high definition tv (hdtv) q&a
with Greg Gibson

NextGenElectronics' resident HDTV expert Greg Gibson answers your questions about HDTV and what you should do about this exciting emerging technology. If you have a question or comment you'd like Mr. Gibson to comment on, please feel free to email him personally by clicking here. All inquiries are subject to publication, however, no personal information will be given away or published.

From: Mark M.
Question: Where do camcorders fit into the new HDTV formats, refering to the 16-9 or 4-3, also 480p, 720p, 980i, 1080i? Secondly, what is the deal with progressive scan formats, your article on HDTV didnt mention this aspect? And last which produces better picture quality on a 32 inch or larger screen, 720p or 1080i?

Greg Gibson's Response: Thank you for your letter. You question about camcorders is a good one, and we are going to start doing some reviews of major camcorders. At present, they are not true HDTV (1080i), but I can not do more than repeat (at this stage before we actually test some camcorders) their vendor product literature - since you didn't specify what manufacturer - I will just refer you to their websites.

On the other question about progressive scan DVD. We did a test of a SONY DVD (480i) against a Pioneer Progressive Scan DVD (480p). Both provided 480 lines of resolution. The picture quality was virtually identical in terms of black, contrast, color, and detail. However, we ran several tests using movies which identified an important difference - it is the "harringbone rainbow" effect seen when playing back an image which has a small checkerboard or stipe pattern. The progressive scan largely eliminated this very distracting effect! As a result, we would definately recommend a progressive scan DVD if your system can take the 480p.

Lastly, your last question is easy - the higher the resolution (1080 > 780) the better the picture - regardless of the screen size. Therefore, a side by side comparison of two 32-inch TVs with one at 1080i and the other at 720i would clearly show the 1080i as a better picture. Just as a 32-inch 720i shows better than an analog picture.

From: Richard P.
Question: Thank you for your article. It is remarkably difficult to get this type of information on the web. The NCTA and other organizations have their own agendas, and obscure important points, and the cable companies' web sites describing their digital service is very misleading. I am a Cablevision subscriber in southern Westchester county, NY state. You mentioned Cablevision systems as one of the cable operators planning on carrying HD. Is this the same as my company, the one based in Long Island, NY?

Is there any benefit in picture quality to the current digital cable service offered by cable companies (to be available in my area by end of year, we are told)? I'm considering whether it's worth it to put up an antenna, or wait on the cable companies delivering HD programming. Thanks in advance for any information you are able to give.

Greg Gibson's Response: Thank you for your email. As we understand CABLEVISION (and all their outlets) will eventually be offering HDTV - the schedule is up to the company for each outlet - for example, TIMEWARNER offered HDTV service 6 months ago in Orlando as a test market, and only 2 weeks ago to their subscribers in San Diego (and then it was only the HBO-HD-WEST, and SHOWTIME-HD-WEST) with a promise to "soon" add more channels (like the primary networks). So you should call your particular cable company for their implementation schedule... unfortunately, the local engineers at the cable company may know its coming but little else.

You should check with your local OTA (over the air) broadcasters to see: (1) if they are broadcasting yet in HDTV; (2) where are their towers and can you receive their signal? If you can get them, there is virtually no reason to go with a cable company (unlike analog broadcasts - HDTV signals are of perfect quality and you either get no signal/picture or you get just as good a picture as the cable could offer).

The promise of "Digital TV" is very misleading and must be explored with your cable company - specifically, are they refering to HDTV or are they refering to a digital transmission system. As I noted in the article, "digital TV" is often used by cable companies to falsely imply HDTV - what they actually mean is that they take the analog signal and convert it to digital for transmission through the cable to the set-top box decoder - which then converts it back to analog. In these cases, you only get a slightly better picture (I personally have been unable to measure the increased performance between a good cable analog signal and the cable digital signal once decoded). Recall that analog signals result in about a 330 effective lines of resolution for "digital" and normal cable versus 1080 for HDTV.

From: Harry M.
Question: The RCA d61w135d model is priced at $2,999. Are there improvements in the technology (HD receiver - CRT's) that would give a better picture than all it's older models, or is this just more of pre-2002 sets technology with a DVD inside. I assume the DVD is progressive scan. I am in the market for a projection TV. I would like to know if I can improve it's sound system?

Greg Gibson's Response: The question you ask is very subjective, but I will take a crack at it. The RCA HDTV tuner in the RCA D61W135 is just as good as the HUGHES and MITSUBISHI (DirecTV) and the SONY (DISH)... you should go to a store and check the operation of the receiver to ensure that you understand the hookups (OTA [over the air], cable). My understanding from RCA is that their DVD is, in fact, a progressive scan - however, please check the operator manual to confirm (your sales person should be able to provide it to you for review for any set you consider).

The sound can certainly be enhanced by an external audio processor - but then you get the issues of multiple boxes sitting on top your set. However, there are a number of audio units available (Dolby, Dobly DTS, Dobly A-4, etc) so the best thing is to determine what your configuration (audio speakers, etc) will be for your particular application (room size, speaker types/sizes, speaker placement, etc.)... and then shop for a good sound processor.

If you are going to buy at TV, let me remind you of the criteria - (1) check to see how you will receive the HDTV broadcasts and how many channels you will receive (call your local tv stations and talk to their engineers, and your cable company); (2) ensure you can receive the transmissions (mountains, distance, etc.); and (3) be sure to buy an extended warantee (better safe than sorry when you shell out this kind of money).

From: Ted A.
Question: I reviewed your info on your purchase of the mits... ws65807 and perfect timing..my consideration is a standard 4x3 73" mitsubishi diamond series for $2400 or the ws65807 floor model.. your opinion will be appreciated... ?

Greg Gibson's Response: Ted, Unfortunately, we haven'tposted all our articles but I will try to give you some insights so you can make your pick better informed. Please read carefully article about where you live and what kind of reception you will have - that is critical. If you live where you can get OTA HD, then the widescreen offers a good selection of programs immediately. If you are limited by cable or satellite dish, then you need to carefully review the 2 sets side by side and see if you can live with your choice for the next 6 years or so...

The 4x3 will look fine now (as most broadcasts are in 4x3) but in a few years they will probably have top/bottom bars as most broadcasts move to 16x9. On the other hand, the 16x9 looks great now for DVDs and HD broadcasts but the people will look FAT as the picture is stretched horizontally (you don't want to run side bars for long as it will burn in the tube badly - that is also on the manufacturers warning)... but as broadcasters move to HD more and more will look "normal" and completely fill the screen. You also said the 4x3 was 73"... what in the wide wide world of sports do you need a picture that big for anyway? Well, your call, but I had to ask... it was just sticking out like a sore thumb... 65" is hugh as it is... So ok, the call is yours... think about what you will be receiving and consider the slow pace (but accelerating) of the networks to transition to HD.

One last thing, the Diamond series may contain Mitsubishi's On-Command remote control system... if it does there is a significant advantage to having one integrated system/remote... consider that as well... Also, if you get the floor model - BE ABSOLUTELY SURE you know how long it has been running, and you would be VERY SMART TO GET THE MAX EXTENDED WARANTEE... I got 4 years with my new set.

Commentary By: Greg Gibson - email