If you are like me and are really fussy about audio and video equipment then you probably have been also trying to decide if now is the best time to buy a new TV ready for HDTV (and your Xbox 360). Now I'm convinced that everyone should wait for a 1080 set but most sales people disagree and look at me like I dont know what I'm talking about. But at last the media has picked up on their con. Here's an extract for this weekends news coverage:
FAMILIES who have splashed out thousands of pounds on plasma and LCD televisions claiming to be 'HD-ready' face disappointment.
Sets being sold as equipped to deliver the crystal-clear images offered by high definition television are not in fact capable of showing the full detail promised by the new technology. High definition is being hailed as the future of broadcasting. Sky and the cable company Telewest have announced its launch on some channels in the past week and the BBC will offer the format in the World Cup in June. The terrestrial commercial channels are also planning to launch the technology. But most of the large screens currently being sold claiming to be equipped for the switch are only capable of offering less than half the clarity the technology has the potential to deliver. HD broadcasts offer up to two million pixels -, the tiny dots which make up a television picture. But 99 per cent of the 'HD-ready' screens sold to British homes can show only 921,600 pixels, just 44 per cent of the full potential.
The number of pixels is key, because the more there are, the greater the detail of the image. The issue was highlighted by broad- cast electronics expert Brian Robertson who said: 'People are being misled. It is clear to me that the sales people pushing these TVs do not know about this issue themselves. "Most people don't have the time or inclination to investigate the technical specifications of a TV: They see a label on a set such as "HD Ready" and will trust that. However, I think many people will feel conned. They may have paid more than £2,000 for a set which does not deliver the real clarity promised by HDTV:' The result could be that manufacturers and retailers cash in twice from the arrival of HDTV; because soon they will begin advertising the benefits of 'full' HDTV sets which are capable of showing all the two million pixels. Currently there is only one such set widely offered in the UK - the 37in Philips 37PF9830, which sells for around £2,800. Sets from Sharp and others are becoming available. HD pictures are broadcast in 1,080 lines, with 1,920 pixels per line, giving a total of 2,073,600. However, most 'HD-ready' sets sold in Britain have a maximum of 720 lines with 1280 pixels per line, a total of 921,600. Vincent Letang, a broadcast analyst at Screen Digest, confirmed that viewers with 720-line sets will not reap the full benefit of the broadcasts. , "People are not aware of the distinction. I don't think manufacturers will mention it very loudly,' he said. 'The HD-ready label effectively describes an entry-level high definition television. If you don't have a 1080-line television you won't see high definition broadcasts in all their glory.' He said he believed that most people buy the latest slimline LCD and plasma screens as a space-saving fashion accessory. They enjoy the appearance of the box, rather than the quality of the image. Currently, more than 80 per cent of new large TV sets are the slim LCD or plasma screens rather than the old-fashioned big box cathode ray tubes. Dixons has suggested the old fashioned sets will be gone by the end of this year. Many of these sets cost more than £1,500, though the most popular purchases are £800 plus. Last night, Dixons insisted that most consumers would not be able to tell the difference between images on 720-line and 1280-line sets. '
"Our technical experts would defy anyone to see a difference in the clarity,' said a spokesman. He said the difference would only be seen on a new generation of huge 65in TVs which are about to become available. A spokesman for Telewest, which is the first company offering HDTV; said demanding viewers might want to opt for a 1,080- line TV.
I am waiting for more 1080 sets to become available. The Philips & Sharp sets mention do have 1080 lines but there other features fall behind the better 720 sets, things like number of scarts etc...
Anyone who tells you that you cant tell the difference between the two types of telly are either lying or more likely they just havent ever seen the 1080 in action. I know that most of the TV sales guys in the high street havent.
How can losing 56% of the signal detail be a good thing?