How to pick a high-definition TV | The Honolulu Advertiser

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How to pick a high-definition TV | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Sunday, January 25, 2009

How to pick a high-definition TV

By PETER SVENSSON
Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Even a small high-definition television is a worthwhile step up in viewing quality from a standard screen.

AP file photo

TV SPECIFICATIONS

Some useful terms to know when shopping for a high-definition TV set:

24p, or 1080p24: A set with this feature can show 24 frames per second, exactly the way movies are shot. Cinephiles may notice smoother, more cinematic images, but the feature works only with Blu-ray players connected with HDMI cables.

120 Hz: The display will smooth out motion, making scenes with action or a moving camera look sharper. Expect to pay more for these sets.

720p: The display has low resolution, but is still high-definition. Adequate for screens smaller than 40 inches, or ones meant to be watched from more than 12 feet away.

1080p: The display has high resolution. Good for screens larger than 40 inches, or ones used for games, as computer displays, or for Blu-ray playback.

Aspect ratio: The size relationship between the set's height and width. This is nearly always 16:9.

ATSC: This tuner lets a set receive free TV through an antenna. It's a standard feature.

Composite: A low-quality video connector for older game consoles and VCRs. It cannot carry a high-definition signal.

Component: A high-quality, three-lead connector for game consoles, DVD players and cable boxes. It can carry a high-definition signal, but is not quite as good as HDMI.

Contrast ratio: Essentially, how black the black parts of the picture look, compared to how bright the whites are. Don't pay too much attention to this figure. There are different ways to measure it. But in general, higher is better.

Energy Star qualified: Look for sets qualified under the most recent standards, Energy Star 3.0. These specify a maximum power consumption when the set is in use. The older rules specify the consumption when the set is on standby (when the screen is off).

HDMI: An input for a digital connector cable that carries both audio and video. This is the latest and highest-quality way to connect a TV to a set-top box, game console, DVD player or other signal source.

NTSC: This is a tuner for analog broadcast TV (which has almost entirely gone off the air in Hawai'i), so ignore this feature.

Plasma: Most people opt for LCD sets, which are brighter and stand out in stores. But a plasma set can be a good choice if you're looking for a flat panel that's 42 inches or bigger. They are capable of excellent image quality. But be aware that the glossy front glass can show distracting reflections.

VGA: An input for a computer video signal. Many newer computers can use the higher-quality HDMI inputs instead, so VGA is not essential even if you plan to connect your PC to your TV.

Virtual surround sound: This means the TV set's built-in speakers will attempt to produce the enveloping sound of a home theater setup. It falls far short of an actual six-speaker setup bought separately.

— Associated Press

NEW YORK — If you haven't yet sprung for a high-definition TV set, the week before the Super Bowl is a good time to upgrade. Sports look great in HD, and football in particular is easier to follow on a big, sharp screen.

Prices of some flat-panel 32-inch TVs are now down to $400 (even less for some smaller screens). Of course, bigger TVs make for a more compelling viewing experience, but even a smaller HD set is a good step up from a standard-definition set.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you go high-def:

What size screen should I get? A common rule of thumb is this: Take the distance you'll be sitting from the TV set, in feet. Multiply it by four to get the number of inches of screen diagonal to get. If you sit 10 feet from the TV, that works out to a 40-inch set. That's the minimum size — you'll certainly appreciate an even larger one.

If you're choosing between a smaller TV with premium features or a larger TV for the same price, go for the larger one. Advanced features like 1080p resolution aren't of much value on small sets anyway, and nothing beats the enveloping feel of a large screen.

LCD or plasma? Liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs, have become the default choice for HDTV buyers, with nearly 90 percent of the market. But don't rule out plasma sets. These can be cheaper for the same size of screen, and yield excellent image quality, with deeper black images than most LCD screens. However, plasma ones are thicker and heavier and use more power than LCDs. The most noticeable difference is their glossy glass surfaces, which can produce annoying light reflections.

Rear-projection sets account for a few percent of the market. Consider these if you want the largest possible screen and don't mind that they're not flat, wall-mountable slabs like LCDs and plasma. Image quality can be good, but they're less bright than flat panels and even dimmer when not viewed straight on.

With screens of about 40 inches, the question is: 720p or 1080p? This refers to the resolution of the screen, with 1080p being the sharpest. But chances are you won't notice the difference unless you sit fairly close or the screen is very big. A 720p set is fine for DVDs, which aren't high-definition. If you plan to get a Blu-ray player or to hook up a video game console to the set, 1080p makes more sense.

There's another feature that affects the image quality: a 120-hertz "refresh rate," coupled with image-processing technology known as "motion flow" or "smooth motion." What does this mumbo-jumbo mean? Well, TV is shot at 30 frames per second, and movies at 24 frames per second. This is fast enough to give us the impression of continuous motion, but not fast enough to make high-action or camera-panning scenes look smooth. High-end TVs now compensate for this by computing extra frames and inserting them between the existing ones. Combined with a screen that refreshes the image 120 times per second, this means smoother football action. But not everyone will even notice it without a side-by-side comparison with another set.

How does the set hook up? You'll want as many HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) inputs as possible. HDMI cables provide the best connection between a TV set and a signal source like a set-top box, DVD player or game console. Three inputs are standard, but some cheaper sets scrimp. You'll also find a standard antenna input at the back of the set.

Lastly, once you have your set, don't forget to hook it up to a high-definition signal! Some people get an HD set and think they're watching HD, when in fact they're watching blurry old standard-definition programming. The cable or satellite company can walk you through getting an HD signal, but if you're in a hurry to watch the Super Bowl or don't have pay TV, connect an antenna and tell the set to scan the airwaves. The local NBC station should be broadcasting in high definition.

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