You've been watching television all of your life, and all of a sudden, along comes HD TV.
This new technology might seem incredibly costly, confusing, and unnecessary, but for the space of this article, we'll ask you to take a deep breath and try to forget all of that. HD TV doesn't need to be an incomprehensible morass of technical terms, jargon and marketing hype, because at heart, it's pretty darn simple: HD TV is a better picture. It does have some unique requirements, however, so we'll guide you through what to expect.
To HD TV or not to HD TV?
When you're deciding whether to get an HD TV, ask yourself the following questions.
- Am I unhappy with the TV I have now?
- Do I want something bigger, flatter, sharper or brighter?
- Am I willing to pay hundreds of dollars more to get that something?
If you answered yes, however, then it's probably time for you to consider buying an HD TV. Here's where your choices begin to multiply, but don't lose heart. We'll take you through all you need to know.
The falling price of HD TV
HD TV prices have fallen so far in the last couple of years that most TV shoppers can afford to go high-def. We're often asked when HD TV prices will "bottom out," but we really can't say. By this stage, however, prices have gotten low enough that we feel safe saying that, if you're buying now, you won't feel too burned by next year's prices.
What kind of HD TV to buy?
HD TVs come in all shapes and sizes, but there's a general hierarchy in size from smallest to largest.
Typical size |
Notes |
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Direct-view CRT (not flat)  |
26, 30, and 34 inches |
This is the kind of tube we've all come to know and love. The majority of these are not HD TVs, but there are a few around. If you're on a really tight budget, they're a fine choice, but LCD prices are getting so low that tubes are not going to have a big slice of the market. |
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Flat-panel LCD   |
17 to 56 inches |
These are the most popular kinds of HD TVs, mainly because they're relatively affordable and flat. If you just want to replace your tube with a similarly sized flat TV, then LCD is the way to go. Latest LCD TV reviews |
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Flat-panel plasma  |
37 to 65 inches |
There are a lot of myths about plasma, and most are untrue. The fact is, they cost less than LCDs at the 50-inch size, so if you want it big and flat, plasma is still king. At 37 and 42 inches however, you may need more information. Latest plasma TV reviews |
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Rear-projection (not flat)  |
42 to 73 inches |
If you want a picture larger than 50 inches, you're talking rear-projection. This is also where the alphabet soup of technologies gets really thick: DLP, LCoS, SXRD, and so on. They can all produce fine HD TV pictures, so don't be afraid to shop on price. Latest rear-pro TV reviews |
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In-depth information on the different varieties of television can be found in our quick guide to TV types.
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byrdman45
26/08/2007 05:56 AM
i think it's great but i need to know how to connect hdmi to my satellite
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mike
23/12/2007 04:36 PM
try to use the language of the ignorant buyer.NOT that of the consumer who has some level ofknowledge. think of the older customer etc
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danmc
19/05/2008 09:29 PM
Yay Foxtel HD is here! The HD boss the HD! I ordered it today - see here http://www.dan.net.au/?p=9 Oh and byrdman45 - I think the new IQ2 might solve your HDMI problem. It has HDMI built in. Otherwise, If you are on Free to Air or some other sat service then there are adapters you can get and different set top boxes with HDMI. If your box has DVI then there is an easy adapter that works well in most cases. Otherwise, depending on your TV, you may be stuck using RCA or other inputs which will be slightly less good for image quality but still ok.
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