Hoga-Boga

HDTV Guide: The short and sweet version:

by Joel Johnson

When we started writing this HDTV primer for Lifehacker, we fell face first into a big pile of nerd—lots of terminology and explanations of the minutiae of modern television technology.

Then we realized: There are a million HDTV guides out there, but very few that make the purchasing process any easier. You probably don't care about every last detail of HDTV technology—you just want to know what to buy.

So here you go. The HDTV Primer that's anything but comprehensive, but short enough you can stick it in your pocket on your next trip to the showroom.

Resolution

You want 720p native resolution. (That means 1,280 by 720 pixels). Most HDTVs 'support' 720p, but they may have a lower number of actual pixels. If the numbers are lower than 1,280 by 720, it's not native—skip it.

(There's another standard called 1080p coming up, which is 1,920 by 1080 pixels, but it's sort of expensive at the moment. If you can swing it, though, go for it.)

What about 1080i? Some say it's as good as 720p. I disagree. As long as you have 720p native resolution—even if the set also 'supports' 1080i—you'll be golden.

Size and Price

There's one old chestnut that says, "Sit twice as far away as your screen size." That's fine, on the whole, but we say the bigger the better, until you start trading resolution for size.

Your best bet? Pick a price point and see what's available in that range. These days, capability tends to increase sharply about every thousand dollars up until four thousand, then increases wildly for little return.

Want us to pick a number for you? Okay, plan on spending $2k, plus another $500 for speakers, cabling, and content that will make your HD set shine—we're talking an Xbox 360, HD cable or satellite service, or an upscaling DVD player. (I'd recommend the $200 Oppo OPDV971H.)

Hooking it all up

HDMI is the best connection, because it's all digital. DVI is fine, too—it's the same quality as HDMI, just without audio traveling on the same cable. Component is okay—it's a three-plug analog system that can still handle HDTV signals.

You'll want a digital system with HDCP, too. That's the latest crappy copy protection scheme foisted on us by a nail-biting media industry. Almost everything uses it these days, so you'll probably get it without trying.

Just like any system, try to keep everything digital if you can—you won't have any signal degradation if you do that. But if you have to use component, that's fine. Just don't go any lower—hooking up your Xbox 360 to your new HDTV via S-Video will end in tears. Those tears will be yours, rendered in stunning low-definition.

Summary

• 720p native (or 1080p if you can afford it) • At least one HDMI or DVI input with HDCP. The more plugs, the better. • The price: $2k - $3k

The un-Summary: What we didn't answer, but will try to cram in here at the end.

• What type of screen to get (plasma, LCD, rear-projection, etc.)? You probably won't care about the subtle differences. Buy 720p and the size you want and you'll probably do fine.

• Where to buy? We prefer online retailers like Amazon and B&H, even with shipping costs. But if you go to Best Buy or the like, remember: they tweak the screens to look really bright and colorful, which isn't the best way to judge the quality. If you want to buy in the store, plan on making two trips: one to scope out prices and model numbers; another to purchase after you've gone home and done some research online. (Check out AVSforum.com if you want to read lots of debate about specific models by home theater nerds.)

• Do I really need one? Of course not. But if you're wanting to buy a new TV anyway, I'd say get an HDTV. Otherwise, just watch TV on your PC or laptop.

Have any more questions? I'll be happy to answer them in the comments.

Joel Johnson, gadgeteer extraordinaire, is the first person we ask about anything hardware-related. While he's not orchestrating his army of electronic minions, Joel helps keep things running smoothly at Gawker's geekier destinations: Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Kotaku and Consumerist.

(Via Lifehacker.)

# posted by Khaled A. @ 7:56 PM