LiveDigitally: "The 'Why' and 'What' of High Definition Televisions"

[Filip Norrgard]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.livedigitally.com/2005/02/why-and-what-of-high-definition.html' target='_blank'>http://www.livedigitally.com/2005/02/why-and-what-of-high-definition.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Since its creation, and up until very recently, television technology has barely changed. You could be confident that any given set pretty much worked, and worked with your new VCR, or DVD player. But now there are more options than ever, amidst a growing demand for sets that are as aesthetically pleasing as powerful. When it's time to purchase a new TV, which one will be the right one for today, and for tomorrow?"</i><br /><br />Dan Gallagher of LiveDigitally has written up on what has changed in the business of buying televisions today and a summary of the things to remember when shopping for digital HDTV sets. Not only you in North America are facing an ocean of different abbreviations to remember, we on the other side of the pond are also having problems keeping up. For example, many TVs here are sold as "HDTV compatible" or "HDTV ready" which <b>doesn't</b> necessarily mean that they are capable of handling HDTV. :roll:

[Felix Torres]

Overly simplistic, I fear.
Which is to say, he overstates some facts and neglects many crucial aspects of digital TV buying.

While I understand he is targetting a non-technical audience, he makes too many generalizations that border on misinformation and fails to go into the meaningful details that separate a satisfying purchase from a nightmare to come.

Leaving aside mere imprecision (analog tv isn't square and widescreen isn't the shape of movie screens) he dangerously lumps Plasma displays and LCDs into the same short-life category, which is *not* true; LCD lifetimes aproximate tube lifetimes while Plasma usable lifetimes are about half of direct-view tube systems. He also relegates LCDs to the bedroom (what? no 32+ inchers sold on the left side of the pond?).

Worst of all, he fails to discuss the importance of native resolution versus displayable resolution; most plasma-display models on the market are ED resolution displays, not native HD displays. LCD and DLPs, by contrast, are almost all native-HD displays.

I realize this is a distinction to be lost in a continent without HD content, but sooner or later buyers will come across HD content and find it looks no better than their older content because their recent-vintage "HD-compatible" display can't properly render it.

Also odd; his discussion on future tech focuses on a dark-horse (FED) and a marginal competitor(LCOS) but neglects both OLEDs and SED, both of which are entering production this year, as well as the "thin" direct-view tubes now coming on the market. Which is to say, he neglects the techs likely to power 60-plus percent of all future HDTVs (give or take 30%). :wink:

As for his abreviated discussion of Media Center PCs; the less said, the better. The record shows he favors saddling a ten-year lifetime device (a high-res display) with a built-in obsolescence anchor in the form of a non-upgradebale PC (3-4 year usable lifetime). The manufacturers will be pleased, but I doubt the unwary will...

Caveat Emptor applies to articles (and reviews) as well as commentary. :twisted:

[Macguy59]

I have a 50" HDTV LCD and I can tell you after watching 1080p video, having to go back to 480p or even 520p (DVD) is down right painful.