Television in revolution

By Edward C. Baig
USA Today

Digital HDTVs tune in programs at 10 times the resolution of their analog predecessors, displaying a much sharper picture. Plus, their wide-screen proportions deliver a cinematic experience similar to a movie screen.

The rich detail puts viewers in the middle of the action. "If there's a hockey fight, you know how many stitches a guy needs before the doctor gets on the ice," says Mark Cuban, who, as owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and co-founder of a high-definition television network called HDNet, is an authority on spectator sports and broadcasting.

Yet for many reasons — lofty prices, customer confusion, a paucity of HD programming, and broadcaster resistance — mainstream consumers had been reluctant to embrace the digital transition.

HDTV's reception among the masses is brightening. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, manufacturer-to-dealer digital TV sales for the first quarter of 2004 totaled 1.39 million, a 104 percent climb over the same period in 2003. By 2007, nearly one-third of American households will be tuning in to HD programs.

Several positive plot points could accelerate the handover:

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HDTV glossary Here are some terms that can make understanding high-definition TV easier: Aspect ratio: The width-to-height proportions of a TV screen. Most high-definition TVs provide wide-screen cinematic ratios of 16 to 9, as opposed to the squarish 4 to 3 found on regular TV. Digital TV (DTV): Signals that are transmitted and displayed digitally like computer data. While HDTV is digital TV, not all digital TV is HD. High-definition television (HDTV): Highest-quality digital TV standard produces more lifelike images than regular (analog) TV, along with superb surround sound. Tube sets: High-definition tube TVs are the most affordable and arguably provide the best pictures. Downside: Cabinets are large and heavy, and screen sizes are limited. Flat panel: Typically refers to thin, expensive plasma and liquid crystal displays.

Entry-level HD monitors can be found for as little as $450, Wargo says, though at that price you're getting a 27-inch, non-wide-screen model, based on older tube technology. And buyers would still need a separate set-top box for receiving cable or satellite transmissions, or an antenna for capturing over-the-air reception.

Other developments portend a continued price decline. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Intel demonstrated Cayley, the code name for a technique called "liquid crystal on silicon," which it says will lead to large-screen digital sets for less than $2,000.

Programming. More is coming. Major events shown in HD include the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl and the Masters Tournament. NBC will broadcast the 2004 Olympics in HD.

As of late February, according to research firm Digital Tech Consulting, CBS was airing 27 hours a week of its usual programming in HD, not counting specials. NBC and ABC were broadcasting 21 hours and 13 hours of usual programming, respectively. Fox plans to show at least half its prime-time lineup in HD beginning this fall.

But questions about the technology are plaguing the adoption of HDTV. About one in three buyers plans to eschew HDTV as his or her next TV purchase, and 25 percent have ruled it out, the CEA says. Roughly a quarter are confused about some aspect of the purchase.

Clearing up the confusion starts with understanding the concept of digital TV. Though HDTV is digital television, it is possible to buy a digital TV that is not high definition. There are 18 digital formats. Those that adhere to Standard Definition (SD) or Enhanced Definition (EDTV) standards don't quite measure up to full-fledged HD, though SD and EDTV are still superior to analog.

Consumers also might need a scorecard to sort through the TV display options, including whether to buy an HD monitor or a set with an integrated digital tuner.

At the top of the heap are the dazzling wall-hanging, flat-panel models, including plasmas and LCDs (liquid crystal displays). Then there are the thin and alluring sets based on so-called micro-display technologies.

Retailers have the unenviable task of enlightening the masses. "TVs are not as simple as toasters anymore," says Lee Simonson, Best Buy's business team leader for TVs. "You don't pull a knob and click to the station you want to watch anymore."