Issue Date: February 18, 2007
Thinking about that HDTV?
Buying a high-definition TV is only Step One. Here's a clear picture of the next crucial steps.
What's the matter, bunky? Everybody on your block seems to have a high-definition TV and you don't?
To get that high-definition picture, you'll also need an HD receiver or an HD antenna to pick up the signal.
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That's all right -- with the usual post-holiday price drop, you're in an even better position to join the horde adopting this technology. According to JupiterResearch, HDTVs will account for 70% of TV sales by 2010. "HDTV is roaring along now," says Scott L. Brown, who is a senior VP at Nielsen Media Research. "There's good content available from broadcasters and premium providers, and with price reductions of 50% about every 15 months, electronics manufacturers are making the viewer's decision to buy increasingly a no-brainer."
Of course, getting the full HD experience isn't as simple as buying a high-definition TV. You still need to have an antenna or a receiver to pick up the high-definition signal. Many cable companies will loan you the receiver. Satellite dish companies make you purchase or lease the receiver. (Both providers charge an extra monthly fee of $5 to $10 for the service.)
Not all shows are broadcast in HD. But the list continues to grow.
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If you're in the market for a souped-up HD receiver, check out the DirecTV Plus HD DVR, or HR20 for short. With a lease price of $299, the receiver easily connects to your TV, much like a traditional cable box, and lets you pause and simultaneously record two programs -- in HD clarity or standard definition -- while playing back a third. The machine has a 320-gigabyte hard drive and an easy-to-use search function for locating programs by category. As a bonus, if the HR20 is connected to a phone line, you'll be able to get caller ID. Yes, when your telephone rings, the caller's name and number appears in a little box at the bottom of the screen.
Although the number of programs available continues to grow, HD is still a new technology dependent upon providers, channels and specific programs. Not all shows are broadcast in high-def, but most providers have HD packages that include premium channels such as HBO, Discovery, ESPN and TNT. The networks are providing much of their prime-time lineups in HD, and Fox presents all of its broadcast sports coverage in HD. Check your on-screen guide for what's playing. Programs that are broadcast in high-definition have an HD icon next to the title.
As standard-definition TVs head for the land of the monophonic record album and the audiocassette, look for creative minds to develop new uses for HD format. For example, Comcast now offers subscribers GalleryPlayer On Demand, a new service that turns your HDTV screen into a digital canvas. With GalleryPlayer, subscribers can view paintings from more than 45 world-class museums, including works from New York's Museum of Modern Art and the Barnes Foundation, that will change every minute and be accompanied by music. Images from nature and space also can be selected. And that's just the beginning.
-- Jamie Malanowski
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