HDTV BOOT CAMP

Since the first HDTVs appeared in 1998, high-definition television has been on the mind of every TV buyer. The big question is whether now is the time to pay a few hundred to a few thousand dollars more and take the plunge on an HDTV set. We can't answer that question for you, but we can provide some basic information that may help you decide.

Analog, digital and HDTV

Analog: An analog TV cannot display progressive-scan DVD or HDTV. It can show only standard-definition programs such as those found on regular TV, cable, or satellite--including digital cable and DirecTV or Dish Network.

Digital: A digital television, sometimes called a DTV, can also display progressive-scan DVD and almost always HDTV.

EDTV: This stands for Enhanced-Definition TV, and usually it describes a television that can display HDTV signals but doesn't have enough resolution to really do them justice. Most often it applies to plasma TVs and denotes 852x480 pixels.

HDTV: High-definition televisions, or HDTVs, can display standard TV, progressive-scan DVD, and HDTV signals. They're by far the most common type of digital television.

HDTV tuners

Over the air: Not all HDTVs actually come with a built-in tuner (called HDTV, digital, or ATSC tuners) that can receive high-definition programs over the air by simply connecting an antenna. Sets that have them built in are called integrated HDTVs, and those that don't are sometimes called HDTV ready or HDTV compatible; mostly they're all lumped together under the name HDTV. If you buy an HDTV-ready set, you'll also need to connect a separate tuner (or cable or satellite box) to watch high-definition programming. External over-the-air HDTV tuners currently cost at least $150.

Samsung SIR-T451: This external digital tuner will add high-def programming to any HD-ready TV

FCC tuner mandate: You may have heard that all TVs will have to be HDTVs by a certain date. That's not technically correct. The FCC has mandated that certain sizes of televisions manufactured or imported into the U.S. on certain dates are required to have built-in ATSC tuners--but the TVs don't necessarily have to be able to display HDTV resolutions. Here's a look at the FCC's proposed rollout as it stands as of January 2006:

Analog TV broadcast switch-off: In December 2005, the Senate passed a budget bill that calls for over-the-air television stations to cease their analog broadcasts by February 17, 2009. After that date, TVs and other gear with old-style NTSC tuners would be unable to receive over-the-air broadcasts. Part of the government's quandary is that the switch-off would cause thousands of TVs to go dark and would deprive many lower-income viewers of their only source of television. To address this issue, lawmakers propose to subsidize converter boxes that would allow people to watch the new digital broadcasts on their old analog TVs. Further details on the transition to digital and the converter box subsidy are still being worked out, and given the slow progress over the last 9 years since the introduction of digital and HDTV, we wouldn't be surprised to hear of more changes before 2009.

Cable and satellite: The FCC's plans for ATSC tuners have nothing to do with HDTV over cable and satellite. Subscribers to pay TV services can simply get a set-top box that tunes HDTV channels, plug it into their HDTV-ready sets, and watch HDTV.

Some new HDTVs are digital cable ready (DCR) , meaning they can tune digital cable channels, including HDTV if the cable provider has HDTV channels, without needing an external cable box. To use a DCR television, you'll need to get a special access card from your cable provider, called a CableCard. Unlike actual digital cable boxes, current DCR TVs can't do video-on-demand at all, and you must pick up a phone if you want to order pay-per-view programs. Using the card also means you can't access the cable company's electronic program guide (EPG), although many new DCR HDTVs include a third-party EPG, such as the TV Guide system, as a substitute. So if you want to order pay-per-view via your TV and use the cable company's EPG, you'll most likely want to stick with a high-def cable box. Some cable companies also offer high-def, dual-tuner digital video recorders that let you pause live TV and easily record shows, functionality that most DCR HDTVs lack.

HDTV resolutions

Resolution, or picture detail, is the main reason why HDTV programs look so good. The standard-definition programming most of us watch today has at most 480 visible lines of detail, whereas HDTV has as many as 1,080. HDTV looks sharper and clearer than regular TV by a wide margin, especially on big-screen televisions. It actually comes in two different resolutions, called 1080i and 720p. One is not necessarily better than the other; 1080i has more lines and pixels, but 720p is a progressive-scan format that should deliver a smoother image that stays sharper during motion. Another format is also becoming more well-known: 1080p, which combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is extremely scarce however, and none of the major networks have announced 1080p broadcasts. Check out our comparison chart to see how HDTV stacks up against standard TV and progressive-scan DVD.

Videophiles are quick to point out that not every HDTV can actually display all the resolution of an HDTV program. That's true; all but the most expensive sets with 9-inch CRTs, LCoS engines, or the very highest-resolution DLP and LCD panels are incapable of resolving every detail of 1080i material. Plasma, LCD, LCoS and DLP TVs have a fixed number of pixels, known as native resolution, and the higher that number, the more detail you'll see. Naturally, higher-resolution fixed-pixel displays, such as 1080p sets with 1,920x1,080 pixels, cost more money. At the end of the day, however, even the staunchest video critics will admit that a high-definition picture on any HDTV looks far superior to regular TV.

Regular TV and DVD on an HDTV

Regular TV on an HDTV: Aside from being able to display high-resolution HDTV shows and movies, a high-definition set can also make regular TV look a little better. Almost every HDTV has a processor that takes the regular TV image and converts it to progressive-scan for a more stable image. This conversion won't work miracles, however, and many HDTV buyers are disappointed by how regular television looks on their new sets. That's because the big screen exaggerates the flaws in standard TV programs. No matter how nice a TV you buy, there isn't much you can do to make regular TV, including digital cable or satellite, look better.

DVD on an HDTV: HDTVs can make DVD, a very high-quality source, look spectacular. Progressive-scan DVD players have their own internal processors that are generally superior to the ones inside most digital sets. Mating a prog-scan DVD with an HDTV will give you the best picture you can get outside of HDTV itself.

Your HDTV tomorrow

If you buy an HDTV today, you can be fairly certain it won't become obsolete anytime in the next few years. There is a possibility, however, that Hollywood studios will enforce some sort of copy protection on analog HDTV connections; a move is underway to "plug the analog hole." Your safest bet is to get an HDTV with a DVI/HDCP or HDMI connection. They're the most future-ready HDTV connectors currently available.

Want more information on HDTV? Check out CNET.com's HDTV World.