(Aiken Standard Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 23--While visions of sugar plums dance in everyone's head this holiday season, so do visions of flat panel, high-definition televisions.

Not only does a flat panel television lend a certain aesthetic to any room -- as opposed to the old, space-consuming tube sets -- high-definition sets wow viewers with unparalleled picture quality and clarity of sound. The experience is theater quality because HDTV uses Dolby Digital to support surround sound. In short, HDTV is bigger, flatter, sharper and brighter.

"You're buying an experience, not just a piece of equipment," said Brian Lucas, Best Buy spokesperson. "(Buyers want HDTV this Christmas) because they're thinking about making it a family gift. It doesn't just give you fleeting enjoyment. They can have family movie nights or enjoy social gaming like Nintendo Wii."

More people are considering HDTVs because prices have come down quite a bit, too, as demand has risen. A 32-inch LCD HDTV can be found for as little as $600.

"But you need to have the right source for high-definition going into it," Lucas said.

Not to worry. The Aiken Standard has simplified everything you need to know about HDTV, the 2009 digital conversion and Blu-ray.

What you'll need:

1. A high definition television

2. An HDTV source

3. HDTV channels

Types of HDTV

4Plasma (flat panel): Images are produced by xenon and neon gases contained in hundreds of cells between two plates of glass. Since it has a glass screen, a plasma TV is not recommended for rooms with lots of natural light. It offers wider viewing angles so plasma TVs are preferred for displaying fast action. Sizes start at 37 inches and go up to larger than 65 inches.

- Liquid crystal display or LCD (flat panel): Liquid crystal is sandwiched between layers of glass or plastic and becomes opaque when electric current passes through it. Sizes start as small 13 inches and go up to larger than 65 inches.

HDTV source

- Antenna: All HDTVs sold since March 2007 include built-in tuners, which lets them receive high-definition broadcasts over the air. So if you're buying a new TV this season you'll have your source. But, if your TV does not have a built-in tuner, you need an external source like a converter box or satellite.

- HD coverter box: Available for rent from your cable provider. Or, an alternative is the TiVo HD. Users buy the TiVo equipment and pay a monthly subscription fee.

- Satellite: Two companies who provide satellite service are DirecTV and Dish Network.

- DirecTV: To get DirecTV's MPEG-4 channels, you'll need an H20 or H21 HD receiver, or an HR20 or HR21 high-definition DVR, as well as a dish that can receive signals from five different orbital positions.

- Dish Network: For MPEG-4 HD service, you'll need an MPEG-4-compatible satellite dish and a receiver or DVR.

HDTV channels

The major broadcast networks -- like ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC -- offer almost all their scripted prime-time shows in high definition on their HD channels. HBO, ESPN and Discovery offer high-definition channels, too. But, some networks are still in standard definition and not all HD channels show all programs in HD.

Guide to HDTV formats

- Format of high definition

- 1080 vs. 720

- The numbers denote horizontal scan lines, also known as vertical resolution

- I vs. P

- I denotes interlaced in which first the odd, then the even lines of each frame are drawn alternately, while P denotes progressive scan in which all lines of each frame are drawn in a sequence

Which Size HDTV is Right for Your Room?

- Viewing distanceMin SizeMax Size

4 ft. or 48 in.19 in.32 in.

6 ft. or 72 in.26 in.46 in.

8 ft. or 96 in.32 in.63 in.

10 ft. or 120 in.40 in.80 in.

12 ft. or 144 in.46 in.96 in.

14 ft. or 168 in.52 in.112 in.

TV Price Points

*precise prices vary depending on store, size, brand and other factors

Wal-Mart

30 to 39-inch LCD/Plasma HDTV$400 -- $750

40 to 49-inch LCD/Plasma HDTV$600 -- $1,400

50-inch and larger LCD/Plasma HDTV$980 -- $2,000

Best Buy

30 to 39-inch Flat-Panel LCD/Plasma HDTV$500 -- $3,000

40 to 49-inch Flat-Panel LCD/Plasma HDTV$700 -- $5,500

50 to 59-inch Flat-Panel LCD/Plasma HDTV$1,000 -- $5,300

Target

30 to 39-inch Flat-Panel LCD HDTV$550 -- $1,400

40 to 49-inch Flat-Panel LCD/Plasma HDTV$700 -- $3,000

50 to 59-inch Flat-Panel LCD HDTV$1,450 -- $4,000

Digital Conversion

- Effective Feb. 17, 2009

- Networks will permanently turn off all analog broadcasts and broadcast exclusively in digital

- If you have cable from a paid provider or satellite TV company

- You're OK and don't need to do anything

- If you have free, over-the-air programming and a ...

- Integrated DTV set (all TVs sold as of March 1, 2007 contain digital tuners)

- You need a roof-mounted antenna to watch digital TV

- Analog set

- You need a digital-to-analog converter box to attach to your TV

Blu-ray

- Blu-ray is a next generation optical disc format

- HD video capabilities

- Recording

- Rewriting

- Playback

- Five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs, or 50 gigabytes.

- This new format uses a blue-violet laser to read information, hence the name Blu-ray.

- Currently supported by roughly 200 consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. Also supported by all Hollywood studios as a successor to today's DVD format.

- Blu-ray and HDTV

- HDTVs aren't required to view Blu-ray media, but you won't get that high-definition experience

- Blu-ray players are required to view Blu-ray media

- Consumers should upgrade to Blu-ray from DVD if they want that HDTV experience -- an incredibly sharp picture and vivid colors.

- Blu-ray is expected to co-exist with DVDs for some time until HDTVs become more widespread.

To see more of the Aiken Standard or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.aikenstandard.com/.

Copyright (c) 2008, Aiken Standard, S.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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