As quality rises, HDTV prices go down

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

September 30, 2008

Everyone has a talent. Mine is the ability to find an excuse for almost any high-tech purchase that strikes my fancy. I'm so good I could tutor the less fortunate.

That's you — if you haven't made the switch to HDTV. I'm here to help.

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Like many of my excuses, this one plays a little loose with the facts. It goes like this:

"Dear, we are going to need a new TV since the FCC is switching all stations over to digital. I guess we should bite the bullet and get one now before the switch."

If you're lucky your spouse won't know that if you get your programming over cable and satellite you will have at least a three-year grace period before the FCC switchover means anything. Meantime, you'll get an old-fashioned analog signal even after the switch, and whatever TVs you have will work just fine.

But if used with a steady voice and good eye contact, I estimate my excuse will work in at least 60 percent of households. And you'll have a shopping trip in your future.

That brings you to the next step — finding the right HDTV. And here there's good news: While you waited for an excuse, prices dropped dramatically and quality jumped. HDTVs are appliances now. You'll do fine with any brand-name HDTV — whether plasma set, LCD, DLP or even one of the rear projection sets rapidly fading in popularity.

If I was buying today, I'd get an LCD. Plasma was once the obvious choice for picture quality — and it still has a slight edge — but LCD sets have come into their own in the past few years. Plasma still produces a deeper black, the Holy Grail for those who worry about such things. But the latest LCD sets produce magnificent pictures, use less electricity, run cooler and may well last longer.

Next, settle on size. A 42-inch set was once the standard for HDTV, but 50-inch or larger sets are the trend now. However, for sets that will end up in a den or a bedroom, a 42-inch set is still a good choice. Make your decision based on how far away from the set you'll be. In my own home, the HDTV is in a small den, and I sit about 10 feet from the set. Bigger would not be better; in fact, it could be worse in a small room. Many folks get along just fine with 32- or 37-inchers.

Keep in mind, also, that sets in stores are in an enormous room, often next to even bigger sets. Placed in a home, a big set can overwhelm a room. Me? I'm fine with that. But it can create, uh, discussions with misguided people who care about trivial stuff such as decorating and furniture scale. My wife fits into that category.

Also keep in mind the big screen often isn't all that's being added. Let's look at the list:

— A home theater sound system with an amplifier, five speakers and a nice subwoofer will turn that TV into a home theater system. (Such a sound system is even part of the technical definition of HDTV, although it is not necessary. Most flat-panel TVs have perfectly adequate speakers built in.)

— A Blue-Ray DVD player made for high-definition discs is the way to go if you're buying a new one. But if you have a high quality older player, you can safely postpone that purchase. Even older DVDs produce a really nice picture on an HDTV.

— Adding a high-quality voltage surge protector makes good sense, given your investment.

— A DVR — digital video recorder — is a terrific addition. My DVR is my favorite part of our system. Unlike a VCR, you can pause live TV — a wonderful thing when it's third-and-long and the telephone rings. Tivo is the famous name here, but I paid a few bucks extra on my cable bill to get one that's built into my cable box.

You can see that we've added enough equipment to turn a living room or den into something that can look like the control deck of the Starship Enterprise.

Maybe that's fitting. The viewing experience is worlds beyond what you're seeing now on that old analog set. All you need to make the move is some money set aside and a good excuse.