How To Buy Guide - TV's Guide

In terms of resolution, High-Definition Televisions (HDTVs) offer two significant advantages over SDTVs and EDTVs: first, HDTVs increase the number of scan-lines appearing onscreen, giving you a much clearer picture (especially if you're looking for a bigger screen). Secondly, they change the aspect ratio from traditional 4:3 TV ratio to a widescreen 16:9 ratio. This means that movies no longer have to be "formatted to fit your TV" in order to watch them - on an HDTV, you can see them full-size, without letterboxes.

HDTV Resolutions

HDTVs currently come in 3 different resolutions:

HDTVs (720p resolution) – These HDTVs display 720 lines of progressive-scan video, offering a huge improvement over both SDTVs and EDTVs. Because they use progressive scan, 720p HDTVs can show high-motion video without any artifacts. Of all HDTVs, you'll find that 720p HDTVs are generally the most cost-effective.

HDTVs (1080i resolution) – 1080i HDTVs give you even more scan lines to work with, giving you a sharper picture. The problem, of course, is that these HDTVs display video in interlaced form. Just like SDTVs, 1080i HDTVs can thus produce visual artifacts when trying to display a lot of motion.

Because of the 1080i's interlaced video, if you were trying to decide between 720p and 1080i HDTV, the 720p model would be better for displaying games and fast-moving videos (like action movies), and the 1080i set would produce clearer slow-moving images. If you plan on watching lots of football, for instance, you'd be better off with a 720p.

HDTVs (1080p resolution) – Finally, there's the Mother Of All Displays: the 1080p HDTV. Like a TV using 1080i, it displays 1080 lines of resolution, but it does it in progressive scan. This makes 1080p HDTVs the best thing out there, currently. They're ideal for watching slow-moving pictures, but can also display high-motion video without producing artifacts.

There's just one problem: currently, there's not a lot of content that displays in 1080p. As of the end of 2007, HDTV broadcasts generally display in either 720p or 1080i (it varies, depending on the network). Looking into the future, some predict it will be 5+ years before traditional television is broadcast in 1080p. It's a problem of bandwidth - there's just too much data in a 1080p digital signal to receive, convert and display it promptly onscreen. Even traditional DVD's are generally encoded with only 720 lines of resolution, so they won't display natively.

Currently, the only content available that can truly leverage the full potential of a 1080p HDTV is either video games (the Microsoft XBox 360 Elite and the Sony Playstation 3 both output 1080p signals) or high-definition video discs (like HD DVD and Blu-Ray).

Do I really need 1080p?

In all honesty, it depends. Many experts have pointed out that the benefits of 1080p get less as the HDTV gets smaller (so on a 27-inch set, you might not notice the difference between 720p and 1080p, but a 65-inch HDTV the difference might be obvious). Then you have to factor in the cost, the lack of programming...there's a lot to consider.

If you're a hardcore gamer or a movie buff (or if you need the bragging rights of having the biggest, baddest HDTV on the block), it might make sense to go ahead and pay the extra premium for a 1080p HDTV. Keep in mind that most HDTV sets can display both 720p and 1080i content (and some even upconvert it so it displays in 1080p), so you're not losing anything by upgrading – you'll just be making yourself "future-proof." Just be aware that it could be a number of years before satellite, cable and broadcast television catches up to you. Until then, plan on getting a high-def video player (or gaming console) to make the most of your purchase (and don't forget to call the neighbors to watch Planet Earth in its full glory).

On the other hand, if you're interested in making the jump to HDTV today (and not worrying about down-the-road or spending the extra money), you'll most likely be extremely happy with the choices and the stunning quality that a 720p or 1080i HDTV currently delivers.