Norvado HDTV Buying Tips
Customers have asked us for advice on buying High-Definition TVs. Here are some great, free tips to make sure you get the best High-Definition TV for optimal viewing pleasure.
1. Genuine HDTV? A minimum of 1280 x 720 pixels – or little points of light – means you’re in genuine HDTV waters, while EDTVs (enhanced definition TV) offer lower resolutions. Make sure you go with true HDTV. And absolutely make sure the set has at least one HDMI connection port that supports 1080p and supports HDCP, the connection and protocol that guarantees you’ll be able to plug in a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player, as well as receive and view copy protected broadcasts. This is one area where you don't want to have regrets later.
2. Slim is in. The popular plasma type HDTVs tout generally “truer blacks” when it comes to contrast, while LCD, which costs more per inch, is typically brighter. LED TVs are slim, with an excellent picture, but cost more than LCD and Plasma TVs. Consider an HDTV projector if you want to fill a whole wall. Plasma TVs look great in rooms with little light but when putting a TV in a brighter room, select an LCD (or LED TV).
3. My favorite movie. Test drive potential HDTV purchases with your own DVD. Colorful, fast-moving titles like Pirates of the Caribbean work best. Pay special attention to the set's ability to handle quick action without the picture breaking up. A faster “response rate” means no blocky pixels when watching the Super Bowl. And be ready for a little shocker: Channels that are not broadcast in HD won’t look very pretty and some will look downright ugly, because the poor quality of standard broadcast gets magnified by your new, super-sharp screen.
4. How High is "High"? Cable channels that offer HD generally broadcast in 720p, which is great quality, while some transmit in 1080i, which is even higher, though many debate whether it’s actually better. Most HDTVs offer some or all of these resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.
5. Tune in or out? To grab free, local, high-def network channels over the air with an antenna, make sure your HDTV has a built-in tuner. For beyond-basic cable or satellite subscribers, consider an HDTV-capable “display” or “monitor,” which leaves out the built-in tuner to save some bucks.
6. Good connections. While most HDTVs have component (red, green and blue) video inputs to connect to your cable, satellite tuner and DVD player, double check to make sure. Two or more sets of inputs means no swapping cables between cable and DVD and Xbox 360, for instance. Also, as we stated earlier, make sure your new HDTV has at least one HDMI input with HDCP support – the connection and anti-piracy combo that future-proofs your purchase for years to come. If you can find a TV with three HDMI inputs, and it meets all your other shopping criteria, go for it.
7. Plugging in. Connect your gear together using the highest resolution connections possible. DVI/HDMI is highest, followed by component, S-Video, plain Video-in, and finally the lowliest of low-quality lows, old-fashioned Coax. HDTV cable and video games require at least the component connection, while hi-def Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will plug in to the HDMI port for the highest resolution possible.
8. Wide or Not. You can choose between showing bars on either side of a non-widescreen program so that the image looks correct, or you can zoom it to fill the screen. But doing so will squash and widen people and objects. Experiment with the TV’s remote, and your cable or satellite box’s remote, to attain the best look.
9. Make Adjustments. HDTVs ship from the factory with the settings cranked up high in order to show off on the showroom floor. At home, kick things down a few notches by choosing the built-in picture preset settings like “Sports,” or “Vivid,” or “Natural.” Tune to a program with dark and light scenery (or use a DVD) to help find the picture-perfect balance.
10. Surrounded by Sound. Now that you’re feasting your eyes on a super hi-def picture, don’t forget the sound. HDTV boasts Cineplex-like surround sound – provided you have a receiver and speaker system to hear it. Those “Home Theater in a Box” systems have DVD players built-in, or consider a separate receiver and speaker system if you plan to buy a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player. And make sure to use the “optical” or “digital audio” sound outputs from your HDTV cable or satellite or video game box when you connect to the receiver – that way, you’re sure to be surrounded by the best possible sound around.
1. Genuine HDTV? A minimum of 1280 x 720 pixels – or little points of light – means you’re in genuine HDTV waters, while EDTVs (enhanced definition TV) offer lower resolutions. Make sure you go with true HDTV. And absolutely make sure the set has at least one HDMI connection port that supports 1080p and supports HDCP, the connection and protocol that guarantees you’ll be able to plug in a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player, as well as receive and view copy protected broadcasts. This is one area where you don't want to have regrets later.
2. Slim is in. The popular plasma type HDTVs tout generally “truer blacks” when it comes to contrast, while LCD, which costs more per inch, is typically brighter. LED TVs are slim, with an excellent picture, but cost more than LCD and Plasma TVs. Consider an HDTV projector if you want to fill a whole wall. Plasma TVs look great in rooms with little light but when putting a TV in a brighter room, select an LCD (or LED TV).
3. My favorite movie. Test drive potential HDTV purchases with your own DVD. Colorful, fast-moving titles like Pirates of the Caribbean work best. Pay special attention to the set's ability to handle quick action without the picture breaking up. A faster “response rate” means no blocky pixels when watching the Super Bowl. And be ready for a little shocker: Channels that are not broadcast in HD won’t look very pretty and some will look downright ugly, because the poor quality of standard broadcast gets magnified by your new, super-sharp screen.
4. How High is "High"? Cable channels that offer HD generally broadcast in 720p, which is great quality, while some transmit in 1080i, which is even higher, though many debate whether it’s actually better. Most HDTVs offer some or all of these resolutions: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.
5. Tune in or out? To grab free, local, high-def network channels over the air with an antenna, make sure your HDTV has a built-in tuner. For beyond-basic cable or satellite subscribers, consider an HDTV-capable “display” or “monitor,” which leaves out the built-in tuner to save some bucks.
6. Good connections. While most HDTVs have component (red, green and blue) video inputs to connect to your cable, satellite tuner and DVD player, double check to make sure. Two or more sets of inputs means no swapping cables between cable and DVD and Xbox 360, for instance. Also, as we stated earlier, make sure your new HDTV has at least one HDMI input with HDCP support – the connection and anti-piracy combo that future-proofs your purchase for years to come. If you can find a TV with three HDMI inputs, and it meets all your other shopping criteria, go for it.
7. Plugging in. Connect your gear together using the highest resolution connections possible. DVI/HDMI is highest, followed by component, S-Video, plain Video-in, and finally the lowliest of low-quality lows, old-fashioned Coax. HDTV cable and video games require at least the component connection, while hi-def Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players will plug in to the HDMI port for the highest resolution possible.
8. Wide or Not. You can choose between showing bars on either side of a non-widescreen program so that the image looks correct, or you can zoom it to fill the screen. But doing so will squash and widen people and objects. Experiment with the TV’s remote, and your cable or satellite box’s remote, to attain the best look.
9. Make Adjustments. HDTVs ship from the factory with the settings cranked up high in order to show off on the showroom floor. At home, kick things down a few notches by choosing the built-in picture preset settings like “Sports,” or “Vivid,” or “Natural.” Tune to a program with dark and light scenery (or use a DVD) to help find the picture-perfect balance.
10. Surrounded by Sound. Now that you’re feasting your eyes on a super hi-def picture, don’t forget the sound. HDTV boasts Cineplex-like surround sound – provided you have a receiver and speaker system to hear it. Those “Home Theater in a Box” systems have DVD players built-in, or consider a separate receiver and speaker system if you plan to buy a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player. And make sure to use the “optical” or “digital audio” sound outputs from your HDTV cable or satellite or video game box when you connect to the receiver – that way, you’re sure to be surrounded by the best possible sound around.
