WHEN it comes to televisions there are two types of people: those who understand high definition and those who don't.
Now, with the world's largest sporting event just weeks away, the number of people trying to make sense of all the acronyms, standards and technologies is growing.
Determined to enjoy the delights of Beijing on a shiny new high-definition screen, eager fans are flocking to retailers with credit cards in hand, but when they get there, they quickly realise selecting the right screen is no easy task.
Much of the challenge lies in the fact that, far from being a single technology, HD is actually a group of standards marketed under one name.
Each standard refers to the resolution of the screen and affects the image quality you will get. At the top of the tree are so-called full HD sets that boast resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels.
These are usually called 1080p sets and will deliver the best image quality for live broadcasts, recordings and HD movies.
Next come 1366 by 768 pixel screens. Although still marketed as HD, they offer slightly inferior resolution to their 1080p cousins, but unless the screen is larger than 101.6cnm, you're unlikely to notice much difference.
To confuse things even more, a third standard, based on 852 by 576 pixels, is also marketed as HD.
However, as average screen sizes increase and prices fall, its numbers are dwindling.
Pioneer Electronics spokesman Michael Broadhurst says the television market is evolving rapidly, with most attention focused on full HD screens.
"They are starting to take over and eventually it will get to the stage where all HD screens will be full HD," he says.
A key benefit of opting for full HD is that the screen shows all types of content.
"You'll be able to view everything from standard definition broadcasts right up to full HD movies on Blu-ray," he says.
As well as the further obvious question of whether to choose a plasma or LCD screen (both have their benefits), it's worth checking to see whether the one you select has an inbuilt HD tuner.
Some less expensive models tagged as HD-ready don't have a tuner and will require an external box to display broadcasts from free-to-air television networks.
Another factor is whether to choose a model that makes use of 100Hz technology.
Initially introduced in some high-end models, 100Hz is now making it way down into growing numbers of mid-range devices.
"The 100Hz technology makes a difference to viewing quality as the television is capable of producing a smoother picture," says Ruslan Kogan, managing director of television manufacturer Kogan Technologies. "The importance of the feature depends on the primary use of the television. It is extremely valuable for watching fast-moving images, such as sport and action movies."
Once all those decisions have been made, the final one is how much to pay. HD televisions have plummeted in price in the past 12 months, and keen retailers will slice more off the ticket to get you to part with your cash. For less than $3000, you can expect to have a selection of 127cm 1080p full HD screens to choose from.
If you're happy with 768-pixel model, expect prices to be below $2000. In fact, with a little bargaining you can expect to pick up a 94cm 768-pixel screen for little more than $1000.
When the new set has taken pride of place in the lounge room, the next task is to find material that uses its HD display capabilities to maximum advantage.
For many, this will initially be the Olympic Games.
Olympics broadcaster Channel Seven will use more than 1200 high-definition cameras to broadcast Australia's first totally HD games.
The network is planning some 633 hours of sports broadcasts during the event.
Aside from sport, all Australian free-to-air networks are broadcasting programs in high definition.
For example, on Channel Nine you can watch Today, A Current Affair and The Footy Show in HD, together with dramas such as ER, CSI and Cold Case.
On Channel Ten, you can choose news and AFL broadcasts as well as shows such as House, Torchwood and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Pay-television viewers won't find themselves left out in the cold.
Foxtel's new iQ2box offers the free-to-air HD channels as well as five exclusive HD channels of its own, including National Geographic HD and Discovery HD and a new BBC channel.
The iQ2 is worth considering, if your HD screen doesn't have an inbuilt HD tuner.
Just as colour replaced black-and-white and DVD replaced videotape, HD television will become the norm in the next few years.
In-home entertainment has never looked so bright.
This article from: Australian IT