| HDTV: Why its hot and why its not
Those high definition TV pictures in the stores look awesome, with every little leaf on a Discovery Channel tree crystal clear, including tiny drops of dew on porous surfaces.
Grains of dirt smudged along a couple of inches of white material on a football uniform helps put viewers on the field.
But watching sweat bead on Rolling Stone's guitarist Keith Richard's craggy forehead might be a little too much digital information. There's no arguing that high definition images on TVs these days are amazing, whatever the programming. But before you shell out $1,000 to $2,000 for a plasma or liquid crystal display (LCD) television, be sure to check with your TV signal provider to find out what kind of special equipment you need to get HD reception.
When TV shopping, you'll still find some of those standard cathode-ray tube (CRT) screens, updated for digital reception.
Rear-Projection TV Cheaper Alternative For HDTV
If you're thinking about getting a big screen television, you're probably considering either an LCD or a plasma TV, but there's another alternative Consumer Reports is calling the best deal out there. LDS and plasma TVs are hot sellers, but if you want a really big screen, Consumer Reports says the rear-projection TVs it's been testing give you the best bang for the buck. One Toshiba costs $2,800 and has a 62-inch screen. Rear-projection sets aren't flat panels, but at 15 to 20 inches, they're much thinner than they used to be, and Consumer Reports says the picture quality can be terrific. "Colors are very vibrant and the black levels are deep black, " their report says. Consumer Reports evaluates the picture quality a TV can deliver with high-definition programs, as well as DVD movies and regular broadcasts.
LCD, plasma TVs each have advantages
Q: What is the difference between LCD and plasma flat-panel TVs? Also, has an HDTV standard for the U.S. been officially adopted? I am thinking about purchasing a new TV set and am not sure whether it's wise to buy now or wait. Frank Humphries, Minneapolis, MN A: LCD TVs use an LCD panel to create the picture. It's the same LCD screen technology you find on laptop computers and digital cameras. Plasma TVs use gas suspended within glass panels and stimulated by an electrical field to create the picture. .
Three new portable DMB TV devices from LG
Congratulations LG! You are now the proud parents of three new additions to your handheld video-watching family, all of which have been blessed with touchscreens. Welcome the FM37, FM33, and T50.
As their model numbers suggest, the FM37 and FM33 align themselves with the FM35 portable DMB TV device that was announced some time back. The FM37 is the bigger brother with its 2.4-inch TFT LCD, being made available as a 249,000 KRW (US$264) two gigabyte version and as a 299,000 KRW (US$318) four gigabyte version. The FM33, by comparison, is physically smaller with its 1.77-inch TFT LCD, and it will be sold in three sizes: 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB for 149,000 KRW ($158), 179,000 KRW ($190), and 239,000 KRW ($254), respectively.
The odd one out of the three is the T50, which will come be priced at 189,000 KRW ($200) and 249,000 KRW ($264) for the 1GB and 2GB variants.
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