What are the most important things to consider when buying an HDTV ?
There's more to brilliant, sharp pictures than screen resolution; color reproduction, contrast, and refresh rates make a big difference, too. Make sure an HDTV's colors are consistently true to life. Next, watch material that features scenes with both dark and bright areas. Blacks shouldn’t appear gray, and bright areas shouldn’t wash detail away. Finally, watch action scenes carefully to make sure your new set can handle fast-moving material without jagged edges.
Consider DLP: Rear-projection has been around a long time, but a relatively recent incarnation called DLP (Digital Light Processing) costs about 35% less than plasma or LCD sets with similar screen sizes, and they provide equally spectacular pictures. DLP sets are a little deeper and heavier than flatscreen models, but in general, they are still considerably smaller and lighter than CRTs.
Don’t forget the tuner. As of March 1, 2007, all televisions, regardless of size, must ship with built-in ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuners (also called HD tuners). But you may find models without them on store shelves for months afterward.
With HDMI, a single, slim cord connects your DVD player or digital television receiver to your television. It supports all high-definition resolutions (720p, 1080i, etc.) and maintains a digital signal throughout the process, avoiding the digital-to-analog conversion that can degrade image quality. It also carries digital multichannel audio, further eliminating the clutter and tangles that come with such a setup.
Don’t buy the cheapest or shortest cable on the shelf. Low-quality construction invites electrical interference and unreliable connections, and the cables may not withstand normal wear and tear as well as more expensive ones. Very few hometheater components, including the most expensive televisions and DVD players, come with quality cables. Plan to spend an extra hundred dollars or so purchasing cables for the highest-resolution formats each device supports (usually HDMI, but DVI and component are also HD-compatible).
Regular DVD players don't output high-definition video. You can purchase a Blu-ray Disc or HD DVD player and wait for the studios to release your favorites or consider purchasing a DVD player that upconverts (with special processing technology) SD material into almost-HD quality signals. Many models cost less than $100.
You may not get the most realistic impressions of HDTVs at the store. Bring some of your favorite movies to see how they look on your set before you buy.
