Some satellite TV providers, such as Dish Network, offer HDTV receivers with their packages. But many people don’t know what it means to have HDTV. Here is some insight.

High Definition TeleVision is what HDTV literally means. But high definition compared to what? In order to answer this question, we need to know a bit about the original analog TV system.

Analog TV 30 images per second (in Europe 25) are shown by normal analog TV sets. It does this by writing image lines horizontally, 525 lines in one image (In Europe 625) on the screen. The number of pixels on one line is about 500. This would be a definition of 500 pixels per line by 525 (or 625) lines. Compared to modern computer monitors this is really bad. Even the lowest resolutions monitors have higher resolutions (640 x 480) than an analog TV.

HDTV - High Definition TeleVision HDTV is high resolution Digital TeleVision (DTV) combined with Dolby Digital Surround Sound (AC-3). There are 18 different formats defined for Digital TV of which 6 are considered to be HDTV.

The difference between Progressive and Interlaced is not difficult. It has to do with how one image is built up. With interlaced technology the odd lines are shown first and then the even lines are shown. The lines are shown in this order: 1,3,5,….521, 523, 525, 2, 4, 6,…. 522, 524, 1, 3, etc. This means that every 1/60 of a second a half image is shown. This often results in flickering, which can be tiring for the eyes. Progressive technology manages to show a whole image every 1/60 of a second, resulting in a much smoother picture.

How Is HDTV Better? Normal TV has a resolution of about 210.000 pixels. An HDTV screen has a resolution of upto 2.000.000 pixels, which gives up to 10 times more picture detail.

The aspect ration of normal TV is 4 x 3 (4/3 times wider than high). An HDTV screen has an aspect ration of 16 x 9, which is also known as wide screen.

The Future of HDTV The FCC (Federal Communications Committee) has mandated that all TV stations in the USA have to be able to broadcast HDTV programs by the year 2006. The mandates of the FCC do not have an impact on just the broadcast companies, but also on cable companies and consumers.

Broadcast companies have to invest on new equipment like cameras, editing equipment, etc.

Cable companies have to convert all of their equipment, including receivers at the homes of their clients.

Consumers may have to buy new equipment, like a top-box to convert digital signals back to analog signals, or even buy a whole new TV set.

HDTV is the future, and a really big step forward. We once started with simple black and white TV, then moved to color TV, and wide screen TV. But all those systems were still based on the same signals as the original black and white TV used. When color TV was introduced it was not possible to force the complete population to throw away their black and white TV-sets and buy a color TV set. Therefore a color TV signal still needed to be understandable for a black and white TV. This prohibited the improvement of picture quality until the age of Digital TV.

The need to satisfy older TV sets no longer exists and the much higher quality HDTV is available via Satellite TV Systems, including Dish Network.

For more free and helpful information on Satellite TV, how to find the best deal, and how to set it up, visit http://www.dish-network-satellite-tv.ws/

About the Author

I am first and foremost an observer of life. I enjoy analyzing and exploring all aspects of life on planet Earth, and expressing my personal perspective on the nitty gritty of it all. As a result of my observations, I have become a freelance writer.

Tags: sony hdtv, pioneer hdtv, best hdtv

Home theater is entertainment at home with a bit of excitement thrown in. It is basically a combination of video and audio equipment set up in your home in such a way that you feel you are actually sitting in a movie theater as opposed to in your own living room or family room. Contrary to popular belief, home theater does not have to run you into scores of big bucks. Instead it can be whatever you want to make it. A home theater can consist of as simple or as elaborate a system as you prefer. For example a 32-inch television set coupled with a DVD player and/or a HiFi VCR with a stereo and speakers can equal a home theater experience. Make it whatever you wish.

HDTV programming is gaining strength all of the time, in the form of broadcast, cable and satellite service. Home theater can intensify tremendously with HDTV. For example the audio that is part and parcel of HDTV video comes in surround sound. What this does is it takes complete advantage of the surround sound receiver of HDTV broadcasting.

Although a DVD (which stands for digital versatile disc) is not available in a high-resolution format, it displays what is known as a progressive scan signal. It is a progressive scan which makes the DVD player work to its optimum best. The majority of DVD players have the ability to give off progressive scanning and it is this function that gives the movie watcher an image that is clear, smooth and greatly resembles the quality of a film seen in a movie theater.

As well more and more DVD players in today’s electronics world have the capability of HD-up scaling. This up scaling takes high definition capacities of HD-compatible televisions to greater heights. In addition, DVD continues towards greater advancements. Blu-ray and HD-DVD are both forms of high definition DVD that are up and coming elements of HDTV. All of the benefits that HDTV has so richly to offer when it comes to details seen in visual images could go well beyond what the present technology of DVDs are, in particular in regards to projections on large screens.

In order to set up your own home theater to receive HDTV signals, you must first determine what particular sources are available in your area. HDTV can be obtained from three different sources. The first and most commonly accessible source is over-the-air (otherwise known as terrestrial) broadcasts that can be received by way of an aerial (or rooftop) antenna. In order to make use of this source of HDTV signals for your home theater you must live within a sixty-mile radius of the nearest transmitter and your property must have an unobstructed view for the signals to clearly come through.

HDTV signals can also be transmitted by satellite. This is the second most widely used source. Presently there are only two networks by way of satellite that broadcast HDTV. These are DirecTV and Dish Network. DirecTV offers the channels HBO, Showtime and HDNET, while Dish Network offers the Discovery channel, HBO, Showtime, a 24-hour pay-per-view channel, an HD demo channel and the national feed of CBS HD.

Cable is the third source of HDTV for home theater. Not all cable systems carry HDTV broadcasting as it varies from place to place. Keep in mind an important point, and that is that a “digital cable system” has no association whatsoever with DTV transmitted by way of cable. Digital cable is basically just regular cable that is digitally transmitted but with a multitude of other channels. The closest thing this could compare to is digital satellite. If you want to go this route it is important that you get in touch with your local cable company to find out if it is even possible to do so.

An HDTV tuner will be necessary for your home theater in order to do a variety of functions including grabbing, decoding and converting HDTV signals into a format that a television can recognize. An honest to goodness high-definition television has a tuner that is already built into the console of the set but this is not very common, as the technology for tuners has moved along swiftly and reduced in price much quicker than the technology for displays. The best thing to invest in is an HD monitor (which is a display minus an HDTV tuner) that can, if you like, be combined with a tuner any time you care to do so.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. Get great deals on entertainment media at http://www.entertainmentmediaplus.com

Tags: hdtv, high definition tv, best hdtv

HDTV inherently provides a superior sound quality simply because the sound of HDTV is digitally transmitted. The difference in sound between an HDTV television and an analog television is rather noticeable. In fact, it is directly analogous to the difference between the music on CD’s compared to the music on audiocassette tapes.

The difference in sound quality provided by HDTV televisions and programming does not end there. Many HDTV programs are also broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, but in order to take full advantage of this technology, it is necessary to have the right equipment.

Dolby technology has been created by Dolby Laboratories, Inc. This technology is the most renowned provider of digital audio technology. Also, Dolby Laboratories is known for reliable and superior products. For these reasons, Dolby Digital Surround has become the standard for HDTV. Many television manufacturers substitute their own surround sound systems, but they cannot live up to the reputation and performance of Dolby. Therefore, it important to check the specs on an HDTV television before buying in order to ensure that it uses Dolby Digital Surround.

When using Dolby Digital Surround Sound, there are three options for set up. The first option is to buy a television with high quality center channel speakers, woofers, tweeters, and Dolby technology installed in the television. With this option, it is unnecessary to buy addition equipment to take advantage of Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

Another option for taking advantage of the Dolby Digital Surround Sound with an HDTV is to connect an external set of surround speakers to the television. With this option, the surround sound set up includes a front pair of speakers, a surround pair of speakers, a center channel, and a subwoofer. Sometimes, the front speakers are “powered towers.” This means these towers include subwoofers.

The placement of these speakers is very important for the quality of the surround sound. The Center Channel Speaker should be centered either above or below the television. The Front Left and Right Speakers should be placed in an arc formation in line with the Center Channel Speaker. The Surround Left and Right Speakers, on the other hand, should be placed to the left and right sides behind the listening position. Many people choose to wall mount these speakers.

The third option for taking advantage of the Dolby Digital Surround System included in an HDTV television is to use an external set of front speakers can be connected to the HDTV television. This configuration is useful if there is not enough room to set up the external surround sound system and the HDTV does not come with Dolby Digital Surround installed. This isn’t true surround sound, but it is a viable alternative to those who can’t take advantage of the first two formats.

The audio and video outputs of the DVD or VCR can be connected to the AV receiver’s video outputs. If a separate DVD and VCR need to be connected, one can be connected to the VCR1 connection and the other can be connected to the VCR2 connection. The AV receiver’s VCR video and audio outputs should then be connected to the audio and video inputs of the DVD and/or VCR. In this way, the DVD and/or VCR will be able to record video signals that come through the AV receiver and the VHS tapes and/or DVD’s will be able to be viewed on the HDTV.

To take full advantage of the Dolby Digital Surround Sound technology, one of the video outputs of the DVD player and/or VCR needs to be connected to the AV receiver. The digital coaxial audio or digital optical connection must also be connected to the AV receiver.

How do I connect my CD player?

A CD player can be connected to an AV receiver. The CD player’s digital audio outputs can be used to connect the CD player to the AV receiver. A CD-Recorder can also be connected the AV receiver by using the Audio Tape Record/Playback input/output loop connections. In this way, the CD-Recorder will be able to function much like a standard audiocassette deck.

What else will I need?

Besides the basic electronic equipment needed to set up Dolby Digital Surround Sound, it is necessary to have connection cables. This includes video, audio, and loudspeaker connection cables. These cables need to be at an appropriate length in order to set the speakers in the proper position for optimal surround sound quality.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For the audio and video equipment you need go to http://www.audioandvideoplayers.com

Tags: hdtv, high definition tv, samsung hdtv

HDTV or high definition television is the cutting-edge technology in home theater systems. Movie enthusiasts praise the high definition televisions for its clearer picture, better sound, progressive scanning and a wider viewing screen. As the trend towards replacing traditional analog televisions with the HDTV, consumers are starting to notice the eye-popping properties of HDTV.

High definition television is a revolutionary new technology that brings the viewer the clearest, brightest picture possible. The picture on the television can be considered life-like and real. The colors displayed using the digital technology and wide screen pictures, are bright and crisp. Surround sound further enhances the viewer’s experience.

The standard high definition television works by using a digital broadcast signal that is able to deliver a wide-screen, high-resolution picture with six channels of digital sound. The difference between HDTV and conventional television broadcast is that the high definition screen is much wider. This allows the broadcast or DVD movies to be viewed as they would in a movie theater. No parts of the screen either at the top or bottom are obstructed or cut off.

HDTV provides a wider screen than conventional TV sets. The wide-screen format allows a more intense viewing experience and is able to take full advantage of the field of vision. With the prices of HDTV going down, smaller sets are hitting the market making consumers more likely to purchase HDTV.

Another great benefit of using high definition television is that HDTV has over twice the sharpness and clarity of analog TV broadcasts. The color resolution for HDTV sets is far superior. For consumers who have already made the switch to HDTV, they feel this is the biggest advantage of high definition.

The lack of imperfections in the television screen often seen on traditional television is another reason why many prefer high definition to analog. With HDTV, problems such as snow caused from a weak signal, double images from ghosting or multi-path and picture sparkles from impulse noise are a thing of the past. These problems often seen on a conventional television broadcast just do not occur on HDTV.

Screen resolution from a high definition TV broadcast is almost five times as sharp as conventional broadcasts. High definition has double the lines of resolution compared to a traditional analog TV set. While a traditional analog set can only display 525 lines of resolution, HDTV technology takes this one step farther. HDTV broadcasts can display 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. This makes a huge difference in the picture clarity and quality. Often with big screen analog broadcasts, the picture is severely degraded because of the resolution lines.

When looking into purchasing a high definition television and broadcast provider, it is important to research the products. HDTV comes in several sizes and varieties. Consumers can purchase plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing) or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), which are all types of monitors. There are also projection displays to consider. They also come in LCD, DLP, and LCOS. Many viewers prefer the wall display monitor that either plasma or LCD offers. But, these are usually the most expensive of the high definition sets, especially the ones that are sized between 40 to 70 inches. Lower on the cost spectrum, but equally good, are the LCD displays that are sized at 42 inches and under.

Also, consider the provider. High definition broadcasting and digital should not be confused. They are not the same thing. There are many cable and satellite companies that simply convert standard analog broadcasts to digital to improve reception and to provide additional services. These are not true high definition broadcasts. Also, the picture quality and resolution will not be the same as that of HDTV. The picture format will not be wide-screen. Most consumers that subscribe to cable today are getting a digital broadcast.

To keep up with the popularity of high definition, most broadcast channels now broadcast in both analog and high definition at the same time. There are currently about forty networks in the United States that now broadcast in both. These include HBO, Showtime, ESPN and the Discovery Channel. The number of networks utilizing high definition broadcast is expected to grow as the price of HDTV goes down. More consumers are asking for high definition channels for their television viewing.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses. Get computer and video games at http://www.videoandcomputergamesplus.com

Tags: high definition tv, digital television, best hdtv

Home theater gives you entertainment at home with a little extra excitement. It is actually a combination of video and audio equipment put together in your home in such a way that you feel you are actually sitting in a movie theater as opposed to in your own living room or family room. Unlike what many people think, home theater does not have to run into big bucks. Instead it can be as basic or as advanced you want to make it.

A home theater can consist of as simple or as elaborate a system as you prefer. For example a 32-inch television set with a DVD player and/or a HiFi VCR with a stereo and speakers can equal a home theater experience. Make it whatever you like. High Definition or HDTV programming is gaining strength all of the time, in the form of broadcast, cable and satellite service. HDTV can greatly increase the entertainment value of a home theater. For example the audio of HDTV video comes in surround sound. What this does is it takes complete advantage of the surround sound receiver of HDTV broadcasting.

Although a DVD is currently not available in a high-resolution format, it displays what is known as a progressive scan signal. It is a progressive scan which makes the DVD player work to its optimum best. The majority of new DVD players today have the ability to offer progressive scanning and it is this function that gives the movie watcher an image that is clear, smooth and greatly recreates the quality of a film seen in a movie theater.

When looking into setting up your own home theater to receive HDTV signals, you must first find out what particular sources are available in your area. HDTV can be obtained from three different sources. The first and most commonly accessible source is over-the-air (otherwise known as terrestrial) broadcasts that can be received by way of an aerial (or rooftop) antenna. You must live within a sixty-mile radius of the nearest transmitter to make use of this source of HDTV signals for your home theater and your property must have an unobstructed view for the signals to clearly come through.

The second most widely used source is HDTV via satellite. Crrently there are only two networks that broadcast HDTV by way of satellite. These are DirecTV and Dish Network. DirecTV offers the channels HBO, Showtime and HDNET, while Dish Network offers the Discovery channel, HBO, Showtime, a 24-hour pay-per-view channel, an HD demo channel and the national feed of CBS HD.

The third source of HDTV for home theater is cable. Not all cable systems carry HDTV broadcasting as it varies from location to location. Keep in mind an important point, and that is that a “digital cable system” has no association whatsoever with DTV transmitted by way of cable. Digital cable is basically just regular cable that is digitally transmitted but with a multitude of other channels. The closest thing this could compare to is digital satellite. If you want to go this route it is important that you get in touch with your local cable company to find out if it is even possible to do so.

To decode and convert HDTV signals into the format that the TV can recognize you will need an HDTV tuner or a television with HDTV built in. A true HDTV has a built in tuner built in and is not merely HD ready. With the advancement of the technology this is becoming easier to find and the prices are coming down.

Shop around and you will be able to build a home theater system that will be the envy of your friends.

About the Author

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida. For your home theater needs go to home theater needs go to http://www.hometheaterspeakersplus.com

Tags: high definition tv, best hdtv, hdtv reviews

Step 4: Narrow down your selection

Now that you have a good understanding of the amount of room you have for your new TV, the features that are most important to you and the approximate amount of money you are expecting to spend, it?s time to narrow down your selection.

Ask yourself the following set of questions:

? How much weight am I able to lift (either by myself or with a friend / family member) into my car or truck, transport home and then lift into the spot where I want my TV?
Or
? How much am I willing to pay to have my TV shipped to my house and setup in the spot where I want my TV?

? Will I be watching a lot of movies on my TV?
Or
? Will I be watching primarily cable and network TV?

? Will I be hanging this TV on a wall?
Or
? Will I be placing the TV on the floor or on a stand?

Based on your answers to these questions, you should be able to narrow your selection down to an approximate size, display type and list of features that are important to you.

Step 5: Go shopping (both online and in the store)

I recommend you do two types of shopping before deciding on the TV that is right for you:

1) Online comparison shopping for price
You will be able to find the lowest price online by using a price comparison site, such as Pricerunner. Armed with the lowest price available online (be sure to include shipping in your pricing), you will be able to compare to the lowest price you are able to find in stores.

2) In store shopping for first hand experience
Nothing will tell you more about how well you like a TV than going to see and hear it in person. There is no better way to decide what you like the best than to experience it first hand. While you may have to deal with some salesman chatter in the process, I strongly recommend you view regular non-HD content, DVD?s and HD content on any TV you are interested in BEFORE you make your purchasing decision. If you are debating on which type of rear projection TV to buy, doing this first-hand viewing test will also help you make a decision between DLP vs. LCD vs. CRT. Many stores will allow you to play with the remote and adjust the TV settings as well, which is also a good idea if you want to get a clear idea of what it will be like to operate the TV.

Step 6: Research online

Once you have narrowed your search down to a few specific models, I recommend that you read online reviews to get a sense of what other people have experienced with the models that you are considering purchasing. As you are reading, take into account the source of what you are reading and weigh their opinions accordingly. Is this a consumer just voicing a complaint with the service they received, or did they actually have a problem with the TV? Is this a professional writer who is somehow affiliated with the TV manufacturer? Does this person really have a grasp of TV technology and understands the limitations of the TV they are using?

After reading through and considering all of this information, doing shopping online and in the store and then finally doing some research online, I am confident that you will be able to make an informed and educated choice on the right HDTV for you. There are a lot of great TV?s out there, but there are only a handful, at most, that will really fill all of your needs and make your HDTV experience the best that it can be. My hope is that this guide will help you find the best HDTV and that you?ll enjoy many hours of use with your new TV.

About the Author: Justin Whitaker runs http://www.TopReviewShop.com - a site dedicated to in-depth, unbiased reviews of computer hardware and consumer electronics.

What seems like a simple proposition ? go to your local electronics store, find a TV that looks snazzy, plop down $1,000 and walk out with a great new HDTV ? is actually a much more involved process. If you make an error in judgment and end up getting the wrong TV, you are either stuck with watching a sub-par TV for next few years or forced to shell out additional time and money to buy another TV. If you are looking to buy a new HDTV and struggling with questions like?

- What are the features that I should look for in an HDTV?
- How much should I expect to pay for a new HDTV?
- Do I need to buy a new HDTV tuner or antenna as well?
- What type of TV ? CRT, DLP, LCD, rear-projection ? will work best for my family and me?

? then this article will help you find the right HDTV for you (or at least narrow down your selection). After reading through this article, my hope is that you will become an informed shopper that can confidently find an HDTV that best fits your needs. After all, how likely are you to find the right TV for you if your plan is to just visit the local Best Buy or Circuit City and listen to what the salesman has to say? I would expect that you are more likely to walk out of the store with an expensive TV, which may or may not be right for you.

Step 1: How big should my HDTV be?

The biggest factor in determining the size of TV to get is how much room you have in the spot where you?re going to put the TV. For example, if the TV is going to go in a family room, you will probably have enough room for a 27? ? 36? TV. If the TV is going to go in a basement or rec room, you probably have enough room for a big screen (46? or larger).

How do I know how much room I have? There are two measurements you need to take ? one that you need to know exactly and one that you just need to have an estimate on. First, you need to know the dimensions of the free space where the TV will actually sit. How much free space is there in terms of width, height and depth measurements? To have a clear guideline of how big of a TV can fit in your free space, you really need to get out a tape measurer and measure this to the closest inch. Write down the width, height and depth measurements and have them handy whenever you go shopping for your new HDTV.

Next, you need to measure the distance between where the TV will sit and the most commonly used viewing position. The most commonly used viewing position is almost always a couch ? so take a ballpark measurement of the distance between your TV and your couch (you can round to the nearest foot or half-foot). This is important because you?ll want to get a TV that is large enough to immerse you in the movie or TV show you are watching, but not so large that you?re able to see the imperfections in the movie or TV show. A good guideline is the 1.5-to-2 rule:

When viewing non-HD movies or shows, the distance should be about 2x the size of the TV. So, for example, a 36? TV should be placed at least 72? (at least 6 feet) from the main viewing position when watching regular cable or broadcast channels.

When viewing HD movies or shows, the distance should be about 1.5x the size of the TV. So, for example, a 36? TV should be placed at least 54? (at least 4 ? feet) from the main viewing position when watching HDTV channels.

Step 2: What features should I look for in my HDTV?

To keep this section as straightforward as possible, I will split the various features available on HDTV?s into 3 categories: one category which I consider to be ?must-haves? that I strongly recommend are included in your new HDTV one which I consider to be ?nice-to-haves? that may or may not provide some nice benefits to you, depending on what you plan to watch on your new HDTV and finally one category which I consider to be ?fluff? that really isn?t useful and is just part of the marketing hype used to inflate the price of the TV.

1) Must-haves

- Widescreen
This refers to the aspect ratio of the screen and any new HDTV should have 16:9 ?widescreen? ratio. In the past, TV?s have been built with a 4:3 aspect ratio and all movies and TV shows were broadcast in this format. With the rising popularity of DVD?s and HD content, which are broadcast in either16:9 or 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the default standard is moving away from 4:3 and toward widescreen content. If you want to enjoy HD shows and DVD?s to their fullest extent, widescreen is the way to go.

- HDTV-Ready
An HDTV must, at a minimum, be ?HDTV Ready? or ?HDTV compatible? to be capable of displaying a movie or TV show in high definition. If a TV is listed as ?HDTV Ready?, it means that the TV is capable of displaying HD content WITH A SEPARATE HDTV TUNER. In order to view HD content you will need to install a separate tuner, a set-top box or a cablecard from your cable or satellite provider.

- Plenty of video inputs
What good is your new TV if you can?t connect your DVD player, XBOX 360 and all of your other gadgets to it? I recommend that your new TV has at least one HDMI input, three component connections, one S-Video, one 15-pin VGA connection for your PC, three RCA (red, white, yellow) connections and one UHF / VHF coaxial cable connection. An extra HDMI and an extra coaxial cable connection are also nice to have for future needs, but I don?t consider them to be a must-have.

- Support for displaying both 720p and 1080i HD resolutions
HD content is displayed in either 720p or 1080i resolution, and any new TV that does not support both will fall short of it?s competitors in image quality. It would be foolish to purchase a new HDTV that does not support, at a minimum, both of these resolution formats.

- Minimum screen resolution
As a general rule, for two TV?s that are the same size, the one with the higher resolution will be clearer and have a more detailed display. Depending on the size of the TV, these are the minimum screen resolutions that the TV should have to insure outstanding image quality:

36? ? 852×480
40? ? 1024×720
42? ? 1024×768
50? or larger ? 1280×780

2) Nice-to-haves

- Integrated HD tuner
Also known as an integrated ATSC tuner, having one of these will make the setup of your new HDTV easier because you won?t have to worry about acquiring and setting up either an external HD tuner or getting a set-top box from your cable or satellite company. However, nearly every cable and satellite company offers HD packages that include an HD tuner as part of the set-top box package. A good idea is to call your cable or satellite company BEFORE you go shopping to find out what packages they can offer you and what additional monthly fees are associated with each package.

- Progressive scan
This will be an important feature for you if you plan to watch a lot of movies on your new HDTV. Progressive scanning and 3:2 pulldown are both used to smooth out and reduce jaggedness in images when watching DVD?s. You should understand, however, that this feature is only useful if you have a progressive scan DVD player.

- Picture-in-picture
Personally, I do not find PIP to be very useful. However, if you like to be able to watch another TV show or movie in a smaller window, while watching another TV show or movie in a larger window, this is a feature you should look for.

- Universal remote
These remotes allow you to program them to control all of your audio / video gear with only one remote. This is helpful if you have the time and patience to program the remote to control your other components (DVD player, VCR, set-top cable box, etc.)

- High quality sound
If you do not plan on using a separate home theater system, the quality of sound produced by the TV will be an important feature for you. Almost all new TV?s have MTS stereo and some type of simulated surround sound. The quality of speakers will vary from TV to TV, but I have found there to be only minor differences in the overall sound quality from various TV speakers.

- Support for 1080p
This is the highest resolution standard for HD content and only a handful of HDTV models are capable of displaying HD content in this format. It is a ?latest and greatest? type of feature, and it offers the highest resolution along with progressive scanning to display the most detailed and accurate picture available today. Why, then, is it not a ?must-have? feature? Primarily because there are VERY FEW sources of 1080p content today. None of the major broadcast networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox) broadcast in 1080p and none of the major cable networks do either. Currently, the standard for HD content is 720p or 1080i and you will pay a hefty premium for HDTV models capable of displaying the 1080p format.

- SD (Secure Digital), CF (Compact Flash) or other digital camera card slot
This is useful if you want to view your digital photos on your TV without having to directly connect your digital camera to your TV. This saves the hassle of another connector cord and makes it easy to show digital pictures to your friends and family.

3) Fluff

- Anything having to do with ?artificial intelligence? or ?smart colors? or ?screen enhancements? or ?effect enhancements?. This is just marketing hype that will not translate into any real benefit for you.

My recommendation, after reading through this list of features, is to consider all of the features that are available and come up with your own list of ?must-haves?, ?nice-to-haves? and ?fluff?. By categorizing your most important features, it will help you to narrow down your selection of TV choices.

Step 3: How much should I expect to pay for my new HDTV?

All of this sounds great, but how much cash are we talking here? I?ve outlined the typical price range you must be willing to pay in order to take a new HDTV home with you:

27? LCD - $700 to $1,200
32? LCD - $900 to $1,500
36? LCD - $1,300 to $2,000
40? LCD - $2,000+

37? Plasma - $1,400 to $2,500
42? Plasma - $2,000 to $3,000
50? Plasma - $2,500 to $4,000
55? or bigger Plasma - $5,000+

27? direct view CRT - $200 to $300
32? direct view CRT - $300 to $500
36? direct view CRT - $400 to $1,500
40? direct view CRT - $1,500+

46? rear projection CRT - $800 to $1,000
50? rear projection CRT - $800 to $1,200
55? or bigger rear project CRT - $900 to $1,500

46? rear projection DLP - $1,300 to $1,800
50″ rear projection DLP - $1,600 to $2,400
55″ or bigger rear projection DLP - $1,800 to $3,000

46? rear projection LCD - $1,400 to $1,800
50″ rear projection LCD - $1,800 to $2,500
55″ or bigger rear projection LCD - $2,000 to $3,000

These price ranges were accurate at the time of writing this article. However, the price of electronics normally trends downward as newer models with fancier features are released. So I make no guarantee that these price ranges will be accurate at the time when you read this article.

About the Author: Justin Whitaker runs http://www.TopReviewShop.com - a site dedicated to in-depth, unbiased reviews of computer hardware and consumer electronics.