So, you’re looking for a brand new High Definition Television?
Before we get started, let’s talk about what an HDTV is.
Essentially an high definition television set is the latest in TV technology which offers much higher image clarity than the older TVs. In order to take advantage of the higher resolutions you will need to receive an HD signal (or at the very least a digital signal… which is pretty much a basic service now a days).
When going out to evaluate a new TV make sure that you truly understand the various resolutions and whether or not you really need it. For some getting the highest quality picture is a must, while for others just being able to watch regular TV is enough… Also, when going to your local outlet, make sure they accurately demo the true quality of the HD by having them tune in an HD signal to their TVs. Because the only way to truly evaluate the difference (and to appreciate high definition) between the TVs is to see all the models next to each other using the same “feed.”
Hopefully this isn’t too confusing…
Ok, so we’ve talked about resolution, but what does it mean?
Well, the HDTVs currently come in a variety of flavors from 720 to 1080 (there are lower resolutions but you really shouldn’t consider anything less than 720 and really no less than 1080 if you want great quality picture). Each of these resolutions come in an “i” and a “p” variety (in other words, you have 1080i and 1080p, and the same goes for 720 resolutions).
If you are only watching regular HD TV (broadcasts), 1080i is the highest resolution that you can get. However, 1080p is the highest resolution you can get on a TV currently. Since regular broadcast TV only take advantage of 1080i there’s really no need to invest in 1080p; unless you plan on purchasing a Blu Ray disc player (which takes advantage of the latest technology), plan on playing some of the latest video games on playstation / xbox and want to take advantage of the highest resolution available, or just have some money to blow and want to show off to your friends.
While there are other areas that can make a difference in terms of your image quality such as: contrast ration, screen (glossy or non-glare), brightness and other control features; the resolution is key to image quality as the difference between a regular non-HDTV and a 1080 resolution TV is a factor of six. In other words a 1080p HDTV has 6 times better image clarity than a regular television set.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of things you should know about before investing your hard earned money on a new HD TV set. Make sure you educate yourself and evaluate the various brands. There are the top brands such as Sony and Samsung and 2nd and 3rd tier brands as well. And while the specs look similar there can be a wide disparity between each television set. So buyer beware!
Tags: 1080p, 1080p hdtv, contrast ratio, hd tv, hdtvs, samsung, television, tv technology, video