In order to end up with the high definition television best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.
Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of high definition televisions are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in a high definition television.
Research the market: High Definition Television essentials
The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the high definition television market. The range of options can seem daunting, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:
HD TV Explained: A High Definition TV is one that can display a HD signal. A HD capable TV requires an external receiver/decoder to decode digital broadcasts so you can view them.
Television Type: You can find HD ready or HD capable high definition televisions sets in all shapes and sizes. You need to choose between CRT, LCD, or a Plasma set; though CRT HD TVs are very rare.
Do you want a television that is HD ready or HD capable? If your set is just HD capable then you will also have to buy additional equipment such as a receiver.
Screen Size: Television screens come in all shapes and sizes. You need to determine if you want a small LCD screen or a large Plasma screen? You may have a preference for a screen type, or the space you have available for a television may dictate the size you choose.
Compatibility: What kind of devices will you need your high definition television set to connect with? You might need to connect your set to a VCR, DVD, cable box, games console or even to a PC.
Sound and Vision: How important are picture and sound quality to you? A HD ready television will give you superior images and sound, whereas there may be a lesser improvement with a HD capable set.
Native resolution refers to the fixed number of pixels that a screen can display. The higher the resolution, the better the images will be; they will be clearer, sharper and more realistic.
HD TVs will either be progressive scan or interlaced models. Progressive scan models allows for a smoother image.
Cost: The costs of high definition televisions will vary widely depending on the type of television that you choose and its size. In basic terms, the most inexpensive option is CRT with costs rising for LCD and Plasma sets.
Tuner: HD TVs come with a number of tuners: old analogue tuners, Standard Definition tuners, or High Definition tuners. Some may come with a combination of tuners. If you wish to watch TV on your HD set, then a HD tuner will give you the best pictures and save you the cost of buying a HD set top box later.
Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself
Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in a high definition television. For example, do you want a high definition television that is HD ready or HD capable?
You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.
| Have I used a high definition television before? |
| | If you have, work out what you did or didn't like about it. You may be looking for one exactly like it, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient. |
| What kind of high definition television do I need? |
| | You can choose a high definition television that is HD ready or HD capable. A HD ready television has the decoder/receiver necessary for receiving high definition signals already built in. HD capable sets are essentially a monitor capable of displaying high definition images, however, they still need an additional decoder/receiver to receive those signals. |
| Will I need to connect my high definition television up to other equipment? |
| | This will be dependent on what you want to use with your new television, such as VCRs, DVDs or cable boxes. |
| How important is sound quality to me? |
| | Many high definition televisions will automatically come with superior sound quality in a surround sound system. |
| How important is picture quality to me? |
| | HD ready television sets will give you superior images - some HD capable sets will only show a slight improvement. |
| Where will my new high definition television go? |
| | Once you check how much space you have, you can then choose a screen that can be stand-mounted, wall-mounted, or hung from the ceiling. |
| How much can I budget for a new high definition television? |
| | High definition televisions are available to suit a range of budgets. |
Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.
Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of high definition televisions and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.
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