HDTV Guide For Newbies

HDTV: Reasons For Getting It

The day advocates of high-definition television or HDTV presented it to the public in 1998, rumors spread about how it would be the best television viewing experience compared to our older TV sets. The image quality and sound would be better, giving the impression that you were in the movie or TV show while you watched it.

HDTV Defined

HDTV has made the older analog television sets obsolete. For one thing, images are several times sharper and clearer than older TVs. Older televisions receive analog wave signals in the air and the picture quality can be loss through conversion to the screen. Newer LCD HDTV or plasma HDTV sets receive digital signals from digital broadcast and picture quality is persevered.

HDTV: Function and Benefits

The US is phasing out analog broadcasting and replacing it with digital broadcasting. When the deadline arrives in 2009, your analog TV will not work, unless it has a converter. Right now, your analog TV set will still work so you might be wondering why you would want to have an HDTV right now:

Regardless of the dimensions of the screen, HDTV will have a better quality picture. Small details will show up on even larger screens.

HDTV multicasting allows stations to broadcast several programs in one line.

Digital broadcasting allows interactive programming such as games and contests.

HDTV maximizes the use of all the pixels on its screen, whereas analog TVs use a small portion of the pixels available to it.

The full spectrum of brilliant colors in images is available when seen on HDTV.

HDTV Minuses

Although HDTV's are becoming more affordable, they are in general more expensive that regular analog sets. New sets will usually have built-in HDTV tuners. If you don't have a dish or satellite service hooked-up, then you may need to purchase a HDTV antenna if you wish to receive free local HD programming.

Shopping For An HDTV?

To make the right choice in a HDTV, you need to see it for yourself. Watch it in a store, read the HDTV reviews and get the right advice. Then make the decision with confidence.

Copyright (c) 2006 by Leroy Chan

Afraid of buying a HDTV? Visit http://www.MyHDTVadvisor.com and get non-geek answers to questions about LCD HDTV, plasma HDTV, HDTV tuners, antennas and reviews.

Source: http://www.365articles.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=34901