Are you looking to replace your current television? Are you intimidated by sales associates that speak a language you do not understand? In today’s “Hi-Def” era, foreign terms and jargon cloud the minds of many consumers. This guide is meant to help you understand HD television lingo, so as to feel confident you’re getting the television that suits your specific needs.

Prior to beginning your shopping experience, I suggest you first determine what HD Television features appeal to you most – this could be picture quality, physical size, aesthetics, etc. Feel free to write these down and refer back to them often as you read about the hardware and technologies behind High Definition.

TV TECHNOLOGIES

DLP

Digital Light Processing is today’s front-runner in rear projection technology. These displays range in size from 50 to 72-inches and provide vibrant colors with spectacular clarity. Movie enthusiasts will prefer DLP to the younger, sleeker LCD and Plasma sets due to their capability of reproducing the most life-like images and realistic colors.

In the past, DLP televisions had reports of limited viewing angles, or not being able to see the picture clearly unless seated directly in front of the television at eye-level. To ensure that your DLP television will meet your needs, I recommend you examine this further on a live display.

If you can manage the added depth and are looking for a 50-inch plus television, DLP is the way to go for those who prefer image quality and realism from their display.

LCD

Liquid Crystal Displays now make up more than 50% of the HD television market. Ranging in size from 13 to 82-inches, they also offer the largest variety in size over any other current technology. When examining an LCD closely, the picture will likely reveal a “screen door” effect, where you can see the grid of individual pixels as if a screen door was in front of the monitor. This is more noticeable in some models, so pay close attention as you shop to find what is tolerable for you. Other than that, colors are vibrant, brightness is high (in 2007 models and later), and you’re likely to find an LCD suitable for any size or space.

Dead pixels have historically plagued the LCD, scaring off many potential buyers. As competition became more fierce, quality assurance improved and some manufacturers currently offer a “zero defective pixel guarantee,” so you can buy with confidence.

Should you prefer a smaller HD display, or like a less expensive flat panel for hanging on the wall, LCD is a safe, long-lasting bet.

Plasma

All plasma displays are “flat panel”, but not all “flat panel” displays are plasmas. To make things clear, plasmas were the first flat panel display to market and the term plasma is still used, though incorrectly, to refer to “flat panel” displays. Plasmas enter the market at 42-inches and reach a current maximum of 70-inches. They also carry the widest viewing angle amongst competitors, although that gap is narrowing, and are prided on their high contrast ratios, or the ability present dark, rich blacks, and brilliant whites. The natural colors and feel to the plasma carries with it a very cinematic appeal.

Plasma television sales have dropped significantly as LCD continues to dominate the HD market. Plasmas tend to be heavier, hotter, more susceptible to burn-in, and have lower life expectancies than LCD’s. However, in 2007 an coalition formed amongst top manufacturers that will attempt to revitalize the plasma display, bringing Full HD (read 1080p) sets to market that will directly compete against the top-rated LCD’s.

If it’s a flat panel you’re after and prefer the cinematic feel, a plasma display might be in your future.

TV SCREEN SIZE & ASPECT RATIOS:

Before delving into the numbers themselves, know that these refer to a screen’s horizontal measurement in comparison to its vertical measurement. The easy way to remember this is to think of them in inches. Take 4:3 for example: imagine a screen 4 inches in width, and 3 inches in height – nearly a square, but a bit more wide than tall, right? There; it’s that easy.

16:10

This aspect ratio is referring to widescreen computer monitors. A widescreen computer monitor (in most cases) is slightly wider than a widescreen television. Some computer monitors are now doubling as television monitors, so these aspect ratios are becoming more intertwined with no real “preference” of one over the other.

16:9

Otherwise known as 1.85:1, this is the most common aspect ratio for widescreen televisions. It is also the same ratio that most theatrical films are filmed using, thus no formatting of the original film is required to fit the older, more square, 4:3 ratio.

4:3

Often called SDTV, or Standard Definition Television, this is the more square television screen size of yesteryear that was common prior to the emergence of High Definition televisions.

TV RESOLUTION

A screen’s resolution refers to the number of pixels per inch. The more pixels per inch in a screen, the smoother, or more clear, the image appears. Think of an electronic sign, each light bulb or LED being a single pixel. The farther away you view the sign, the clearer it becomes, that’s because there are more lights appearing closer together, just as a higher resolution on a television or computer monitor.

In the descriptions below, the “P” refers to Progressive Scan, while “I” refers to Interlaced. Let’s have a look at what those terms mean.

Interlacing divides the picture into odd and even horizontal lines and then alternately refreshes them at 30 frames per second each. The slight delay between the odd and even lines creates some jaggedness and flickering. This is because only half the lines keep up with the moving image while the other half await being refreshed.

Progressive is the same method, scanning each line left to right, top to bottom, but each line is scanned in progression: 1,2,3,4,5, etc. as opposed to 1,3,5,7, and 2,4,6,8. This provides a far superior image and reveals many details that interlaced can hide.

1080p

This is the highest resolution and will provide the best picture. These are more expensive displays due to the quality they provide, but 1080p is offered by DLP, LCD, and Plasma technologies.

1080i

Although providing a higher resolution, it is argued that 720p is actually clearer than a 1080i picture due to the difference in Progressive and Interlaced scanning techniques.

720p

Like 1080i, 720p is fairly common in HD televisions. This still provides a very clear picture with the right inputs and will not disappoint. In fact, most HD television channels on cable and satellite are broadcast in 720p or 1080i resolutions.

480i

Also known as SDTV, or Standard Definition Television, 480i is what resolution most all DVD’s are recorded using, and all HD televisions support at least this high of a resolution.

TV CONNECTIVITY

You’ve got the television, now you just need to make sure your cables are capable of handling your new equipment. These cables can get expensive, but it’s a relatively small additional cost that will ensure you have the best picture on your new display.

HDMI

A High Definition Multimedia Interface cable sends a digital video AND audio signal through the same cable to the display. These are the newest connection-type, fully supporting 1080p displays, and are commonly found as inputs on HD television models 2007 or newer. These also help reduce the clutter behind the television while maintaining quality audio and video.

Component Video

Dividing the analog video signal into three cables: red, green, and blue, Component Video cables are capable of sending uncompressed analog video to its destination. Although the cables support full 1080p, some hardware will limit them to only transmit up to 1080i resolutions. Note that this cable-type would require an additional cable to carry your audio.

S-Video

S-Video, short for “Separate Video”, is an analog video connection that separates the image into two layers, color and brightness, and supports up to a 480i resolution. Note that this cable-type would also require a second cable to carry your audio.

RCA

An RCA jack refers to the traditional red, white, and yellow colored cables. Red and white carry the audio’s right and left stereo channels, while the yellow carries the video signal. These support only SDTV resolutions, or 480i, and are not recommended for use with an HD television with an HD source.

TV SIGNAL SOURCES

When considering your HD television, keep in mind that it is only a monitor. You must still provide it with a HD signal in order to make the most of your purchase. Below are several inputs, or sources, from which HD signals can be found.

Antenna

Believe it or not, some HD channels are available to be picked up straight out of the air! This requires that your television have a built-in tuner, but most models now carry this as a standard feature. The HD channel selection is also limited to the public channels such as 2, 4, 5, and 13. Other broadcasting stations are slowly adopting the HD technology and by 2009, all broadcasting stations are supposed to be fully HD compatible.

Cable

Perhaps the most talked about HD source, Cable television provides plenty of premium HD channels – at a price. Just know that an “HD Package” is required in order to broadcast HD content to your display. Contact your local cable-company for pricing details.

Computer

Many displays are now capable of doubling as a computer monitor. Higher resolutions means a better picture, so the 1080p compatible monitors will appear sharp and crisp, while 720p and 480i monitors will have signs of the “Screen door” effect as mentioned earlier.

DVD Player

DVD players are perhaps the most common input source besides antenna. Lately, another format war has emerged: HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray DVD. While any of these can provide an HD signal to your display, read below under “Media Formats” to learn more about their differences.

Game Console

Video games have also tapped into the HD market. Sony’s Playstation 3, and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 both provide high definition content and connectivity. The Playstation 3 also doubles as a Blu-ray Disc player, while an HD-DVD player can be added to the Xbox 360 as an accessory.

Satellite

A rapidly growing market, satellite television is providing more and more HD content to their line up all the time. It’s a toss up between Cable and Satellite as to which provides a superior signal, so have a look at the channels they provide and go with the service you’ll make better use of.

OPTICAL MEDIA FORMATS

Blu-ray Disc

Sony’s latest attempt at yet another format war, the Blu-ray Disc, or BD, is a high-definition optical disc. Blu-ray Discs offer Full HD, or 1080p, resolutions and are able to be played back using a Blu-ray Disc compatible player.

HD-DVD

As a former competitor to Blu-ray Disc, HD-DVD is also a high-definition optical disc. Being the first to market, HD-DVD initially led the HD format war and, unfortunately, started on a decline that they have not been able to recover from. As a result, pricing on HD-DVD products have plummeted and new content on the media will be scarce.

DVD

Although not a true HD format, the DVD may have some life remaining, that is, until a winner of the HD format war has been declared. In the meantime, consider purchasing an upconverting DVD player. These special players convert your standard DVD’s that were recorded in 480i, to (in some models) a 1080p resolution! The best part about this: the players cost just a few dollars more than a standard DVD player. If you can afford a $99 US Upconverting player, you’ll get much more life out of that DVD collection of yours.