I’m not a big fan of most advances in technology until I have a few years to get used to them or until my assessed need for a particular advancement surpasses my natural proclivity to avoid the added responsibility and trouble of owning it and learning how to use it. However, there is one item that I felt I had to have as soon as I saw it.
HDTV (High definition Television) in all its forms is simply magnificent. I like all types of TV from sports to sitcoms to reality and I’ve concluded from 3+ years of watching that there simply is no substitute for HDTV.
My personal satisfaction from watching HDTV versus the old technology is derived mostly from my poor eyesight (or at least that’s the excuse I regularly use). Should I apologize for my want to be able to clearly see what I’m watching? I don’t think so. Is it my fault that I can’t see clearly on regular TV’s? Certainly not. So once the technology was available and reasonable priced it was a foregone conclusion what my next big purchase would be.
Before buying my HDTV, I did extensive research on what was the appropriate size and type for my particular needs on review websites such as: http://www.plasmatvbuyingguide.com/plasmatvreviews/plasma-vs-lcd.html and http://reviews.cnet.com/4351-12658_7-6583301.html . I needed a Plasma or LCD because I had a limited area for placement and DLPs were too deep, but DLPs can be a good option for some. From my research it seemed like Plasma had the edge in more of the categories that I was concerned with (picture quality, fast moving video, and cost). In retrospect I cannot say how much I would’ve liked a LCD, but I can say that the Plasma has been great.
Other tips I can pass on from my experience with buying an HDTV are 1, Don’t buy expensive HDMI cables (all accounts that I’ve seen say that $5 ones work just as well as the $50 ones); 2, Beware of free “extras” when buying at an electronics store. I felt like Best Buy was being dishonest with me; 3, Consider buying from Amazon.com because of no sales tax, free delivery, and 30 day price guarantee; and finally, 4, Consider buying a 720p instead of the more expensive 1080i if you’re buying a TV smaller than 50” (you won’t be able to tell the difference and they cost quite a bit less).
I highly recommend a HDTV for anyone who enjoys watching TV. I’m not sure if I should be proud of saying this, but HDTV and DVR have changed my life. And I’ll tell you how awesome DVR is next week.
Jim's Blog 