The biggest revolution in television since the introduction of colour TV is set to kick off this year. It’s about time we had something to get excited about and that something is the introduction of high-definition TV (HDTV), a new technology that delivers pictures with breathtaking levels of detail. In fact, even the lowest-quality HDTV broadcasts have over twice as much picture resolution as the standard TV images we receive today and the best-quality HD pictures are five times as sharp. In fact some actors are said to be concerned that the new format will literally show them warts and all. So it’s good news for TV fans and cosmetic surgeons alike.
Sky opens up to HD
The revolution has now hit Ireland as Sky has started broadcasting a number of HD channels. These channels will offer a range of sports, movies, drama and documentaries. To receive this service you will need a Sky HD set-top box, which costs about €449, as well as an HDTV and subscription of €15 per month on top of their existing Sky Digital subscription. As part of an introductory offer, all new subscribers will get the HD subscription for free.
HD not just for TV
But HD isn’t just limited to TV broadcasts. Soon you’ll be able to buy movies in high definition too. That’s because the next generation of DVD players based on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD technology store video in a high-definition format to deliver pin-sharp visuals and gloriously vivid colour. New consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation 3 also output graphics in high definition.
<p>Are you HD ready?
To be able to view high-definition broadcasts, movies and games you need an HD-ready TV. This means you need a plasma or LCD TV or a video projector with a high enough resolution to do justice to the HD signals. Also required is a suitable video-input socket to connect the HD set-top box to your display. Only component, DVI and HDMI sockets are suitable for carrying HDTV signals – the standard SCART connection is on its last legs.
Get progressive
Three different formats carry HD signals. The first is known as 720p and offers a picture size of 1280 pixels across the screen and 720 pixels down the screen. The ‘p’ stands for ‘progressive’ and means that the picture is drawn all in one go. The second format is called 1080i and has a higher resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. However, the ‘i’ in the name stands for ‘interlaced’ and means that the picture is drawn in two interleaved parts and then stitched together, creating a flickering effect that is invisible to the human eye. The third format is 1080p and also has a resolution of 1920×1090, but as the ‘p’ in the name indicates, it’s a progressive format so the picture is drawn in one go.
1080 all the way
The best HDTV picture quality is provided by the 1080p format. However, it requires a lot of data to be broadcast so won’t be used for normal TV programmes. Instead you will get 1080p signals from movies on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD discs and at least some PlayStation 3 games.
Broadcasters will use either the 1080i or 720p formats or a combination of both. For example, Sky broadcasts its service using a mixture of these two formats. The higher resolution of the 1080i format makes it suitable for showing movies and drama, but because interlacing can introduce some picture distortion during fast-paced action it’s not ideal for sports footage. That’s why football, rugby and other sports are likely to be broadcast using the 720p format.
Underachieving TV sets
That said, most HDTV sets on the market at the moment only have enough resolution to show 720p images. When fed with 1080i signals they downscale the image to fit the screen’s maximum resolution. There are some sets starting to appear that can show 1080i pictures, but generally these displays are more expensive. We’re unlikely to see TVs that can show full 1080p pictures without interfering with the image until next year due to the expensive circuitry needed to process such signals.
High end achievers
For a really high-end HD screen, such as the Philips 37PF9830 that can display 1080i signals, you have to pay a premium price of about €3,500. However, this model will soon be replaced by the 37PF9731D that will have a similar specification, but a lower price of €3,000. That’s significantly more expensive than a similarly sized 720p set. Nevertheless, it does offer absolutely pin-sharp picture quality.
Most people, however, will find the extra detail you get with a 720p set more than impressive enough and prices for 720p sets are much more reasonable. For example, you can pick up the LG 26LX2R 26” LCD TV for under €1,000.
Tumbling prices
Even plasma HDTVs are starting to fall in price. A monster 42” screen such as the LG 42PX5D now costs about €2000, which is significantly cheaper than you would have paid for a similar sized set a year or two ago.
Whatever you choose one thing is for sure: HDTV really is the future so you should be prepared for it. If you’re thinking of buying a new set, look for one with the HD-Ready badge that guarantees compatibility with future HD broadcasts. After all, most people keep their TVs for between five and 10 years and within that time frame HDTV is likely to become the norm.
10 things to look for when buying a HDTV
Make sure you buy a set that supports the HDCP content-protection system. In the future some broadcasts and high-definition movie discs may not work properly on sets that lack support for HDCP.
To display HD broadcasts properly a set must have a horizontal resolution of at least 720 lines.
The easy way to ensure that your set has support for 720 lines and HDCP is to look for the HD-Ready logo. It guarantees that your TV will be compatible with future HD broadcasts.
To see the full benefit of HD it’s best to use a screen of 32” or larger.
In the future more and more devices will connect to TVs via HDMI sockets, so if possible go for a set with more than one of these connectors.
The price of plasma screens is falling. Often you can get a larger screen size for the same money by opting for a plasma rather than an LCD display.
If you can’t afford a plasma or LCD TV in the size you want, don’t forget that there are also cheaper HD-Ready rear-projection sets available.
LCD and plasma screens can suffer from poor contrast performance. We advise that you buy in person and see the set in action to make sure the screen doesn’t look too dark and muddy.
For a real movie experience you could opt for a HD-Ready projector instead of a big-screen TV. Prices start at €1,500.
Cheaper sets have fewer digital-processing features, so although HD broadcasts may look great, standard TV might not look as good as they should.
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