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Macro Gadgets, Pt. 2: More on HDTV |
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Dr. Samuel Says -
New Toys
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Written by Dr. Samuel Centralia, Ph.D., D.D.S., Esq.
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Monday, 10 March 2008 |
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We start this week with a follow-up to last week's post on digital TV. Having since finished my research and made a purchase, I thought it would be nice to provide some resolution (sorry…) to the issue. Or at least a clearer picture on the state of consumer HDTV. (It's not my fault. These terrible word choices just keep happening….)
As I mentioned last week, because I am not used to the retail
environment, I opted to bring along my favorite lab rat, Edison. He's
better with math, anyway. We went out to the local big box store and
came back with a brand-new 32-inch LCD flat-panel HDTV. (Memo to the
federal government: Please note my contribution to the economic
stimulus strategy.) A few things to note, in terms of nomenclature:
 First off, virtually all plasma or LCD TVs on U.S. retail shelves are HDTVs.
There are some that aren't, but you really have to hunt for them. That
is to say, if you're looking to buy an LCD or plasma (or even a
rear-projection) TV; it's already HDTV.
Second, all HDTV displays come in the "letterbox" 16:9 ratio, rather
than the old-school 4:3 dimensions. This is a good thing. 16:9 is the
preferred aspect ratio for movies, and in addition is the ratio of all
the other HD content you'll ideally be viewing through your system --
sporting events, most prime-time programming, high-end Amsterdam "art
films," etc.
Third, just because you have an HDTV doesn't mean what you're watching
is high-definition, either in terms of video or audio. Standard
broadcast or cable channels are not going to look or sound any better
through your HDTV. However, if you're getting the HDTV source feed,
cable or broadcast, then you're going to see and hear what the fuss is
all about. Pretty much anything on DVD is going to look better, too.
There's quite a bit more to dig into, and we will, in what is likely
emerge as an occasional series on HDTV here in the Doc Sam corner. In
any case, now that the system is up and running, the lab rats are
having the time of their lives. They keep hacking into the lab network
and Netflix'ing "Animal Planet" compilations. We're not getting any
work done at all….
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