Choices Are Everywhere You Turn

Here are some basics on HDTV-compatible sets and DVD players:

Television options- Plasma TV Historically used for the largest TV screens. Comes with some warnings. Its viewing is less magnificent in a well-lit room. It also has a problem called "burn- in" or "ghosting." The chemically produced images from plasmas can burn onto the screen. Plasmas are heavier than LCDs (liquid crystal display) and use twice the electricity, Consumer Reports says.- LCD TV Has no burn-in problem. Also performs better in a highly lit room than a plasma. Consumer Reports warns that some LCDs lose considerable quality when viewed from a side angle. Some models also have difficulty with high-speed image movement. - Consumer Reports summary "Deciding between plasma and LCD TVs used to be fairly easy: plasma for screen sizes 40 inches and up, LCD for smaller. But those distinctions are blurring as 37- to 46-inch LCD sets move into the limelight."- Looks. LCDs and plasmas have similar design. They can be augmentations to a room, or at least not detract from it. They can hang on a wall, and the wiring can be pulled through the space behind it (ideally, into a closet) so no wiring is visible. They weigh considerably less than analog televisions. Research shows 29 percent of flat-screen owners mount them on a wall, according to Quixel Research LLC. The rest use a TV stand or a cabinet.- Rear projection TV. It has the boxy look of the analog TVs but a flat screen. Recommended by Bloomington Circuit City sales staff for dens and basements because it performs well and costs less than LCDs and plasmas but lacks the sleek looks and space economy that the customer usually wants for a more formal room. Drawback is a rapid decline in visibility when trying to see a show from an angle, the sales staff said. Consumer Reports says rear projection sets need more repairs and maintenance than plasmas and LCDs, which perform as reliably as the standard analogs. But CR says extended warranties usually are an unwise expense for all of these HDTV models.- Front projection TV. Used primarily for businesses, the TV mechanism works similar to old movie projectors. The Bloomington Circuit City doesnt have them in store. Quixel said a front projection screen can generate an image size of up to 120 diagonal inches, making it an option for elaborate home theaters.

DVD options

The current, standard DVD works on the new digital TVs. But these DVDs wont play or burn in high-definition quality. They will deliver old, standard resolution onto the new, high-def screens.

The high-definition DVD market currently is locked in a battle between two formats: Blu-ray and HD-DVD. A disc for one wont play in the other.

The incompatible platforms have made buyers and movie studios leery, so sales of the players and availability of movies in high- definition is limited. Industry analysts compare this format war to the Beta vs. VHS competition of the video cassette recorder days.

Videogames have an integral role in the new skirmish. Blu-ray has higher definition - 1,080 pixels to 720 - but HD-DVD is cheaper. Microsofts Xbox 360 players are compatible with HD-DVD but require an additional purchase to play movies, while Sony PlayStation 3 videogame players come with Blu-ray DVD players installed.

In the VCR war, Beta was judged better, but the cheaper VHS format won out. Many industry analysts also expect a clear winner in the high-definition DVD battle.

But its possible both DVD formats could survive, like the Mac and PC formats in home computers. Developments this month make that more plausible. LG announced it would sell a DVD player that uses both formats and Warner Brothers said it would produce discs that run on either player.

(c) 2007 Pantagraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.