Choosing your first High Definition Television

Exploding the HDTV minefield:

May 29th 2007
Goodness me, I started this last year and rather forgot about it after setting on the rather excellent Sharp LC-42XD1E

I still have all my notes vaguely handy so I'll dig them out as add all the other information I have. Fairly comprehension so. When you are spending that kind of money it's always best to research thoroughly, I find.

The greatest definition of HDTV, at least in Europe, it that it isn't! Defined that is…

Certainly the standards are mostly agreed.
Obviously the stores are full of shiny, wafer thin televisions all promising to be 'HD Ready'
Clearly there are all sorts of plans make 'come the revolution', starting with Sky's first airing in June
Yet most definitely there's all sorts of petty and at times vicious arguments in progress, invariably centered around boardroom egos and the lure of licensing rights…

… leaving the general public and in truth most of the people selling these rather in the dark.

I recent trip to Curry's said it all. At the time we were buying a TV for my son's bedroom and I took the opportunity to look over all those massive screens.
Are any of these tele's actually HDTV integrated, as opposed to HD Ready?.
Didn't have a clue. He was up on those in stock, his commission depended on it, but outside of that, all my questions were met with blank stares. Ah well. Hence starting this web site.

Over the next few weeks I'll start looking deeper into and answering all the question you didn't know you had to ask. These will include:

• the difference between 'Integrated HDTV' and 'HD-Ready' televisions
• the various resolutions, which you should aim for and why
• the differences between plasma, LCD, DLP and whether rear projection is for you.
• which sockets you want and why.
• the obligatory FAQ and glossary, covering such essentials as HDMI