Easy info for
selecting
HD Ready TV

Without HDTV you can't watch hi-def programmes!

Here is info on HD Ready TV, HDMI connection problems, Plasma TV, LCD TV, screen resolutions, and everything else you need to know before deciding what to buy.

High Definition TV has to be the most exciting change to television since the advent of colour broadcasts. The vast majority of people will have to upgrade their TV to HD Ready TV in order to view HDTV. Upgrading isn't necessarily a straightforward process. After all, high definition can be a confusing matter.

The steps in selecting a new kind of TV can seem to be convoluted. Help is at hand. Just read the info here and you'll be able to make an informed and confident choice.

Do I need to buy an HD Ready TV?

You can't watch any hi-def programmes if you haven't got HDTV. For most of us that means getting an HD Ready TV. HD actually requires a lot more than analogue TV, Freeview or DVD in respect of resolutions, displays, signals and protections.

Don't hold out any hopes of your CRT TV managing to show High Definition television. There really is only a small number of CRT TVs which would be capable of displaying HD. Those sets that can display will, unfortunately, simply not have the vital connections needed to access and use HD services and options that will be available.

What about screen size?

HDTV was created to be watched on a big screen. If, sadly, your screen is on the small side, you'll just not get the impact that comes from increased resolution and shear clarity that HD provides. With, say, a 26 inch screen you'll see the difference immediately - but to have that WOW! factor a bigger screen is a must. As a minimum, the starting point for screen size for HD Ready TV should be 32 inches. If you get anything under that, you'll just never see enough detail to appreciate why everyone else is being so enthusiastic.

That's not to say that you can't watch HD on a smaller HD Ready TV screen. There are now some LCD TVs with 20 inch screens available, which have that important HD Ready badge.

The viewing distance from your TV screen is a good way of making a practical comparison. The wisdom on viewing says that when you're watching a 1080 line broadcast, you should be seated at a distance of about three times whatever the diagonal width of the screen is. It follows that it's no use having a really large TV if your room is infact too small for its viewing distance.

Should I get LCD or Plasma? That is the question.

Flat panel HD Ready TVs and HDTVs come in two kinds - LCD and Plasma. Which is best? As you'd expect, each has its own plus and minus points to compare. The first factor for many people is, simply, how big the screen is. Screen size does matter. Plasma wins when it comes to screen sizes of 37 inches and above. Anything smaller is where LCD comes out on top. There is a possible exception following the arrival of the 45 to 65 inch LCD TVs produced by Sharp.

With technical improvements continuing, it's not so easy say generally which kind of flat panel HD Ready TV is best. Plasma TVs can suffer from screen burn-in (from static parts of an image, typically a TV station logo). With picture quality, plasma HD Ready TVs have a plus in giving better black and contrast levels. But they do have a slight minus in that they can show banding - that's where different tones in a colour appear as steps. But, improved image processing should mean that its less visible on newer plasmas TVs.

A plus for LCD TVs is their picture brightness which also helps to minimise any glare from lights or even daylight. They don't suffer from screen burn-in. That results in a longer useful life for LCDs. They also use less power. A minus is that they can have difficulty with pixel response times (ghosting and motion lagging). They can also have difficulty with black level.

What about Projection TVs?

There are other kinds of TV which can receive and display High Definition. These are DLP, LCD and HD-ILA rear projection TVs. Cost is, probably, the most convincing factor when thinking about buying a projection TV. A rear projection TV is most often well below the cost of plasma and LCD TVs. It's the DLP rear projection TVs which get the thumbs up due to the fact that they give a picture on a par with plasma for black level, colour and detail when matched to similarly sized plasma TVs.

Screen resolution - which to get?

Put simply: the higher the resolution the more detail you will see (you get more pixels). It's a vitally important factor in deciding what to go for.

A mix of programmes in HD will be broadcast in both 720p (720 "lines", progressive) and 1080i (1080 "lines" interlaced) by Sky. You'll have to have a TV with at least 720 lines of native resolution (as per the HD Ready criteria).

You may come across a few different resolutions. Some are in 4:3 aspect ratio. You'd be well recommended (given that all HD material will be broadcast in widescreen format) that you go for a native widescreen format.

* 1024 x 768 (XGA) - A 4:3 format. Rectangular pixels are used to get the correct widescreen aspect ratio. It's used on many plasma TVs.

* 1024 x 1024 (ALiS) - This sort of plasma panel technology has been developed by Fujitsu and Hitachi. ALiS stands for Alternate Lighting of Surfaces. Although it has the same number of pixels on both the horizontal and vertical planes, the panel is not actually in 4:3 format - the pixels are oblong (not square), in order that the widescreen aspect ratio is retained.

* 1280 x 768 and 1366 x 768 (Widescreen XGA) - These are the most usual widescreen aspect ratios with HD LCD TVs. 1080i pictures are, necessarily, downscaled will certainly still look most impressive.

* 1280 x 720 - This is another particular widescreen format. It's show 720p material extremely well.

* 1920 x 1080 (the full HD) - with this resolution, TVs will show 1080i source material in its native form. However, to fit the panel, 720p pictures must be upscaled. Look out for large numbers of 1080p screen TVs in the shops soon. Get one if you can possibly to afford it - it'll be more than worth it.

Projectors - more like a cinema!

Due mainly to their huge picture sizes, they have the capability to vastly enhance the overall impact of the cinema-like experience. All that has been said about HD Ready applies equally to projection, so do take notice of that badge when selecting.

Projectors are of different kinds. There are DLP, LCD, CRT and also the newer ones, including LCOS D-ILA. Of these, the LCD projectors are most often the least expensive. But, generally speaking, DLP projectors give a somewhat better picture. The good news is that prices for DLP continue to come down.

Connections info

Simply due to the fact that they're the most effective mode of carrying HD content from receiver to an HD Ready TV screen, the first choice must always be an HDMI or DVI input. They're digital and so the signal stays digital, maintaining top image quality. High value HD content is kept safe from piracy, because they support High Definition Content Protection (HDCP). Bear in mind that HDCP isn't supported by every DVI socket. Just make a note to verify HDCP support before buying.

Even though HD Ready TV criteria might seem to indicate otherwise, it is possible to view HDTV programmes on a TV which doesn't have either a DVI or an HDMI input. You can view by connecting to the component video inputs.

Sky has decided to help out the several thousand people who went out straight away and got flat panel TVs, little realising that they would also have to get HDMI or DVI inputs. So, Sky has provided output HD from the component video outputs on their first generation HD box. But, it looks like component connection will eventually be phased out on newer versions of the box.

Enhancing picture quality (image processing)

An HD picture is a wonderful thing to behold, but image processing will always add something extra to the experience. Increasingly, image processing is being specifically tailored to get the very best from of HD material. One brand which stands out on this is Philips. Their Pixel Plus 2 HD (on flat panel TVs) delivers truly impressive high quality enhancement. Look at it for yourself, whilst bearing in mind that there's a (justifiable) premium for a TV with such high performance image processing.

Will my HD Ready TV show Standard Def TV OK?

Even though all the talk is of High Definition and HD Ready TV, it'll still be the case that Standard Definition TV is set to be around for quite some time. Standard Definition sources include analogue television, existing DVDs and digital television. So, you ought to be certain that your selected HDTV will also be capable of showing SD to its best.

The thing is, HD Ready TVs use a minimum of 720 pixels vertical resolution (usually called "lines"). On the other hand, the content of SD has image information to a maximum of 576 lines. Consequently, the SD source image has to be upscaled in order to match TVs having a greater native resolution. Any deficiency in picture processing would be all the more obvious on a larger screen, so apparent image quality can suffer.

What to pay

What should you be realistically looking to pay for an HDTV? If you look beyond the top brand names, you can pay a lot less for a 32 inch screen set. Typically, instead of £800 you could be paying a more satisfying £700. You'll need to look at between £700 and £1,200 or so for a top specification 32 inch TV from well trusted names like Hitachi, Sony or Philips.

In the 42 inch plasma area, further up the price scale, for about £2,300 there are reliable big name brands. With a little effort, you should come across very similar specification models at around £2,000. Other models are becoming available around the £900 mark.

If you want an even larger screen (and why not?), then there are 55 inch HD Ready plasma TVs at about £3,000. You'll need in the region of £5,000 to consider some of the 60 inch plasma TVs.

Should I consider a 1080p screen?

Acquiring one of the latest of 1080p screens can be a sensible option. There are over two million pixels (twice that on a screen with 768 lines) on a 1920 x 1080 screen. You need to be aware that obtaining something to actually watch (at such high quality) may not be so straightforward. Some pre-recorded material is available, but it's very limited. 1080p movies will be available soon. There already a few upscaling DVD decks providing 1080p output. The much longed for HD DVD and Blu-ray decks will bring on more 1080p movies. Current HD broadcasting is at 720p or 1080i. Broadcasting of full resolution 1080p isn't likely to start for a good number of years to come.

HDTV - Do I need one?

HD Ready TV specifications should not be confused with digital TV. They're two different things. On that basis, it's not always the case that a HD Ready TV will include a digital TV tuner. HD Ready TVs are now, more often, being made with digital tuners included. That's becoming a necessity as the digital switchover of TV broadcasts approaches.

It might seem like an unwanted question, but do you really need and HDTV? Well. you could have a cheaper option, but only if you've already got a receiver for either Sky or Freeview. Just buy an HD Ready TV with an analogue tuner or even no tuner - that's OK because you already a tuner (Sky or Freeview).

Requirements for an HD Ready TV logo

For a TV is to properly have the HD Ready TV logo, it must meet required criteria so that it is compatible with HDTV broadcast by Sky and others:-

* The native resolution of the screen display must be at least 720 physical lines (in a wide aspect ratio).

* The TV must have a digital input (either a DVI or a HDMI digital input), as well as analogue component video.

*The input (whether it's a DVI or HDMI) must support HDCP (high definition content protection) and both 720p (at 50hz and 60Hz progressive) and 1080i (at 1920 x 1080 at 50Hz and 60Hz interlaced).

Using a Monitor instead of a TV

Think about whether or not you need a further TV tuner. For instance, if you've already got either a Sky or Freeview receiver, then you're unlikely to actually need an analogue or a digital tuner. That means you could consider using a monitor.

Where to put your HDTV - on the wall, maybe?

One very important step before selecting an HDTV is to think about where you want it positioned at home. Hanging it on the wall will mean you'll have to find a TV with a separate media box to house the various connections together with tuners and processing circuitry.

In practical terms, what this means is that cables connecting other components of your system (DVD, HD receiver, recorder and so on) can then be plugged into it and hidden out of sight. All that would be visible will be one cord as a link between the media box and the TV screen.

The trend is towards incorporating as much as possible into the screen housing. Because that includes the sockets, you're likely to end up with a tangle of wires coming down from behind the TV. To avoid this, you can place it on a stand and gather the wires in a cable tidy sleeve or a similar cover.

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