HowStuffWorks "TV Buying Guide"

1 of 3

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv-buying-guide13.htm

One Click, and You're In!

Jonathan Strickland recommends the list:

Top 10 Heads That Rolled during theD

Sign In | Join |

Sign in using Facebook

Search HowStuffWorks and the web

Video |

RSS |

Random

Home Adventure Animals Auto Communication Computer Electronics Entertainment Food Geography Health History Home & Garden Money People Science
Cameras & Photography Gadgets Games & Gear Home Audio & Video How-to Tech Personal Audio Phones Solid State Electronics Tech Myths Trade Shows
Home > Electronics > Home Audio & Video > Television > TV Technology

Previous Page

Next Page

TV Buying Guide

Electronics Videos

by Robert Valdes
Print

Cite

Feedback

Share

Recommend (1)

Inside this Article

1. Introduction to TV Buying
Guide

4. Direct View (CRT) TVs

2. One Size Does Not Fit All

6. Flat Panel: LCD

3. What's Your Type?

7. See more

5. Flat Panel: Plasma

More Electronics Videos

Analog vs. Digital

When considering TV types, there is a big distinction between analog and digital. In CRTs, you'll notice a
big price difference between the two. A digital direct-view TV will have much greater resolution than its
analog counterpart. Most digital TVs can display progressive-scan DVDs (480p) and HDTV (usually
1080i) at full resolution. Analog sets cannot.
Analog TVs send a signal telling the television's electron gun how to "paint" lines on the screen. The
problem is that the signal degrades in transmission, affecting the amount of fine detail in the image.
Digital sets send this same information in bit streams (lines of data made up of ones and zeroes). The
advantage is that these digital signals do not degrade, so the picture is much better on a digital set.
You should also consider the source. No matter how much money you spend on a TV, the picture will
only be as good as the source signal it receives. For instance, a DVD will look better on a low-end
television than an analog broadcast antenna signal will look on a high-end HDTV. That is because the
quality of the digital signal sent to the analog set is far superior to the analog signal sent to the digital
HDTV.
Sources break down like this:
Type

Good

Analog cable

Better

Digital cable, Digital satellite

Best

Bidrivals Penny Auction

Buy quality products from $ 1 AUD Australias's best
penny auction!
www.bidrivals.com/au
TV Rental - 99% Approved
Why Rent When You Can Own Free Canon Camera
With Every Deal
www.elementalcomputers.com.au

Rating

Analog

Ads by Google
32 inch tv 's
Change the Way You Watch TV. Models Ranging
from 22" to 70".
www.samsung.com/au

The key when thinking about sources is to match the right TV with the source available to you. For more
details on each, check out How Cable Television Works, How Satellite TV Works, and How Digital
Television Works.
Analog signals received on an analog set will display standard-definition TV and cable with a resolution
you're probably used to seeing. A digital cable signal (like DirecTV or Dish Network) can be displayed on
an analog TV, but it will lose its quality in the conversion from digital to analog.
As of June 2006, all new TV sets 25 inches or larger must be DTV-ready. As of March 2007, the
requirement expands to include all new TVs 13 inches or larger.
Digital signals on a digital TV (DTV) will allow you to watch digital broadcasts and progressive-scan
DVDs at their full quality. In addition, you will be able to watch most hi-def broadcasts. Enhanceddefinition TVs (like plasma TVs) will also benefit from a digital source, but they won't have enough
resolution to do HDTV broadcasts justice.
Hi-def broadcast sources will look best when viewed on an HDTV. Here's a breakdown of source/display
combinations:
Combination

Result

Analog source to analog

TV

Analog picture (good)

Digital Source to analog

TV

Analog picture
(better)

Digital source to digital TV Digital picture (best)

Previous Page

Next Page

09-03-2010 15:31

HowStuffWorks "TV Buying Guide"

2 of 3

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv-buying-guide13.htm

Jonathan Strickland recommends the list:

Top 10 Heads That Rolled during theD

One Click, and You're In!

Sign In | Join

Sign in using Facebook

Installation TODAY. Ph 1300 119 111 TV Antennas, TV Points and Boosters

www.antennainstallationtoday.com.au
Convert Your TV
Convert analogue TV. With a set top box today. Digital TV awaits!
www.digitalready.gov.au
Watch Online Channels
Watch 3500+ Channels Worldwide TV Satellite PC Products Reviewed.
bestinteltv.com

Inside this Article

1. Introduction to TV Buying Guide

13. Front Projection: LCD

2. One Size Does Not Fit All

14. Analog vs. Digital

3. What's Your Type?

15. HDTV Ready?

4. Direct View (CRT) TVs

16. Different Aspects: 16:9 vs. 4:3

5. Flat Panel: Plasma

17. Connectivity: Your TV is Not an Island

6. Flat Panel: LCD

18. Picture Tricks: Judging Picture Quality

7. Rear-Projection: CRT

19. Comb Filters and 3:2 Pulldown

8. Rear Projection: DLP

20. Vertical Compression and Color Temperature

9. Rear Projection: LCD

21. Extras

10. Rear Projection: LCoS

22. Lots More Information

11. Front Projection: CRT

23. See all TV Technology articles

12. Front Projection: DLP

Related Ad Categories
Watch Free Movies
Big Screen TV Reviews
Television

HDTV Television Reviews

Satellite HDTV

Related Content
Explanations
How Television Works
How Home Theater Works
Flat-Panel TV & HDTV Buying Guide

Expert Reviews
LCD TV Reviews
Plasma TV Reviews
DLP TV Reviews

Prices: Electronics Consumer Guides

Thomas Coughlin - Digital
Storage In Consumer
Electronics: The
Essential Guide
Release Date: February 29,
2008
$57.00 - $67.00

Douglas Kinney - A
Beginners Guide to
Consumer Electronics
Repair: Hand Book and
Tutorial
Release Date: September
30, 2006
$10.00 - $19.00

Amit Dhir - The Digital

Consumer Technology
Handbook: A
Comprehensive Guide to
Devices, Standards,
Future Directions, and
Programmable Logic
Solutions
Release Date: February 13,
2004
$72.00 - $72.00

09-03-2010 15:31

HowStuffWorks "TV Buying Guide"

3 of 3

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/tv-buying-guide13.htm

Jonathan Strickland recommends the list:

Top 10 Heads That Rolled during theD

One Click, and You're In!

Sign In | Join |

Sign in using Facebook

Home | Adventure | Animals | Auto | Communication | Computer | Electronics | Entertainment | Food | Geography | Health | History | Home & Garden | Money | People | Science

Company Info | Advertise With Us | Newsletter | Careers | Privacy | Contact Us | Help | Visitor Agreement | RSS | HSW Tools
HowStuffWorks | HSW Brazil | HSW China
1998-2010 HowStuffWorks, Inc.
Video Center | Maps | Consumer Guide Auto | Consumer Guide Products | Make HSW your homepage
Discovery Communications, LLC | Discovery Channel | TLC | Animal Planet | Discovery Health | Science Channel | Planet Green | Discovery Kids
Petfinder | TreeHugger | Military Channel | Investigation Discovery | HD Theater | FitTV | Turbo | Discovery Education
ATTENTION! We recently updated our privacy policy. The changes are effective as of Thursday, October 30, 2008.
To see the new policy, click [here]. Questions? See the policy for the contact information.

09-03-2010 15:31