# Is HDTV Complex Enough?



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

[_The following article originally appeared in the November 2004 issue HDTVetc magazine._]

*"For about 50 years buying a television set
was a matter of deciding what size of CRT
was good for your family room."*

Some people like to know the HDTV subject in detail before making their purchase; they research an overwhelming volume of technical background and specifications, they feel as earning a PhD in HDTV. However, if you are among the majority of people that want a modern TV and are confused when trying to understand HDTV, you could always apply the simple approach of going to the corner store, amaze your eyes, and sign the check. Is it worth to know well what are you buying? Let us look at both approaches.

The Traditional Approach for Selecting a TV Set

For about 50 years buying a television set was mainly a matter of deciding what size of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) was good for your family room. If you were looking for a screen size larger than 35 inches, it was a matter of finding a rear projection set (RPTV) rather than a direct-view tube. Some people were interested in CRT front-projectors with a big white screen to project the image from far away in a large room, a theater style approach, but the approach was not cheap. The mass market of TV buyers was mostly into the direct-view and rear projection equipment, all in one box solution...

*MORE*


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## Cholly (Mar 22, 2004)

How things have changed in the past 15 months! Granted, the general public is bound to be confused by the terminology, but they just need to make choices as below:
* Type of receiver they want to get: CRT, projection or flat panel. They obviously will have to make subchoices at that point.
* Whether they'll need a set with integrated ATSC tuner or not. They'll only need it for OTA reception. For cable or DBS, they'll only need an HD ready receiver and an HD set top box from their cable or dbs provider.

From there on, it's a matter of shopping for the set they like. (Hopefully, they'll know enough to stay away from EDTV receivers).


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