Television Buying Guide

Whether you're a rabid sports fan or a dedicated classic movie buff, the quality of your television has a major effect on your home entertainment experience. Today's home televisions range from basic 13-inch models to giant wall-mount plasma screens--and the rise of new technology has created a wave of options like Internet capability, V-chip parental control, and HDTV. Whether you want a TV/VCR combo for your dorm room or a widescreen projection TV as the centerpiece of your home theater, our buying guide will help you understand the TV market.

Overview

TV screens are getting larger, the surrounding boxes are getting smaller, and rabbit ear antennae are all but a thing of the past. Televisions these days come in a wide range of sizes, from personal portable devices with 2-inch screens to sleek screens that hang on the wall like a piece of art to 20-foot projection televisions that can turn a room into a mini movie theater. You can get a decent no-frills set for under $250, or pay upwards of $10,000 for a new high-definition (HDTV) model. In this dawning of the digital era, the acronyms--DSS, DVD, DTV, HDTV--are piling up faster than most of us can plug in. We want you to be able to upgrade your television with confidence--this guide will help you sort through the static.

Screen size

A good rule of thumb is that in general, the bigger the screen size, the more new features will be packed into the set. You're not likely to find a whole lot of options on a 13-inch TV. Keep in mind that you are not necessarily getting better picture quality with a bigger screen; in most cases the quality of the picture depends more on what you are watching, and whether it is being transmitted in the traditional analog format or via a digital signal.

Think carefully about where you plan to put your new TV before you buy. A 36-inch set, no matter how cool it may seem in the store, is going to look ridiculous if it is crammed into a small space. If your room cannot accommodate a large set, it's better to stick with a midsize model and leave some space for furniture.

The shape of the television set is changing as well. Almost every program today is shown in the 4:3 aspect ratio, which has dictated the square-ish shape of most TVs up to now. As more sets begin to incorporate a digital receiver and accommodate the 16:9 aspect ratio--what's commonly called widescreen--screens are becoming more rectangular. Widescreen TVs are currently more expensive than the traditional format, but if you watch a lot of DVD or VHS movies in the widescreen format, they can be worth the extra investment.

Remote control

No matter how basic it is, every television set purchased today should come with a remote control. These devices come in an assortment of sizes and designs, some more thumb-friendly than others. Some remotes only operate the TV; some can simultaneously operate other electronic devices such as the VCR and stereo. A remote that can be used for additional devices is called a universal remote, and it's handy if you don't want to keep track of more than one clicker.

True multimedia hounds can also find an array of remotes (sold separate from any set) that can be programmed to operate just about everything but the coffee maker. You can buy separate remotes with such advanced features as a liquid crystal display, touch screen, animation, automatic back lighting, and a virtual keyboard.

Audio/video plug-ins

A stand-alone television is great if all you want to do is catch broadcast and cable programs when they're scheduled to air. But many users want the option to rent a video, pop in a new DVD, or crank up the sound by connecting their souped-up stereo to their television. If you are planning to hook up one or more other devices--a VCR, DVD player, or stereo system--to your television set, you need to know whether or not the model you're looking at provides input ports. For instance, although they're rare, there are still TVs that you cannot connect a VCR to.

Once you determine that input channels exist, you'll want to know how many there are and where they are located. Manufacturers tend to situate A/V jacks in the lower front right corner on low- and midline models. This configuration makes for easier access, but more difficulty in hiding wires. Higher-end sets usually have A/V jacks in both the front and back.

Picture-in-picture

So you want to watch the NBA championship but your daughter wants to watch the second half of a miniseries? At times like these the family room can turn into a real battlefield. Picture-in-picture, or PIP, can help--this popular feature enables viewers to tune in to a second channel that appears in a small box (you can usually select the placement) while watching another channel on the main screen. PIP is available from most manufacturers on sets 27 inches or larger.

Although running two screens for extended periods can be migraine-inducing and the PIP box is usually too small to provide a satisfactory longtime viewing experience, it is great for checking scores and final plays.

The main thing to keep in mind with PIP is that if your TV has only one tuner--and many do--you'll have to run PIP through your VCR or other peripheral device that has a tuner as well. You can program PIP directly through your television only if the set has more than one tuner.

The V-Chip

You may notice that little red boxes designating ratings of TVY, TV14, TVMA, etc., pop up on-screen from time to time during your favorite shows. These ratings are designed to work with the V-chip, a device housed inside the television that can be programmed to block out shows based on their ratings. The V-chip was initially conceived as an option to be included only in more expensive models, but it is now a government-mandated feature in all televisions.

Effective January 2000, all new sets are required to incorporate the V-chip. In most models, V-chip operation is incorporated into the onscreen programming menu and accessed by using a designated code. While the V-chip can be an important tool for parents, keep in mind that it's only as good as the program ratings are accurate.

Television sound

While many viewers are content with mono sound for most TV programs, those who tend to watch a lot of sports, music programming and movies tend to be a little more selective about the audio aspect of their television. Fortunately there are a wide range of available audio options for everyone from the casual viewer to the audio expert.

As with most features, the larger the screen size, the better the sound options that come along with it. 9-inch and 13-inch televisions generally have one channel of sound and basic noise reduction controls. Sets 20 inches and larger begin to incorporate stereo sound, with two channels of sound and multiple speakers. Larger, more expensive sets offer sound features like MTS (Multi-Channel Television Sound), DTS, or a Dolby Digital 5.1 (AC-3) channel processor, which provides five channels of sound and approaches the audio that you get in a theater.

TVs also offer several levels of treble/bass balance control and video and color noise reduction features. Mid- and high-end sets, for example, offer a feature under a variety of brand names that stabilizes the sound level so you won't notice those annoying spikes in volume when a commercial comes on.

No matter what's going on inside, a big factor in your television's audio performance is how the sound gets out of the box. Sets range from having one built-in speaker in front to a setup with front and back left, central and right speakers, and optional detachable speakers that can be placed around the room. Many also include an earphone jack for those times when no one else in the room wants to listen. Some high-end models also include their own subwoofers, and can pump out 170 watts of sound--enough to rattle the room.

If you are not satisfied with limiting your audio experience to what comes with the TV, many sets offer the ability to connect the box to your own stereo. If you're setting up a higher-end home theater complete with receiver and speaker system, your TV's speakers won't be as important.

Internet access

A lot of us check our e-mail before we pour our morning cup of coffee. For people who like to switch off all thoughts of the computer when they leave the office or don't own a home PC, the ability to check email or surf the Web on the television screen can be useful.

Today the most popular Internet-over-the-television service is Microsoft-owned WebTV, which is compatible with most new sets and can be had by purchasing a separate set-top box. The boxes are manufactured by a number of different companies, including Sony and Philips, with slight differences in design and functionality.

WebTV currently comes in two flavors. The "Classic" model allows Internet access only when you are not watching television. That set-top box sells for about $99, and customers pay $19.95 per month for service, or about what you pay for Internet service over the PC. The "Plus" model lets you surf the Web while watching TV. The box costs about $200 and the monthly service charge is $24.95. Unless you've got a spare keyboard around the house, you'll also need to buy a separate infrared keyboard for about $100, which will let you point and click from the couch.

TV/VCR combos

Are you a Thursday-night regular at your local Blockbuster? Maybe you have a tight counter corner that can't handle a separate television and VCR. If you watch a lot of videos but don't want to clutter your den, bedroom or kitchen with a lot of components and wires, a TV/VCR combination set might be your answer.

These sets generally range in size from 9 to 20 inches. The smaller models are gaining in popularity among parents who use them to keep their kids happy during road trips. Like televisions and VCRs, the quality and functionality of combo units vary widely. You can get a basic model for around $200. A unit with a larger screen, four-head VCR, VCR+ timed recording, universal remotes, and FM/sleep timer will run you more than $500.

Flat-screen televisions

Flat-screen TVs are available in models that can be mounted on the wall for the floor-space-challenged or simply placed against a wall--they offer a depth of only 4.5 inches. Flat-screen TVs are rectangular and look markedly different from your old television.

The video quality benefits of flat-screen televisions will become more obvious as more digital programming becomes available. But several quality differences stand out even with the regular prime-time lineup,. Because the images are being shown on a flat rather than curved screen, the sets offer 160-degree viewing with virtually no glare.

The magic of the sharp picture is that the image is delivered through a plasma display panel (PDP), a much slimmer cousin of the bulky cathode ray tube found in traditional sets. The PDP consists of two glass plates with a 0.1 millimeter space between them through which a special gas filters. The gas emits an electric discharger that generates ultraviolet rays and activates the color we see.

As you might expect, these TVs are all on the expensive side, with prices ranging upward of $10,000.

Going digital

With all the talk of the digital revolution and the marriage of the television and computer, the $64,000 question--or, should we say the $10,000 question, based on current prices--is when to buy a digital television set, and what do you get once you do? The first digital program was broadcast more than a year ago. If you currently subscribe to DirecTV or another direct satellite service, you have already had a taste of digital programming. The reason you might not have noticed is that you can't get digital-quality picture and sound on a traditional, television set, since the digital signal must be converted to analog.

Digital televisions, or HDTVs, are designed to maximize the benefits of digitally transmitted programs. They offer five times the resolution of today's TV and a screen that is one-third wider. The sets are also free of signal noise and accommodate six channels of surround sound.

Aside from getting a crisper, clearer image during certain programs, there are a wide variety of new digital programming options and packages on their way from just about every heavy-hitter in the entertainment and computer industries. Many of these new services--including the ability to create a "personal channel" of all your favorite programs and the ability to rewind and fast-forward programs in real-time--are rolling out initially by way of a separate set-top box. Digital televisions offer the ability to access these services when they become available without the cumbersome extra box.

The catch to buying an HDTV is that there still isn't a whole lot of digital programming available today. The government has set deadlines for when programmers must offer at least some digital programming, but it is going to be well into next year and beyond before viewers can expect to see much variety in digital TV sets.

Before you mortgage the house and race to your local dealer, there is one other thing to keep in mind when considering a digital TV. The picture clarity on an HDTV, while drastically better than on an older set, is more noticeable the closer you are to the television. So if your couch is more than about eight feet away and that huge price difference suddenly seems a little steep, you may want to head back over to the section where the traditional consoles are on sale. Technology is progressing at such a rapid clip that prices on sets with "yesterday's" features are dropping fast--which is great news for consumers who don't necessarily require the latest and greatest to get their TV fix.

Buying guide provided by Amazon.com