HDTV TECHNOLOGY – A BASIC PRIMER FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER
by Greg Gibson

OK – Your television broke or you saw a super HDTV at your neighbor’s and you suddenly realize that HDTV is the NEXT BIG THING… and you must have one NOW!

You aren’t alone… 2004 is being recognized as the YEAR OF HDTV.

As we have chronicled for our readership, the broadcasters are now starting to accelerate the pace with which they broadcast HDTV programming. Broadcasts are all suppose to be in HDTV format in 2006. So there are more and more HDTV broadcasts! Something to watch = more sales = more broadcasts, etc.

SO – now you want an HDTV… now what? First – a warning and a disclaimer:

• HDTV means a digital [binary bits of information – like computer code] television picture broadcast in “1080i” [1,080 lines of resolution, interlaced and also refers to 720 lines of resolution in a progressive scan] and “16x9” [commonly called widescreen – compared to the old 4x3 picture].
• Some manufacturers are trying to cut costs by offering “Enhanced Digital TV” (EDTV) which is only 480 lines of progressive scan resolution. They cut costs because it simply costs more to make a television which has better resolution [sharp crisp lifelike picture]. While the EDTV is better than the current sets – IT IS NOT HDTV! A recent random sample, conducted by NextGenElectronics at two large retail showrooms, confirmed in a side by side comparison that consumers could easily (95% +/- 3% sample error rate) tell the difference in EDTV and HDTV when viewing a real HDTV signal, and they preferred the HDTV. During this comparison, several consumers actually got angry and wanted to know why the Government was allowing EDTV! Frankly, I have no answer for you… I personally would NOT buy an EDTV because if I am going to spend all this money, I want to get the best picture I can.
• Also, some HDTVs are manufactured with the “old” 4x3 size screen (i.e., they are not widescreen format). Once again, I have no explanation for why someone would want to spend all this money for an HDTV and eventually (post-2006 when all broadcasts are in 16x9 format) have top and bottom side bars on the picture.
• Disclaimer – Seriously, I actually have a degree in Physics (Georgia Institute of Technology grad)… along with an MS in Electronic Commerce and an MBA in International Business. One of the problems in writing these articles is that if I get too technical no one can understand the information, and if I try to simplify, some perfectionists will point to exceptions… ok, all I can do is try – I’m writing for you normal people out there! In addition, some of the technology is changing gradually, and prices are changing all the time… so all I can do is give you my honest opinion. So think of this as advice from a friend, something to be considered as YOU make the decisions.

Remember The Roadmap!

We carry a VITAL, IMPORTANT piece of information on our website – I will often refer to it as the “homework” or the “roadmap”. It is a series of questions that you MUST go through before you buy anything. I strongly urge you to stop reading this article, go to the link here and read the article completely and do the “homework”. This is so important that I can’t tell you enough – if you never do anything else, do this! The worst thing you can do is get an HDTV, proudly hook it up, invite everyone over, and you can’t get a HDTV broadcast or you only have 2 HD channels! Please do your homework to determine what broadcasts you will be able to get and whether you will be using satellite (Dish or DirecTV), cable, or over-the-air (OTA) reception! I will assume that you have now done so, and are ready to resume reading.

A benefit of using the roadmap to figure out your system in advance is that if you have determined that you are going to use your cable company to receive HD broadcasts, you can now talk to the cable company about whether you must use their “HD cable box” or if an HDTV with a built in tuner can receive all their HD channels. Likely, the cable company will require that you use their HD cable box (decoding/security reasons) – that is an important piece of information because then you don’t need to buy a more expensive HDTV set with a built in HD tuner! However, if you are going to use satellite or OTA then you will need an HD tuner built in or you will have to purchase one.

A Different Way To Think About HDTV

Ok, you have done your homework and you know where you are going to put the set, so you can measure the space and figure what is the maximum size.

Now you are almost ready to go out and start looking for an HDTV. Now for the basics of what you will find.

There are basically five primary types of HDTVs. We will discuss them based on the “age” of the technology.

1. Direct View – A direct view set contains a single picture tube… exactly like the “old sets”. Direct view single tube sets are very nice, good technology, but they are rather bulky and heavy. Also, the largest picture is typically limited to below 36-inches. For example, the SONY 34” 16x9 HD Triniton lists at about $2500 and weights 300 lbs! The pluses are that tube technology has been around since the dawn of television, and reliability is generally the highest of the technologies. The picture is generally extremely bright, with good contrasts and colors. However, cost, weight, and very small picture are the drawbacks.
   


2. Projection – A projection set contains three small (typically 9 inch) picture tubes (red, green, blue) and use mirrors to expand the picture and project it onto a screen. Originally, the projection sets were like a movie projector – projecting onto a movie screen… but these have almost been eliminated by the “self-contained” boxes that internally expand the picture and display it on their front screen. I bought one of the first such Mitsubishi projection sets in 1974… so the technology has been around for 30 years. The benefits are that the picture can be significantly expanded! So projection sets usually start around 45 inches and can reach 82 inches for the Mitsubishi WS82913. The most popular projection size is with a 55 to 65 inch screen, which will weigh about 250 to 300 lbs., and cost between $1700 to $3000. The principle drawback with projection sets is that they are very “bulky” and can dominate a room… with a typical depth of 25 to 30 inches!



3. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) – This set uses a flat panel LCD display at 720p resolution. The best feature is that the system can “hang on the wall” (or have a small stand, and is only about 4 to 5 inches deep. However, LCDs are generally expensive, running around $3000 to $5000 for a 34 inch set, and do not have good contrast (500:1) or color range. Because of the LCD limitations, most LCD sets are limited to less than 36 inches. The good thing is that the LCD technology has been out for about 15 years. Again, the drawbacks are the expense, small picture size, and less quality picture (contrast and color).



4. Plasma – The plasma televisions were created as an advance over the LCD sets. The technology in a plasma television needs my physics degree to explain, so I won’t try. Suffice it to say that the plasma uses xenon and neon gas in a matrix of individual cells (pixels). The good news is that the colors are very vibrant, with excellent contrast (4000:1), and as a thin, flat panel, it has a depth of about 4 to 5 inches. Also, plasma televisions can be made significantly larger than LCDs and range between 37 and 65 inches! The main drawback is price – a typical 50 inch plasma will cost between $4500 and $7000+!

   Unfortunately, there is also a rumor – one that I can not confirm or deny – that after 5 years the plasma gas can leak out of the sealed units, degrading the picture; and that if a pixel fails, you can have a “red dot” (or whatever pixel color fails)permanently in your picture! The problem with plasma is frankly that it is a new technology and we don’t have 10 years of continuous use experience with it. [Note: This should be a topic of an upcoming article after the January 2004 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – we will be interviewing a number of manufacturers and learning more about their efforts to address this “rumor”).

5. Digital Light Processor (DLP) - This is the latest technology by Texas Instruments to provide the benefits of projection with a thinner set. The DLP is a system using micro-mirrors where each frame of the picture is separated into its red, blue, and green components and digitized into 16 million samples for each color. Each mirror in the system is controlled by one of these samples. By using a color filter wheel between the light and the mirror, and by varying the amount of time each individual DMD mirror pixel is on, a full-color, digital picture is projected onto the screen. The good news is that you can get a good picture (contrast and color) in a thin set (DLPs are about 15 to 16 inches deep), for about $3000 for a 50 inch set! Also, there is no “burn in” for images in 4x3 or for leaving the set on for a long time. The bad news is that the reliability of a “color wheel” turning for 5+ years in my set, is not my idea of a “safe bet”. While it is wonderful to have a thinner set, there is virtually no long-term reliability information on this technology… we would welcome the opportunity to run/view independent testing of this device.

SUMMARY

Two “cheat sheets” for you to consider:

The second cheat sheet is “What you can expect to get for $3000”:

FINAL WORD

The nice thing about HDTV is that the picture is really sharp and crisp on every set. The color and contrast do vary as a function of the technology. The technology obviously controls the price, and newer technology means more uncertainty about the service and reliability. We strongly urge consumers to consider an extended warrantee for any HDTV – simply because if you are spending $3000+, then you ought to spend an addition $300+ and get an additional 5+ years of protection. This is a major investment, one which you will likely be watching every day for 2 to 5 hours! So get what you want – if you have to wait a few months and save up for the “right set” = THEN DO SO! Don’t be in a rush, and don’t sacrifice quality or give up on your “perfect set”. Good luck!

Commentary By: Greg Gibson - email