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| HDTV Buyer's FAQ By jeremy deats (C)2004 |
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Contributors: Sandy Duff, Brad Houser So you've decided it's time to invest in a High Definition Television. Why now? Maybe you're tired of watching all your widescreen DVD movies with thick black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Maybe you're ready to get a picture to match your incredible Home Theater sound system or maybe you're just ready to move up to the next big thing for home entertainment. Whatever your reasons when you buy an HDTV you'll likely be making a large investment. No doubt you want all the facts and you probably don't know who to trust. All the good salesman work on commission and those who don't usually don't care enough about their job to get all the facts right or worse yet, they are biased towards specific brands for whatever reason. This guide is intended to provide useful information for the newcomer to this technology. I don't have all the answers for you here, but what you will find should be more than enough to get you on the right path to buying the best HDTV for you. Have a question you need answered that you think others are asking? Send it to me Note to potential sponsors: I am seeking advertisers and will make space for a few small ads near the top of this page, if you're interested please contact me regarding low rates. Note to readers: I've done my best to provide accurate information, if you discover what you believe or know to be incorrect information in this document please contact me and detail your findings. When appropriate I will update the content on this site.
THE HDTV BUYER'S FAQ
General questions Q:
Is it true EDTV is not recognized by the ATSC? Q:
If this technology is still morphing, isn't it too early to invest in an
HDTV?
Selecting the right
HDTV
Q: How much should I expect to pay if I hire an ISF certified technician?
Q: Why aren't more cable/satellite
channels in HD?
Recording options
Q: What is HDTV (High Definition
Television).
Q: What is the difference in interlaced and
progressive scan? A: DTV (Digital Television) refers to eighteen possible formats defined by ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) see chart below for a complete listing:
New A: True. However, this tid-bit is insignificant since EDTV (Enhanced Definition) is a standard recognized by all HDTV manufactures. While the ATSC may not have standardized EDTV, the industry has.
Q: What is the difference between EDTV, HDTV and normal TV? A: EDTV is defined in the US as 480p (704X480 progressive scan), it's not quite considered HDTV quality, but it meets the FCC regulations for the mandatory switch to "DTV" by 2006 (more on this soon). Most all HDTVs can also view 480p broadcast and some HD receivers will "down convert" HD signals to support 480p. This is all being done to help push what is collectively being called "Digital Television" ( DTV). You should also note that since there is no official standard for HDTV, some EDTVs are being sold as HDTVs, without an official HDTV standard salesmen and even manufacturers can call their televisions HDTVs as long as they meet DTV standards. If you want true HDTV look for 1080p, 1080i or 720p support, without any of these up front on the spec sheet, the set you're looking at is most likely an EDTV. "Normal TV" or SDTV (Standard Definition, in the US this is the common NTSC signal all TV's can pull out the air) also refers to Standard Cable, Digital Cable, Satellite, etc. SDTV is never absolute, but it's maximum resolution is approx 483x525 interlaced. It is sometimes referred to as 480i when broadcast as a digital feed (e.g. Digital Cable). Non progressive scan digital converter boxes (common with most Digital Cable and Satellite receivers) usually have the ability to output the converted analog signal up to 720x480i, however no one is actually broadcasting at this resolution. Instead the more common practice for providers is to squeeze the signal as tight as possible, but it's really impossible to measure the exact horizontal lines for SDTV broadcast because they most commonly originate as an analog signal. Unlike digital (where we can measure pixels like units) analog signals are not absolute. What is commonly measured are the vertical scan lines which average between 480-525 (usually coming in on the lower end, unless the picture is coming from a high resolution source such as S-VHS or DVD through S-Video input) If you compare the total pixel count of each format, here's how they compare (in terms of how much data is being shown per frame): Note: this does not take into consideration refresh rates which vary on each model. This should be considered a general metric of the quality difference between formats. Sampling of DTV formats * Based on average non progressive analog to digital
conversion like that found in digital cable boxes.
A: Most new HDTV owners comment that normal NTSC broadcast look horrible and wonder why. The simple answer is that the signal has always been that bad, your new TV's display is just doing the best it can with what it's given. It's a bit like putting a magnifying glass up to a newspaper, it reveals all the color flaws in the print. This "problem" won't effect everyone. If you're buying the TV or projector for a home theater room you have nothing to worry about. If you're looking to replace the family TV be sure and get a TV with a high quality up converter for analog sources. Non-widescreen signal (4:3 aspect ratio) will display natively with black bars on the left and right side to compensate. Almost all widescreen HDTVs also offer multiple zoom/stretch mode combinations, below is a sampling of what to expect in quality. These samples simulate up conversion of a analog signal from a digital cable box.
Q: Do I need special cables for High Definition? A: Yes. You will need at least component cables (R/B/G separation aka PR/PB/Y) to get HD quality video from your tuner/HD cable box to your HDTV. For even better quality you can use a digital input such as DVI, SVGA or FireWire (IEEE 1394) if your equipment supports it. You will not get HD quality though S-Video,
RCA video or RF (Coaxial). The only exception is if your TV has a
built in HD tuner, then your HD input will come in compressed though
Coaxial cable from your antenna.
RCA video-in and S-Video input ports
Q: What does the term "HDTV Ready"/"HD Ready"/"HDTV monitor" mean? A: This means the TV is capable of displaying HDTV broadcast, but it does not include the tuner required to connect an antenna and receive HDTV signal (no worry, external tuners are common with HDTV). Beware that sometimes EDTV's are labeled as "HD Ready", to be sure the model you're researching is really an HDTV make sure it supports either 1080p, 1080i or 720p natively, if it only supports 480p it's really an Enhanced Definition Television.
Q: Who makes the best brand [rear projection, plasma, LCD, etc...] HDTV? A: I don't feel comfortable slamming specific brands. I will say there are manufactures who are either still new to this technology or just have a record of poor quality builds, you want to avoid these guys so be careful. Some names that you recognize as brand name TV makers should be your last choice for HDTV. With that said I will recommend the most respected builders (this list isn't from a specific source, I assembled it from surveying many professionals in this field as well as salesmen who were ask what they would buy for their own home. This list is also based on reliability, serviceability, product features, innovations in technology, etc...). These builders are (in no specific order):
If I were buying a Plasma or rear projection HDTV I would limit my search to the brands listed above because of the reasons listed. Simply put all the other companies seem to be followers. If you have another brand and have been happy with it that's great, please don't e-mail to tell me about it.
A: I'll answer this question with a few facts. Most HD broadcast in the US are sent out in 1080i. In fact ABC is the only network broadcasting in 720p. All subscription based HD programming is currently broadcast in 1080i. Also most rear-projection HDTVs (still the most popular type of HDTV) support 1080i natively. With current bandwidth limits it's highly unlikely that anything will be broadcast in 1080p, however when HD-DVD is standardized 1080p will be supported. If all this is confusing just think of it this way: Native 1080i or 720p support is a must to meet the minimum requirements for High Definition. When it becomes available 1080p will be the absolute best you can get.
A: DLP (Digital Light Processing) is a technology being licensed by Texas Instruments to rear projection HDTV and HD projector (front projection) manufactures. In regard to rear-projection, DLP rear projection TVs will require less depth (smaller cabinet), you'll usually get a crisper picture with less pixilation. The image units (which are actually microscopic mirrors) are spaced less than a micron apart. This technology offers a radical departure from traditional rear-projection and CRT rear-projection HDTVs (even tube TVs) because it does not burn phosphor to produce an image. Over time phosphor wear will reduce the brightness of the image, uneven phosphor wear is the cause of screen burn-in common with plasmas and CRT projection HDTVs (non-DLP projections). These features give DLP some clear advantages. The primary drawback of DLP technology is the cost. Compare the Samsung HLM507W 50" DLP rear projection to the CRT rear projection Hitachi 51" 51S500 and the cost is about $1000 different.
A: Yes, the HD standard calls for all HD
broadcast to be in widescreen (16:9) aspect ratio. If you buy a HDTV that
is 4:3 native (i.e. more square than rectangular) you will see black or
grey bars at the top and bottom of your HD broadcast. If the program is
broadcast in SDTV you will also get black/grey bars on the left and right
as well. If you read Bill's article keep in mind he only discusses theatrical movies, if you intend to watch a lot of movies on DVD you'll definitely want a16:9, widescreen HDTV. If most of what you'll be watching is cable TV and most of your movie catalog is non-widescreen movies, then you may consider a 4:3 set.
A: The answer depends on what type of HDTV you buy. If you end up with a tube based HDTV, your TV will require no special care. For HD projectors (front projection) and DLP rear-projection sets, expect to have to change out the bulb every two or five years (depending on how often you view) will cost $400-$500 in parts plus service fees. if you pay to have someone service the projector. For rear projection HDTVs the cabinet should be dusted regularly and the screen will require care (most come with a protective glass screen, follow the manufactures suggestion for cleaning), if your TV does not have a glass screen (or you've had it removed) you can use high quality LCD/laptop monitor cleaner (e.g. Klear Screen). If your TV is plasma or rear projection HDTV (disregard if you're buying a DLP rear projection) you should be cautious of burn-in. Burn in occurs when you have uneven phosphor wear in the guns. CRT rear projection TV have red, green and blue guns inside that burn phosphor to create color and project images. If the same image is displayed for a extended period of time you can get uneven wear. How long depends on many factors namely the way your set is calibrated and the color composition of the image on screen. Prime candidates to cause burn-in include: stock tickers, network logos in the corners (notice how most have switched to a translucent logo), black or grey bars from widescreen DVDs or 4:3 aspect programming viewed natively on a 16:9 screen. This is also why some people advice against playing video games on rear projection and plasma TVs. When deciding on video games you should use your best judgment based on the display. For example the old classic Super Mario Bros could be very dangerous to your TV because of its limited and sharply contrasting use of color (e.g. bright blue sky against dark red bricks or black background against light grey bricks). With the current 3D game consoles, your main concern should be with life status bars, health counters, etc... If the game has screen artifacts that can't be disabled or hidden you should be conservative with the amount of time you play the game. If you experience burn-in expect to pay big dollars to have the TV serviced (they have to replace the guns) in many cases it will be less expensive for you to just buy another TV so be careful. When you buy an HDTV you should think of it
more like a car than say a radio. Especially if you're buying a rear
projection HDTV, although these sets don't have a maintenance schedule at
some point components will wear and your TV will need service. You may go
five years you may go ten years but at some point you'll probably need the
TV worked on and it will probably be outside of warranty at the time. When
you're laying down $2000+ for TV you want to go with a quality brand that
can easily be serviced. You also want to go with a company committed to
technology you have.
Q: Why do some people recommended hiring an ISF certified tech to come out and calibrate the TV? A: This is because the manufactures don't take the time to properly calibrate the sets. The procedure can not be automated on an assembly line. It would have to be done manually and that would cost them too much. Why don't they pay the extra? Because for most consumers (on consumer grade equipment) things don't have to be absolutely perfect. With the controls they offer (color, contrast, brightness, tint, etc..) you can get an acceptable image, often a very good image. Aside from the cost it would be impossible for manufactures to ship out sets perfectly calibrated due to the way environmental conditions effect the components. Temperature changes and humidity alter the settings. Traditionally ISF techs are only brought in to service professional grade (non consumer) equipment. With HDTV more consumers are buying product that blurs the line between consumer and professional grade. A few of these consumers want the absolute best their sets can offer so they pay an ISF tech to come out and calibrate.
Q: How much should I expect to pay if I hire an ISF certified technician? A: Prices vary (slightly) depending on your
region. Current rates average about US $250/visit for basic calibration
(convergence, geometry, focus, etc..) services on a rear-projection HDTV.
Some also charge travel/service visit fees ($35-$75). If you need to go
beyond the basic calibration expect to pay more ($500+ for a first time
calibration isn't that uncommon). If this seems pricey to you, don't do
it! ISF certified calibration is a luxury service. While most people
do notice picture quality difference after calibration, some do not. It
depends entirely on how bad off your set is now. Also, you should be
warned not all ISF certified techs are good at what they do. Think of
them like a mechanic, if you get a bad one he can destroy your TV, void
the warranty and leave you with the bill. His/her contract will release
them of almost all liability so watch out! Q: Where can I find an ISF certified tech in my area? A: The ISF trained-dealer database is a good start
A: If the tech has to open up the TV
or disassemble any part of it, then technically yes this voids all warranties
I have seen. It's at the discretion of your manufacturer if they will
honor the warranty after ISF calibration is performed (when the TV has
been opened). Not all ISF calibrations require the set to be
opened/disassembled. Almost all rear projection sets offer a service menu
that allows for fine tuning of parameters, if the tech can make all the
needed adjustments from this menu then your warranty should still be
valid. A: If you search the Internet for
information on your model you will probably be able to find what you need
to unlock the service menu. My advice is to stay clear of this, forget
about it! If you can get the menu up, some of the parameters may make
sense, most won't. ISF techs are trained on how to adjust these parameters
(they usually have additional equipment to help them read and adjust the
parameters). The manufacture doesn't give you easy access for a reason! If
you aren't careful you can do some serious harm to the set though the
service menu.
Q: What is convergence and how do I adjust it? How often do I need to adjust convergence? A: Convergence
is lining up of the red, green and blue guns inside non-DLP
rear-projection TVs. These three guns are responsible for making up all
the colors you see on screen, their alignment is critical in giving you
the best quality picture. If they aren't lined up you could see ghosting
effects, off color images and poor geometry (blurry images). All non-DLP
based rear projection sets require periodic convergence tweaking. Because
of this all sets provide some level of convergence tweaking outside the
ISF service menu. Typical non-ISF level service tweaking provides at least
9-points of manual adjustment. Some makers (such as Hitachi) offer over
100-point manual convergence without a service menu. About half of the
models available today also offer auto-convergence feature, this usually
gets the convergence in an acceptable range and optional fine tuning can
be applied though the manual menu. When appling manual convergence, the
goal is to make it so the red and blue beams line up perfectly to make
white (see example below). Poor convergence (notice the blue
bleeding to the right)
.
: A: Some TV's have the HD tuner built in, some do not. If your model does not you will have to rely on an external HD tuner to pick up over the air HD broadcast. All of the major networks currently broadcast HD over the air, including: PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, UPN and WB. If you own an over the air HD tuner you can receive these channels for free just as you would normal TV broadcast from these networks (providing you have a local affiliate broadcasting in HD). For subscription based HD check for a local DirectTV, Dish Network or cable provider in your area. Subscription based HD is currently lagging in support, but currently you can add the following channels (some may not be available with all providers): HDNet, HDNet Movies, INHD, INHD2, TNT, Discovery Channel HD, Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Bravo, Cinemax, The Movie Channel and Spice. Aside from the additional channels, another
incentive to going with subscription
based service is that you can generally lease the HD tuner as opposed
to shelling out a $300+ to buy one, most subscription based providers
also include some local HD broadcast. Depending on what's available in
your area, you may find the purchase of an HD over-the-air tuner a
better investment than subscription based services.
New The answer is bandwidth limitations. Many television shows today are recorded using HD cameras (or filmed in widescreen with HD in mind) but are not broadcast in HD due to the additional production cost required to transition to HD. Many cable stations would love to switch over but the cable companies that broadcast their content are forced to be selective due to bandwidth limitations. With the current infrastructure in place today it's impossible to get hundreds of channels in HD, the pipes just can't support it. Cable HDTV adaptation is moving very slowly in the US. Broadcasters are keeping a watchful eye on the industry, they know how many sets are sold each year and they need reason to justify the huge changes (investment in infrastructure) that would have to take place to make way for the same quantity of HD channels that are available today with non-HD cable. Looking at the road ahead, I believe the majority of HD channels will be available within five years. Currently technology trends, process power enhancements and better HD compression codec's based on those enhancements (e.g. Microsoft WM9) are paving the way. With the tend now, cable companies are converting the channels they own first.
New No, I don't believe it's too early. It's important to understand that although the methods by which the subscription based service providers deliver HD content is still morphing, those changes will only impact their need to invest in more modern equipment. Since cable boxes are generally leased this has little impact on the consumer. In regard to satellite HDTV (DishNetwork, DirectTV, VOOM, etc...) you have to consider that they are a services company. Why would they break compatibility and anger their customers who had already invested? Most likely, if changes come they will offer upgrade incentives at reasonable prices (as they have done in the past). The HDTV picture quality standards we have today aren't going away anytime soon. The ATSC has worked hard to standardize the HD formats (1080i, 720p, 1080p). What we've seen so far and what we'll continue to see is subscription service providers finding better ways to embrace those formats You can feel confident that the set you buy today will not be made obsolete five or ten years down the road. What Analyst predict we will continue to see is price drops on existing technology (DLP and LCD based sets) and the gradual retirement of older "bulky" technology (CRT based sets). The newer sets may not be more capable than existing sets in terms of picture quality (again, the HD quality standards are set), but they will have other advantages (slimmer design, longer life, etc...).
A: HD (1080i or 720p) is always in 16x9 widescreen, however none of the over-the-air networks record everything in HD. In fact, most of the networks have only select programming that's recorded in HD. For all their other programming they up-convert their normal NTSC TV recording, usually to 704x480p (digital SDTV) to take advantage of the HD bandwidth. The result is a noticeably better quality picture, however it's not HD. To find out which programs will be broadcast in HD on the national networks visit HDTV Galaxy and have a look at their TV guide. http://www.hdtvgalaxy.com/broad.html
Q: Why can't I use the aspect ratio/zoom and stretch features of my HDTV when watching HD broadcast? A: This is because the HD standard is 16:9 (widescreen), and when a network broadcast in HD they will pick a 16:9 format (either 1080i or 720p) for programming that was not recorded in HD they must upconvert the signal. Since most programming is recorded for 4:3 aspect natively the networks broadcast the signal with the black, grey or blue bars to the left and right as part of the signal. HD zoom modes are available on some TVs. If you absolutely hate the black bars you can always run an analog cable (S-Video is recommended) from your HD receiver to your TV or you can access the advanced setting menu and force 480i output for all non-HD channels. When you switch to analog input you'll be able to use all the zoom modes of your TV (at a noticeable loss of quality).
Q: Are all DVD Players compatible with HDTV? A: Yes, all HDTV's support multiple forms of input, however not all HDTV's prefer the same kind of input and some DVD players are better suited for HD than others (depending on the HDTV you have) To get the best quality DVD can offer you want to connect the DVD player to the TV using a component video or DVI cable. Most HDTV's also benefit greatly from progressive scan mode offered on some DVD players. The only exception seems to be those TVs that have high quality line doublers (essentially the same thing as progressive scanning, but done inside the TV as opposed to the DVD player) built in, if your HDTV has a high quality line doubler you can save some money by using s-video input and a non-progressive scan DVD player and still get a great picture, however if your DVD player offers component or DVI out it's well worth the investment).
A: This is a subject of much debate. But the true high definition buffs will tell you that Monster cables are really just the top of the low-end market. Some people pay $5000 or more for cables, most of these people just insist on the very best at any cost. For most of us this is unrealistic. My findings are like those of many others; the Monster cables do not produce a noticeable difference in quality over your basic Phillips or RCA brand component cables (available at your local Walmart for about $18.00 for 6 feet). Some of their cables may be worth the cost, their component cables are not.
A: No, the DVD standard calls for MPEG-2 (usually encoded as anamorphic video at 720x480). Anamorphic Widescreen DVDs will look extremely good, but you'll get small black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (this is still the most common format as theater screens are a bit longer than the 16:9 ratio and the studios are trying to preserve the film in it's original format). With anamorphic encoding the black bars are not part of the image, but empty space the DVD player is adding to make the picture fit your screen (this is why almost all DVD players have the option to select 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios for output), to get the best quality picture you'll want to set your DVD player to output 16:9 if you have a widescreen set.
A: If
you're looking for movies that fill the entire 16:9 display without
New A: HD-DVD currently has two meanings, it is a generic term for the next generation of DVD formats capable of displaying HD (1080p/1080i/720p) and more specifically, HD-DVD is the name of one of two competing standards. As a standard HD-DVD is backed by Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo and a few other companies. The other standard is called Blu-Ray; the two formats are not compatible with one another. Currently Blu-Ray has a larger industry backing than HD-DVD, however it looks as though HD-DVD players will be first to market. We will see HD-DVD product (players and movies) at retailers by mid-2005. Blu-Ray devices will be close behind and then we'll see a battle of the two formats not unlike the BetaMax vs. VHS battle of the early 80's. As with the introduction on DVD, only select titles will initially be available in these new formats and we can expect some movies to be exclusively available in Blu-Ray or HD-DVD.
New A: I would wait a few years before investing in either of these devices. Looking at history (Beta vs. VHS) and the volatility of this market, I believe only one of the two formats will survive. Unlike the adoption of DVD, whatever High Definition DVD standard wins, it will be a very long battle that will take many years. It's also possible that both standards may fail.
Updated A: You can not record HD broadcast using VHS or S-VHS based recorders/tapes, however there is a new standard called D-VHS that can record in 1080i format and you can even buy popular movies in HD on D-VHS tape. The main problem with D-VHS is that these devices only accept FireWire (IEEE 1394a) input for HD feed and many HD tuners do not have FireWire out. Also HD broadcast can be copy protected and the recording equipment won't be able to record it if copy protection has been applied to the broadcast (as is with most movies) Currently D-VHS recorders/players run between $700-$1000, see http://www.dvhsmovie.com for more information on D-VHS. At the time of this writing there are very few DVR's (Digital Video Recorder) on the market that support HD, the two major DVR service providers: Tivio and ReplayTV are committed to bringing HD compatible recorders to market, however the way in which they accomplish that is still unclear. In the US, the future of HD DVR seems to be in equipment from cable and satellite companies. In the future Tivo and ReplayTV will likely phase out their proprietary boxes in favor of licensing their technology to other vendors. Since the majority of US households have some form of subscription based television, it makes sense for the cable or satellites companies to absorb the cost of this equipment or to subsidize the price (as satellite providers do though incentives). The service providers can then make their money back on DVR service fees. As of this writing TimeWarner Cable (one of the nations largest cable providers) has made HD-DVR capable boxes available in many of their markets. Comcast is expected to follow close behind.
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