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Demand for bigger televisions with
sharper images and top-quality audio is exploding. Manufacturers
are rushing to meet the demand, which dovetails nicely with congressionally
mandated deadlines for a switch from traditional analog TV signals
to digital TV signals coming in February 2009.
As is the norm with technology,
prices have dropped on high-definition, plasma and flat-panel TVs,
so they've become much more accessible to the average consumer.
And while the technology is still evolving, and will likely become
cheaper still, experts believe that now is not a bad time to buy
if you're in the market for a new TV.
"For a big-ticket item like
a TV, which is used seven hours a day for decades, let's say you
are going to save 10 percent on a $2,000 set by waiting," says
Jonathan Blum, host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Strange
New World." "Be rational. You're forgoing the near-term
experience of watching the Super Bowl in HD -- very cool -- for
future savings that are almost impossible to measure." HD is
TV-speak for high-definition.
As always, there are some devils
in the details. To get the true HDTV picture and sound that will
blow your mind on that wonderful new TV, you've got to have access
to HD content. Virtually all cable TV providers and satellite TV
providers offer HDTV programming, at a price somewhat higher than
regular cable programming.
There's also the perplexing dilemma
of the confusing noise surrounding different types of TVs. Walk
into your local electronics store and you're bombarded by hundreds
of different TVs -- plasma, flat-panel, flat-screen and
big-screen. Before you buy, you need to think about how you'll use
your new TV, where it will go in your house and who will be watching
it.
How digital TV works
For virtually the entire history of television, signals were delivered
via radio frequency waves, known as analog TV. In contrast, digital,
or HDTV, delivers signals through computer code, which screens out
interference and provides a much higher quality picture and audio
than analog.
But this isn't just about consumers
adopting a new technology. It's also about a national transition
to digital TV during which analog TV signals will eventually be
phased out. Congress has set a date of Feb. 17, 2009, as the end
of analog broadcasting.
At that point, most people will
be able to get TV signals, even if they don't have a digital TV,
through cable or satellite providers. The only folks who will be
out of luck are those who still tune their TVs in with rabbit ears,
and they'll need a converter to get signals. (Information about
set-top converters and how to obtain a $40 coupon toward the purchase
of one can be obtained at www.dtv2009.gov.)
Content and information technology providers
are eagerly anticipating mandated digital TV, not only because it
will fuel consumers' desire for more content, but also for the opportunities
to sell new communications equipment to police, fire and rescue
officials across the country. This is because the analog signals
currently used to carry TV signals will be turned over to first
responders to improve communications.
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