Ultimate HDTV Buying Guide
By CNET StaffFeb 22, 2008
3. 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. But first, if you're completely new to HDTV, you may want to check out HDTV 101: A beginner's guide.
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: The words "digital television" are used as a generic term for SDTV, EDTV, or HDTV.
SDTV: A standard-definition television is an analog television equipped with a built-in ATSC tuner (see below), which allows it to receive digital TV broadcasts. It will display a picture from these broadcasts, but HDTV shows won't look nearly as detailed as they would on a true 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 (more info).
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.
EDTV monitor or HDTV monitor: Describes a television that lacks a built-in tuner of any kind. These sets still work perfectly well with external tuners, including HD-compatible satellite and cable boxes
HDTV tuners
Samsung's SIR-T451 external ATSC tunerOver the air: By law, as of March 1, 2007, almost all televisions should include a built-in tuner (called HDTV, digital, or ATSC tuners) that can receive high-definition programs over the air by simply connecting an antenna. If your HDTV doesn't have such a tuner, you'll also need to connect an external tuner (or cable or satellite box) to watch high-definition programming. External over-the-air HDTV tuners currently cost at least US$150.
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 as of March 1, 2007, all new TV and video products imported into the U.S. or shipped to retailers that include an analog (NTSC) tuner need to have a digital ATSC tuner as well. There's a loophole though: if the product contains no tuner whatsoever--for TVs, this means it's a "monitor"--then the mandate does not apply. As a result of the mandate, nearly all televisions sold after that date should be ready for the analog switch-off.
Analog TV broadcast switch-off: In December 2005, the US 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 will be incapable of receiving 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. **The subsidy currently calls for US$40 coupons to be given to households who want to buy the estimated US$50 to US$70 boxes. Given the slow progress over the last nine 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 with some sets also means you can't access the electronic program guide (EPG), although many new DCR HDTVs include a third-party EPG, such as the TV Guide system, as a substitute.
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 better known: 1080p, which combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is scarce outside of Blu-ray, HD DVD and the latest video games, however, and none of the major networks has announced 1080p broadcasts. Check out our comparison chart to see how HDTV stacks up against standard TV and progressive-scan DVD, and go to HDTV resolution explained for more detail.
| Name | Resolution | HDTV? | Wide-screen? | Progressive-scan? |
| 1080p | 1,920x1,080 | Y | Y | Y |
| 1080i | 1,920x1,080 | Y | Y | N |
| 720p | 1,280x720 | Y | Y | Y |
| Wide-screen 480p (DVD, EDTV) | 852x480 | N | Y | Y |
| Regular TV | Up to 480 lines | N | N | N |
Regular TV and DVD on an HDTV
Regular TV on an HDTV: Given that converted TV doesn't really leverage the full potential of a new high-definition television, you may wonder why people buy HDTVs today at all. One big reason is because of DVD. 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 progressive-scan DVD with an HDTV will give you the best picture you can get outside of HDTV itself.
DVD on an HDTV: HDTVs can make DVD, a very high-quality source, look spectacular. Most of them will probably tell you it's because of DVD. 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 (see Inputs and outputs). They're the most future-ready HDTV connectors currently available.
