2008 HDTV Buyers Guide, Part 1

[Rodolfo]

I wrote this article originally for the HDTVetc magazine for the August 2003 issue, and it was later published on the HDTV Magazine in 2006. Consumers still go through the same struggle at national-chain stores today. I updated the article to include current HD equipment and technologies. Its tutorial substance and analysis are still applicable today, and are intended to help consumers in making the right purchasing decisions. Enjoy the reading.

The following topics are covered in this segment:

H/DTV and NTSC TV Systems, What are they?
The First Effort of the DTV Transition
Quality HDTV, or Quantity DTV, or Both?
Backward Compatibility with Legacy Analog TV for Digital Broadcast
Satellite/Cable, and the DTV Transition
Tuner Integration
The Effect DVD had for DTV
The Rush for Knowledge

You have been hearing about HDTV and decided to start looking for one...

[url=http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/articles/2008/02/2008_hdtv_buyers_guide_part_1.php]Read the Full Article[/url]

[bugsdoc1]

Great informative article

Why not put in .pdf format so we can save it on our computers

Thanks!

[jsshattuck]

In your browser, select Save As and save the article as a web document. Click on the resulting file and the page will open again in your browser wihtout having to go online.

[kenrosyfinch]

It seems that when my cable company goes digital I would only need their (cable company) converter if I wanted their HDTV tier of programming. Wouldn't basic digital programming be still available if I simply bought the digital converter, using the government coupon? Of course I would not have interaction and menus, but I do not need them for my little-used "secondary" sets. I would rent the cable company STB (HDTV converter/DVR) only for my main TV.

[akirby]

Don't confuse cable with OTA. The "digital converter" as you call it is just an ATSC tuner that can receive OTA digital tv signals (ATSC) for free and can be connected to older TVs without digital connections. It will not pick up cable signals. It could still work for you if you're close enough to pick up local ATSC signals via antenna.

Once the cable company turns off the analog channels then you either need a digital cable box, cablecard or a TV with built-in QAM tuner to receive the digital cable signal. I don't know much about QAM but if it's available then it's only for the basic channels.

[kenrosyfinch]

Thanks for the clarification. I have a sneaky feeling that many people may also have the idea that the government "handout" will let them view digital cable on their old TVs.

[Rodolfo]

Interesting comment Ken, there could be such confusion and that should be clarified, and I hope they will at the stores, because people might want to use the coupons and get an over-the-air tuner that will not work with digital cable, as "akirby" correctly said .

You should investigate with your cable company to know when within the 2008-2012 window they plan to pull the plug of analog services, every company is different and depends on the mix of analog vs. digital subs, as I said on the article.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra