Time For That Big-Screen, HDTV Upgrade

Tech Guru Larry Magid Says The Technology Is Ripe, And No Need To Break The Bank

(CBS)  Unless you plan to be at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Feb. 3, the only way to see the Super Bowl is on TV, which is why a lot of people are going to be buying big-screen TVs between now and then.

Even if you're not a big football fan, this is a good time to consider getting a flat panel high-definition TV. Prices on screens larger than 40 inches fell nearly 40 percent in 2007, according to analysis firm iSupply.

While prices will continue to decline, the rate of decline should subside a bit this year, according to iSuppy analyst Riddhi Patel.

Another reason to consider buying now is that the technology is finally relatively mature. That's not to say that sets won't get better over time - that's always the case with technology - but they've stabilized. For example, you can already get a pretty good price on sets that display 1080p resolution, which is the highest we're likely to see over the next several years.

1080 means the set has 1,080 lines of vertical resolution while the "p" stands for "progressive", meaning the entire image is displayed at one time, as opposed to 1080i where the display is interlaced. Some high-definition TVs today display 720p, which actually is still very good compared to a standard definition TV.

While no TV network broadcasts in 1080p (most broadcast in 720p or 1080i), even that interlaced 1080i signal looks great on a 1080p TV. The bottom line is that 1080p is as good as it gets and the price difference between 1080p and 720p is dropping as well.

Aside from resolution, the other questions you need to ask yourself are the size of the set, the display technology and what features and inputs you want.

The size of the set should depend on how far you plan to sit from the TV, which, of course, depends partially on the size of the room. The further away you are, the larger the screen should be. One rule of thumb is that the distance between you and the screen should be between 1.5 and 2.5 times the diagonal size of the screen.

So, if you have a 50 inch screen, you should sit between 75 inches (just over 6 feet) and 125 inches (about 10 feet) from the screen. Of course, you should measure the distance and do the math before you buy the TV. Crutchfield Advisor has a convenient chart that gives you a pretty good idea of the relationship between screen size and viewing distance.

Another big question is the technology. The three major technologies today are LCD, plasma and rear projection TV. Until a couple of years ago, LCD was only for screens 32 inches and below, but as it comes down in price, it's now popular with screens in the 52 inch and below category. Plasmas are popular in the larger screen sizes (50 inches and above) while rear-screen projection systems tend to dominate the very large screen market - 58 inches and above.

Plasma and LCD have their pros and cons. As a general rule, plasma tends to look better from a wider variety of angles so may be more suitable if you're sitting off to one side, though recent LCD sets do a pretty good job even if you're not looking directly at the center of the screen. LCDs do better in bright light conditions, which might be important if you're watching during the day in a room with big windows. LCDs are also more energy efficient than plasma.

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Listen to Magid interview HDTV Expert Alfred Poor

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Some people swear that plasma has a softer, more realistic look, though others prefer the look of LCD. Historically there was a concern that plasma TVs would have a shorter life span, but that's not much of an issue today. I personally find both plasma and LCD appealing and opt for LCD mostly for energy savings.

The obvious advantage of rear-screen is that you get a lot more screen real estate for the dollar, but you have to replace the bulbs in these sets every 5,000 to 7,000 hours of viewing time, and bulbs can cost as much as $300. Rear-screen TVs are also a lot thicker, so, in most cases, they can't be hung on a wall.

It's important to pay attention to the inputs on your set. The current standard for many high-definition components is called HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface). HDMI carries both the picture and the sound in a single cable so it's quite convenient. Most new high-definition DVD players, personal video recorders and media players such as Apple TV have an HDMI output, so it's important to have a TV with HDMI input. It's actually important to have multiple HDMI inputs so you can accommodate multiple sources.

The set I'm testing right now has four HDMI inputs, which is a good thing because I can use it with a Blu-ray (high definition DVD) player, personal video recorder/tuner and an Apple TV without having to switch cables.

I'm testing a 52-inch Vizio GV52LF LCD TV. With a suggested retail price of $2,499, it's a lot less expensive than similar size TVs from major companies, but I'm very impressed by the picture and sound quality. The specifications are excellent: 1080p, removable stereo speakers, four HDMI inputs, digital audio output, etc.

It's not state-of-the art in that (as far as I can tell) it has the old-fashioned frame rate of 60 hertz as opposed to the more desirable120 hertz. 120 hertz allows the set to display twice as many images a second, thereby reducing motion blurs. Having said that, I don't notice any motion blur even when I watch action movies.

I didn’t test it, but Westinghouse Digital has a 52 inch set that you can purchase online for $2,000. I’ve tried out other sets from Westinghouse Digital that were quite nice. Regardless of the company, smaller sets are less expensive.

Of course, you can spend $2,000 more on a similar-sized set from Sony and other premium brands, but the difference in quality will be relatively small considering the difference in price. If you compare the Vizio or another bargain brand like Magnavox or Westinghouse Digital side by side with a $4,000 TV you might notice a difference, but if you bring it home and compare it with your old standard definition set, you'll be blown away by the difference.

[rational_1]

how about no tv at all. just pitch that sucker as fast as you can right behind the house into the clanking garbage can. sit back, open a bottle of vino,....
Posted by mrsbrown000 at 12:48 AM : Jan 24, 2008

I tried that once when I moved. I moved, the idiot box didn''t. Definitely some upsides like you mentioned, but also downsides. I basically only watch network TV (eg., CNN) in the morning over breakfast and my wife and I indulge our Netflix addiction in the evenings (and my college football addiction of course). Apart from some science/nature programming most of the stuff on the idiot box is pure crapola. I''ve long since stopped watching series on TV. Now if I can only watch every movie on Netflix and get that out of my system...

[thgdriver]

, like how Bush''''s lies got so many killed, after only one day is already off the front page, while a "leisure item" article,

Huh? What? Are you kidding me? Maybe the article lasted one day, but the fact remains that for the last 7 years, day in and day out, you and your "regular posters" reminded us. LMAO!!

[thgdriver]

sit back, open a bottle of vino, mrsbrown000

I don''t drink alcoholic beverages but you are right, there is an old song--- The Best Things in Life are Free--- True today as yesterday.

[thgdriver]

We recently purchased a 26 inch LCD for the bedroom + a wall mount. This greatly increased the floor space in our bedroom. We were able to relocate the 20 inch and tv stand to the guest room. We donated the old guest room tv and stand to the church for a tax deduction.

BTW, they are making converters for the old analog TV''s, so you''ll still be able to use them after the switch in 2009.

[hypnotoad72]

It doesn''''t seem odd to you?


Posted by brianbwb
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With some people talking about the poor have a TV and not health insurance (do what those people can''t and think "the cost of that tv, to be paid every month"), people do need their escapism. I think it''s all some of those people have left. And, last I heard, some of them have Masters degrees too...

[mrsbrown000]

how about no tv at all. just pitch that sucker as fast as you can right behind the house into the clanking garbage can. sit back, open a bottle of vino, slap a happy sandwich together and watch the snow fall,check out what drawings the kids are making,plant some narcisuss, read a silly book, see if you can stand upside down on your hands, put on some motown and dance, throw a neighborhood block party, sit on the floor with the dog and teach him to sing opera, then give him a bisquit treat when he howls.experiment with different ways of making macaroni and cheese. buy a punching bag and put your boss'' pic on it and punch away while playing Wagner on your cd player, go to the park and swing, no matter how old you are, make a snowman, watch a spider outside weave its web.
simple pleasures dont cost a dime.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I don''''t understand how this is a politically charged article. Why is everything political to you regular posters? Sheesh - it''''s an op-ed about HDTV - nothing more." Posted by cdlaferr

We "regular posters" take note of the strange fact that an important article, like how Bush''s lies got so many killed, after only one day is already off the front page, while a "leisure item" article, basically insignificant in comparison, and really more ad than article, is still up.

That is what makes it a political concern.

It doesn''t seem odd to you?

[brianbwb-2009]

"I don''''t understand how this is a politically charged article. Why is everything political to you regular posters? Sheesh - it''''s an op-ed about HDTV - nothing more." Posted by cdlaferr

We "regular posters" take note of the strange fact that an important article, like how Bush''s lies got so many killed, after only one day is already off the front page, while a "leisure" article, insignificant in comparison, and really more ad than article, is still up.

That is what makes it a political concern.

It doesn''t seem odd to you?

[hypnotoad72]

BTW: The Vizio brand is known for dying more readily than others, and whose picture quality - when seen next to more costly brands, quite inferior.

Al Gore wouldn''t be proud either; those 50" sets on up really swallow the juice.

[hypnotoad72]

What happened to when 6 feet was the ideal distance from a 32" screen?

And I must admit, if our economy was in better times, more people would splurge.

Nothing wrong with 720p anyway...