays? Well, here’s a primer on the terminology:
• HD. The blanket term, High Definition, contrasts with Standard Definition (SD), which we’ve been watching for years. Current HD broadcast standards offer either 720 progressives lines of resolution or 1080 interlaced lines of resolution, usually in a 16:9 aspect ratio (“widescreen”). SD has been 480 visible interlaced lines of resolution in a 4:3 ratio. The upshot is that with HD you’ll see more detail in the image (because there’s at least twice the number of “pixels” used to display an image), and the wider screen translates into more picture area when you’re viewing an HD television signal.
• Interlacing vs. Progressive. With interlacing, every even line on the screen is drawn, then the odd lines. On tube-style TVs, the screen’s phosphors stay luminous long enough that you don’t notice the alternating lines, but it’s interlacing that gives you the “banding” effect when you try to record a TV with a video camera. With a progressive display, each line of resolution is drawn one after the other (or otherwise simultaneously) without skipping. Today’s LCD computer displays are progressive, as are many HD sets, so progressive is a common format for HD. However, when HD was originally envisioned, it was aimed at CRT-based televisions (tubes), so interlacing was assumed. As a result, there’s some overlap in the two standards.
• 1080i. Adding everything together, you can see what one of the major HD standards means—1080 lines of interlaced resolution. NBC, CBS, HBO and others with common ownership broadcast in 1080i in part because they’ve been at it longer and went with the older standard. Modern HD sets “de-interlace” the 1080i picture before displaying it, which can mean very high image quality, but can slow down the “refresh” rates slightly.
• 720p. 720 lines of progressive resolution. This is the current standard for LCD and Plasma HD TVs, although 1080p (progressive) is the emerging standard in high-end sets. 720p is generally better for fast action than 1080i and a 720p TV will resample the 1080i image for its resolution. Fox, ABC and Disney’s channels broadcast in 720p.
• 1080p. The best of both worlds, a bit more expensive and not currently being used for broadcast, although it’s the standard for Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats. If you can get a 1080p TV in your price range, go for it, because it’ll handle the other two HD standards just fine.
• LCD. LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the technology in today’s “flat panel” computer screens, and it’s made a very successful leap into TVs. Shop any electronics store, and you’ll see many LCD displays, with prices going down constantly. Just make sure the LCD is HD or HD-Ready if it seems like too good of a deal.
• Plasma. Plasma TVs can be larger than is practical with LCD displays. HD plasma displays are available these days, but less expensive models are often EDTV models that offered an “enhanced” picture—better than SD, but not as high-resolution as true HD. Some plasma displays have a relatively short life due to their fixed internal light source and they can dim over time.
• Rear projection. These are larger screens with a small projector that’s shooting the images to the display. Rear projection screens tend to be less bright than LCD displays, but they can be much larger, and newer rear-
projection displays use brighter DLP technology for a more impressive picture.
• DLP. A different take on an LCD-like technology that offers vivid colors and very steady images. The technology is used for both rear-projection and LCD-like flat-panel displays, with a replaceable light source that gives a DLP TV a longer-life than many LCD and plasma displays.
• HD-Ready. A TV that can display HD images but that doesn’t include an HD tuner is often marketed as HD-Ready. This isn’t always a bad thing, particularly if you intend to use your display with a digital cable or satellite box that includes its own HD tuner.
So, which one should you buy? Obviously, some of the pricier TVs offer more of the above features—1080p is something of a holy grail right now—but most of the value in your purchase is likely to come from getting a good brand of TV. I’d recommend taking a close look at the brand and model number of any HDTV you’re considering and plug it into a Google search (with the keyword “+review”), a review site such as CNet, or a public opinion site such as ePinions or Amazon. You might be surprised—I’ve looked closely at some 37-inch HD-Ready LCDs in the $600-700 range that are getting good reviews from customers and that might just be my next home entertainment purchase.
Previous Comments
I’d love to have a Pioneer 1080p plasma 50 inch or larger, but I think if your going really big (i.e. 52 inches or more) then a DLP rear projection television is the best value. Why oh why doesn’t Pioneer offer DLPs. My only worry is, if needed, how readily would you find getting repaired any of these newer technologies in and around the metro.
#84774 | Author: K RHODES | Date: Dec 1 2006
Extended warranties my friend. That’s what I got from Cowboy Maloney when I bought my 51″ DLP rear projection Hitachi. For 5 years, everything is covered including those darn expensive bulbs. Wal-Mart had a 32″ LCD HDTV for $599 on “Black Friday” but I was broke. It was Symphonic brand which is made by Samsung. Crystal clear picture. Plasma TVs just have a horrible picture and I’ve looked at them everywhere.. from Wal-Mart to Best Buy. I’ve yet to find one with a good picture. My Hitachi is crystal clear and it’s a projection TV! Why can’t a $5000 plasma TV have a good picture? But yeah, I’m looking to replace the 25 year old 27″ Sony Trinitron in the bedroom. Nothing wrong with it. Still a beautiful picture on it. Just ready for something bigger and hanging on the wall! haha
#84775 | Author: Jo-D | Date: Dec 4 2006
We bit the bullet and bought a Panasonic Plasma TV- 37 inches, I think- and so far we love it- for the most part. There are a couple of things I’m disappointed in, but it really is no fault of the television… 1. Lack of HD channels- we are on Comcast Cable- they offer the “big 3”, one HBO, a Discovery Channel, and one or two other channels as part of the deal with the HD box. They do have a few others (like ESPN), but they charge *extra* for them. I could see them charging extra for premium channels if they were already giving people a wide variety of others to choose from, but this is ridiculous! 2. Had the in-laws over one night, and they used the wrong remote control to change channels. They must have hit the wrong button or something because we lost *all* of our HD channels- had to get the cable guy back out here to fix the problem! There should be a way to set a “default” or a control point or something- it is just too damn confusing!
#84776 | Author: Rico | Date: Dec 5 2006
I just bought from Target.com a 32″ LCD HDTV for $629, free shipping.. that’s with the 10% discount they are giving right now and an additional 6.4% cash back using FatWallet.com. Syntax Olevia is the brand and it’s the only US made LCD company out there.. all parts made in the US, whole thing assembled in the US. But whether foreign or US, you won’t find a 32″ LCD HDTV (notice not HD Ready but full on HDTV) for this price… yet – unless it’s a refurbished set. Hello 1080i? Can you hear me? I’m calling Dec 12th when my new telly arrives! And I got a nice 25yo Sony Trinitron for sale! haha
#84777 | Author: Jo-D | Date: Dec 5 2006