(MOBILE, Ala.) Nov. 23 -- Even after Black Friday is over, many of you will probably be shopping for a new TV. But before you buy, be sure you're getting the right kind. A lot of TVs currently being sold could become obsolete very soon.
A new FCC rule mandates by February 19, 2009, all TV programming will have to be broadcast using a digital signal instead of being analog, which up until now has been the industry standard. That means those old TV sets you have which have been collecting dust will probably need to go.
Big or small, green or red, there's even furniture that will turn into a TV. But all of this technology can get kind of confusing. So we're going to break it down for you, in an effort to make all these changes understandable.
If you're in the market for a digital broadcast TV, there are three screen types you'll encounter: LCD, plasma, and projection. Only two of them can be found at Brian Bailey's TV store: LCD and projection. That's because Bailey sells Sony, and Sony has stopped making plasma screen TV's. "LCD lasts longer. I think plasma, like seven years is all it's good for," said Bailey's customer Tommy Bush.
Other customers have complained images can burn onto the plasma screens. That leaves us with either LCD or projection.
"If they're not mounting it on the wall, we may suggest a projection set. They have very good picture quality, too. And it's a lot less expensive," said Brian Bailey.
What you save on cost, however, you may lose in picture visibility. "Your projection is more critical to a sitting down position, straight on viewing. Your flat-panels can be seen standing up or sitting down, and also can be viewed from side to side," Bailey explained.
Now comes a whole other set of complicated choices concerning how the picture will look - 720 vs.1080 and P vs I. The latest technology out is 1080p. The "p" stands for pixels. The higher the pixel count, the better the screen's resolution. "Just a higher resolution and better picture quality," Bailey told us.
But the most expensive HDTV screen in the world won't do you any good unless you have a HDTV Tuner/Receiver, HD-DVD player, HDTV cable or satellite box, and HDMI cables. The HDTV Tuner/Receiver will most likely be built into the system straight out of the box, but some screens have been sold requiring the owner to purchase a seperate Tuner/Receiver box. Check with the retail store where you purchase your HDTV to make sure your Tuner/Receiver is already built-in.
Shopping for a TV nowadays has moved beyond just what size you want, so do your homework before you buy to make sure you're getting the best product.
After the deadline, analog TVs are supposed to still work, but only if you have cable TV or use a satellite box. The government is working on a converter that would allow analog TVs to receive a digital signal.
NBC15 News wants to be sure you have all the information you need so you'll make the right decision when it's time for you to purchase your digital TV system. That's why we have set up an entire webpage devoted to answering the frequently asked questions most consumers ask concerning HDTV. You'll find a link on the left side of our webpage in the column section labeled "Station Links." Just click on the
HDTV button, or you can go directly to the webpage at:
http://www.nbc15online.com/content/asktheexpert/hdtv/default.aspx###
