Standard Television & HDTV Buying Guide: Powered by ConsumerGuide and HowStuffWorks

Last Updated: 10/10/2007

The Basics: Standard Televisions & HDTVs

As the price of TVs drop, an increasing percentage of TV purchases have been big-screen TVs, which by industry definition is anything above 30 inches direct-view (a traditional glass tube) and all projection sets, which generally start above 40 inches in screen size. There are many people who still purchase the standard direct-view television technology that their parents have been watching for years.

If you are looking for a new television that offers outstanding performance for a low price, a standard tube television may be your best bet. These sets offer many features valued by today's consumers, including two-tuner picture-in-picture, input jacks including S-video input and surround-sound effects.

Today, standard televisions are cheaper than they have ever been. A 32-inch direct-view set can be had for under $400, and a 27-inch set, which was considered the start of large-screen sizes at one time, easily runs under $300 these days. Needless to say, 25-inch sets can be had for less than $200.

A trend in the last few years has been toward flatter, squarer screens in direct-view sets. Flatter screens have more viewing area, less distortion, and less reflection. It has helped make screen measurements more honest, not to mention the improvement such screens provide both in picture appearance and overall quality. They achieve what the industry used to offer only in the form of the more sophisticated, sleeker look of a monitor, which was a high-end TV without the receiver. For proof of this, just look at that old set you may still be using or at least still have sitting around, and then compare it to any direct-view TV you have bought in the last two or three years. Flatter, squarer sets go under a variety of names depending on the manufacturer, and it can get a little confusing trying to sort them all out.

Many direct-view sets are now equipped with a built-in HD receiver. Not all digital sets are full-blown high-definition televisions (HDTVs) with a built-in HD receiver. HD-ready sets require separate digital receivers, which are available from several manufacturers. Digital sets that are HD-ready (meaning they have no internal digital receiver) are also known as high-resolution monitors.

After picture quality, the biggest improvement in TV has been sound. Adding surround sound to your simple TV can really help. You can find surround sound in 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1 surround, meaning the number of channels with a subwoofer, to really make those action movies come to life. Adding better sound to your setup can really improve the experience for less than you may think.

Do not overlook the quality of sound that can be had from a simple two-speaker system built into a TV--especially where simulated surround sound is employed. Simulated surround sound gives an enhanced sense of the space where the sound is coming from. It is an aural illusion, but a pretty good one.

How to Shop

You should judge your potential television purchase on picture quality, brightness, contrast, detail and lack of signal or video noise. Combine good sound, a user-friendly remote and connection options appropriate to your level of use, and you have a set you can use for years. The colors should be pure and lifelike, but not lurid. Whenever possible, try to look at programs that offer images you are familiar with for comparison. Try to look at familiar black-and-white images, because these will reveal the quality of the contrast and brightness of the set's picture.

Screen size is a matter of personal preference and budget. Ideally, you should view a TV image from a distance roughly twice as far from the screen as the screen is high. Sets with screen sizes of 25 inches and above are now the typical in most homes. 25-inch sets normally offer better prices at the sacrifice of a few inches of screen size. The majority of sets sold are monitor/receiver or tabletop models. While 27-inch TVs are very popular for the living room or family room, direct-view sets with screen sizes from 30 to 36 inches are selling in record numbers.

Look for sets that include front A/V jacks, which allow easy hook up of a video game console. Most sets also include a sleep timer that lets you nod off to late-night television and sleep securely in the knowledge that the set will automatically shut off at a preselected 15-, 30-, 60-, 90-, or 120-minute interval. Some sets can be programmed to automatically turn on at preselected times, either to wake you up, as a security measure, or to ensure that you don't miss your favorite show. Many sets now include on-screen help. Help includes definitions of features plus explanations of how to accomplish different functions. On-screen program guides are now offered on many TVs. One popular feature of these on-screen guides is a one-button record feature that lets you record any program by just clicking on it in the on-screen guide.

A popular TV feature is the remote. Many manufacturers have done a lot of work in recent years to design a better remote. Remotes are now user-friendly with larger buttons of different sizes and in different colors. Some remotes are even illuminated so that it's easy to see the buttons in a darkened room. Most 27-inch and larger sets now include universal remotes that will control a DVD player and a cable box or satellite receiver.

16:9 Aspect Ratio TV

These sets are designed to provide widescreen pictures without the letterbox effect (black bars found on the top and bottom of the screen). This is great for wide-format movies, but for conventional pictures you will either end up with a cropped picture on the top or bottom, or black bars on both sides of the picture, or picture-outside-picture on one side. Some projection sets will stretch a standard 4:3 picture to fit the screen, although this usually results in some picture distortion.

Audio and Video Inputs/Outputs

Normally there are more audio outputs than video ones. More audio and video outputs are desirable, as they allow you more versatility in signal switching of multiple VCRs, DVD players, and the like. Depending on how you decide to hook up your A/V system, either the TV or your A/V receiver can be used for video switching. Audio and video input jacks are more desirable for hooking up a VCR than putting the signal through your RF antenna connector, as they will provide you with better audio and video quality.

Cable Terminology

A common cause of confusion for shoppers is the term cable-ready. Many people incorrectly believe that a cable-ready set will allow them to receive pay services free of charge. A cable-ready set only eliminates the need for a converter box to receive basic cable programming. Except for a few 13-inch and smaller sets, every TV sold today is cable-ready. To receive premium channels, which are scrambled, you might need the converter box. To this end, many higher-end sets offer dual antenna inputs. Through the use of a signal splitter (available from your cable company or Radio Shack), you split the signal before it goes into the cable box. One signal goes directly to your TV, and the other to your cable box. The second signal then goes out from your cable box and into the second antenna input of your TV. In this way, all unscrambled programming is available on antenna A, and scrambled/premium services are available on antenna B. As long as your TV has a universal remote, it will control your cable box. Therefore, you do not need your cable company's remote (which is normally provided at an additional cost). Several years ago, a standard interconnect was agreed upon and the TV manufacturers built this interconnect into their sets. IEEE-1394 "Firewire" is a specialized digital computer cable that allows information to be passed in either direction. It is currently used in the computer industry to pass and capture digital video images from digital still cameras to your computer. Firewire lets you connect your digital TV with a myriad of digital accessories, and is instrumental in the development of new services, including digital video programming.

Comb Filter

A feature that improves resolution, picture quality, and reduces objectionable color patterns. Low- to mid-line sets use a glass comb filter. High-end sets use a CCD or digital comb filter, which greatly enhances resolution.

Component Video (Inputs/Outputs)

Also called Color Difference or ColorStream, this is the latest (and best) input/output to date. While similar to RGB (red/green/blue) connections, it separates the luminance and chrominance even further providing superior images over S-VHS. Most step-up DVD players now include component video outputs, which will also be included on most HDTV set-top boxes. Many TV manufacturers are now including these inputs on their mid- to upper-line TVs.

Dual-Antenna Inputs

This feature means your set can accommodate two antenna sources, such as a master antenna and cable box or master antenna/cable box and DSS decoder. By having dual inputs, it allows you to switch easily between antenna sources.

DVI and HDMI interfaces

There are two all-digital video connections for HDTV set-top boxes, monitors, DVD players, and some audio/video receivers: DVI (digital visual interface) and HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface). DVI sends digital video data from a source (such as an HDTV set-top receiver or progressive-scan DVD player) to a display (such as an HD-ready television), and it eliminates the need for digital-to-analog decoders. HDMI builds on DVI by adding multichannel digital audio to the digital video, so digital audio and video can be transmitted in one cable. Both DVI and HDMI incorporate HDCP (high-bandwidth digital content protection), a data encryption method that prevents video piracy. DVI and HDMI both support uncompressed data transfer, and neither is constrained by cable length limitations (up to 500 meters). HDMI is fully backward-compatible with DVI, and with its incorporation of multichannel audio, HDMI is expected to completely replace DVI in the near future.

External Speaker Jacks

These devices allow you to attach separate speakers directly to a TV for improved sound quality, or to attach rear speakers, allowing you to experience surround. The downside to this equation is based on the wattage of your internal television amplifier.

Front A/V Jacks

These jack packs found on the front of a TV (usually hidden under a panel) are a handy feature, especially for hooking up a camcorder or a video game console.

HDTV/HD-Ready

HDTV refers to a television with an integrated high-definition tuner, allowing it to display ATSC (high-definition) broadcasts. An HD-ready set has the ability to display HD content, but it requires an external HD receiver or set-top box. EDTV (enhanced-definition TV) describes a television that can display HD content but at lower resolutions than true HDTV. Nevertheless, EDTV displays are still far superior to standard analog displays.

Horizontal Resolution

Horizontal resolution is the number of horizontal lines that the television can display. Theoretically, the more lines that can be displayed, the better the picture. Broadcast television displays 330 lines, VHS tapes about 240 lines, S-VHS tapes about 400 from a pre-recorded video (330 from broadcast), and DVD about 425 lines. When broadcast, satellite, DSS, and video sources become available with greater resolution, sets with higher horizontal resolution will be able to receive an enhanced signal.

Invar Shadow Mask

Invar shadow mask gives the picture more brightness and punch. Invar is considered to be a premium feature. When sets are very bright, a side effect called "blooming" occurs. To counteract this bleeding of colors, some manufacturers include the invar shadow mask.

Notch Filter

This filter helps remove a small part of the signal that contains excess color information. By doing so, it helps eliminate some objectionable color effects. However, using this circuit creates a slight loss in picture resolution.

Number of Speakers

Indicates the number of speakers found on a particular television set. Obviously, for people who do not plan to attach additional speakers, more is better.

Parental Lock-Out or Channel Block

All sets larger than 13 inches now include a V-chip (V for violence) that allows parents to lock out certain programs if they have too much violence or sexual content. By punching in a special code (that you as the parent devise), parents can lock out children (or anyone else) from viewing specific channels or disable the TV from being used during a specified time of day.

Picture-in-Picture (PIP)

PIP lets you view two image sources simultaneously. The primary picture displays full-size on the screen, while the second picture is normally placed in a smaller box located in one corner of the screen. To use PIP, you need a second video source such as a VCR. A handful of upper-end sets include a second tuner for PIP, thereby eliminating the need to use the VCR tuner as the second video source. Advanced PIP lets you display multiple PIXs (or channels) on the screen at the same time (all are frozen except the channel that it is presently scrolling through), change the size or location the smaller box, and swap back and forth between main and PIP. Picture-outside-picture (POP; also known as picture-out-of-picture) allows the screen to be split into two equal-sized, side-by-side pictures. POP is sometimes considered a function of PIP, and many manufacturers do not distinguish between the two.

Premium Sound Systems

Manufacturers are looking for ways to come up with better sound enhancement systems. RCA and Sony, for example, include SRS (Sound Retrieval System), developed by Hughes for use in their high-end sets. SRS adds depth and more realistic sound without adding additional speakers. Similar systems have been developed by Toshiba with their Cyclone Sub-Bass System with 4-channel DSP, and Zenith with SEQ. Some manufacturers are now adding Spatializer sound to enhance their audio.

Remote

Sets have either a basic, standard, unified, universal, or learning remote. There are also a few combination universal/learning models. A basic remote controls basic functions, such as volume or channel up/down and power on and off. A standard remote is an enhanced basic model with a keypad for direct access and access to on-screen menus and displays. Universal remotes are becoming the most common remotes. They come with pre-programmed codes for both VCRs and cable boxes. Some brands offer models that are ergonomically designed with keys of different shapes, colors, and sizes. On top of that, a handful of brands include devices with illuminated keys. That's a feature you'll appreciate when trying to read those buttons in a semi-dark room. Learning remotes can be taught codes from other types of components, such as A/V receivers and surround processors. If you are trying to tie all of your components together, a learning remote might be the best option. However, at best, they can learn only primary functions for each component. Normally, you cannot get into menus from other products to adjust surround settings, for example. A learning remote from an A/V receiver or an aftermarket universal/learning unit might be a better bet for trying to tie all of your components together.

S-Video (Inputs/Outputs)

Many components besides S-VHS VCRs now include S-video jacks. S-video separates the luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) signals, offering better picture quality than standard video inputs. S-video jacks increase resolution, help color reproduction, and help reduce jitter at scene transitions. To get the most out of your video source, you must use an S-video jack for the highest resolution.

Scan Velocity Modulation

Scan velocity modulation adjusts the rate of horizontal movement of the beam as it "draws" the scan lines, which gives black-and-white picture transitions more punch. This results in a sharper picture.

Special Picture Tubes

A better grade of picture tube is normally found in larger sets. A recent innovation that has taken the industry by storm is the inclusion of either dark-tint or dark-glass picture tubes. By offering darker faceplates, these picture tubes provide greater contrast between black and white. Those brands that include darkened picture tubes have had to increase brightness levels so that the picture does not appear too dark. Most consumers prefer brightness to color accuracy. Other advancements include flattened picture tubes, which offer less distortion on the outer edges of the picture. Some manufacturers use a combination of techniques to tweak out the highest performance from their picture tubes. These sets, while costly, offer the viewer a picture with the highest resolution and provide the most lifelike appearance.

Stereo (Watts Per Channel)

Many sets include a multichannel television sound decoder (MTS), which receives and decodes all stereo signals broadcast by the networks or cable channels. Watts per channel refers to the wattage of the set's stereo amplifier. Some manufacturers' literature can be a bit deceptive if it indicates that the TV has a 20-watt amplifier. This normally means that the set can produce 10 watts per channel.

Surround

Many manufacturers include matrix surround sound or other psycho-acoustic effects to enhance the audio. It might also be called ambiance or extended stereo effects. However, more and more sets are now including Dolby Pro Logic as a means to greatly enhance the audio quality. Obviously, you must add rear speakers to obtain the desired effect. A major drawback with these sets is their underpowered amps. Even with 5 or 10 watts per channel, these amps just don't cut it. Many sets include variable audio outs for connection to an A/V receiver, but few sets offer ample wattage. Some sets also include a center-channel input, which allows you to use the TV's internal speakers for the center channel. Other manufacturers, such as Sony, Toshiba, and RCA, offer special speaker systems that are compatible with their sets for an additional cost.

Standard Television & HDTV Buying Guide

The Basics: Standard Televisions & HDTVs

How to Shop

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