HDTV Basics

You may not be thinking about buying a new TV. But some time in the future, you will. And that time may be much closer than you realize. When the time comes, what will you Need to Know about Digital-HDTV?Buying a new television today involves more than just a quick trip to your local electronics Super Store. Shopping for a Digital-HDTV can be compared to entering a 'labyrinth' of such complete confusion, even the great 'Houdini' would be challenged to find his way through it.So numerous are the decisions confronting today's unsuspecting and unprepared consumer, just trying to navigate through this complex maze can be a daunting experience. However, many of these frustrations can be avoided by doing some homework before hand.

What this means for the consumer is - ‘Know … Before You Go'.KNOW what Digital TV is … and is Not. KNOW what the Digital TV Transition is … and how it affects you.KNOW that HDTV is ‘different' from All other television formats … and How. KNOW what YOU want - so you're not Sold something YOU don't want!

But Where To Start?That's why HDTVInfoPort is HERE …By providing reliable and useful information, to enable YOU to make informed buying decisions.And since YOU, too, are HERE …This is Your Starting Place…

Consumer Choices

To start, let's look at some of the different options you have;and a few of the first decisions you will make.TV Classifications:

NTSC Analog TV - (National Television Standards Committee), Traditional TV; now being phased out.

ATSC Digital TV - (Advanced Television Standards Committee), DTV; This is "SDTV" - Standard Definition TV - the new, (digital) TV Standard; replaces NTSC Analog TV.

Integrated HDTV - or simply, HDTV; DTV with an Internal (built-in) High Definition TV Receiver.This is able to Receive and Display all ATSC TV Signals - Including HDTV Signals.

Digital-HDTV-‘Capable' or 'Ready'- Digital TV that is able to DISPLAY HDTV - BUT ONLYwith the addition of an EXTERNAL HDTV Receiver.