HD Ignorance Is Not Bliss! What Are Ten Things I Should Know About HDTV?

I have written many HDTV posts but have failed to provide an overview of oft misunderstood terms and high-definition subjects. In order to help shed light on these concepts, here are ten things that everyone should know about HDTV:

1. There are three major benefits that the HDTV format brings. Besides a lighter wallet and a slight headache, your HDTV setup should give you these main features: First, you’ll experience high resolution that provides great picture detail. The screen and content will have at least 720 lines of resolution. This is superior to standard or enhanced definition (DVD quality), which only has 480 lines of resolution. Second, you’ll have a widescreen format similar to a theater experience. HDTV content is presented in a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is wider than your older, boxier televisions. Lastly, HDTV uses 5.1 surround sound output. The sound content will be divided among five speakers plus a sub-woofer. These speakers include the left, center, and right channel as well as two addtional speakers at the back of the room.
   
   
2. Not all flat panels are HDTVs and not all HDTVs are flat panels. If you're a little confused by that statement, keep in mind that two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do. Flat panel televisions are those ultra-thin televisions that are typically no thicker than four inches. The plasma and LCD technologies currently dominate the flat panel market. While most flat panels are high definition, there are still some available as an inferior enhanced definition television (EDTV). Additionally, there are many HDTVs that are not flat panels. Microdisplays are not as thin as flat panels but at 10” to 18” in depth, they are much shallower than the old picture tubes. These microdisplays include DLPs, LCD Projections, and LCoS televisions. For more information on these HDTV types, read High Def Alphabet Soup.
   
   
3. Not all features are created equal, so be careful when comparing. Michael Jordan and I both have vertical leaps of 42 (inches for Jordan and centimenters for me). That comparison is similar to ones made on HDTVs. First, not all HD is the same. There are three popular high definition resolutions, all improvements over the 480-line enhanced definition resolution that DVDs provide. The 720p resolution is a progressive scan that renews all of its 720 lines each refresh. The 1080i resolution, similar in quality to 720p, uses an older interlaced scan that refreshes only half of its 1080 lines at a time. The 1080p resolution (also called Full HD) has a superior 1080-line progressive scan resolution that delivers more than twice the number of pixels as 720p. Due to its enhanced resolution, 1080p Full HD commands a premium price tag in the retail marketplace. Additionally, be careful when reading manufacturer specifications on contrast ratios. A dynamic contrast ratio looks at the brightest vs. darkest points over time, but the static contrast ratio evaluates this difference at a snapshot in time. Although manufacturers may not explicitly state which ratio is being referenced, very high dynamic contrast ratios are easier to achieve than static ones. An outstanding static contrast ratio is 1,500:1, while it is not unusual to see a dynamic contrast ratio over 10,000:1. This may help you decipher misleading figures and help compare apples to apples (or PCs to PCs, for those who prefer virus infested equipment).
   
   
4. When selecting a type of HDTV, don’t rely on old reputations. Did accusations of fuel tank explosions unfairly ruin the reputation of the Ford Pinto? Okay, so maybe that's a bad example. A better example of old reputations, however, has plagued the plasma television. Plasma was the first flat panel to hit the market and originally had issues with burn-in and longevity. Today, most high quality plasmas use techniques to avoid burn-in and have life expectancies similar to LCDs. Additionally, projection DLP televisions have had problems with “rainbows” appearing during quick movements. This problem has been addressed on newer models through the use of higher speed color wheels. Yesterday’s information can become today’s myth. Recent research is your best bet. Again, for more information on the various HDTV types and their respective advantages, refer to High Def Alphabet Soup.
   
   
5. The pricey Full HD 1080p resolution isn’t always the best bet. When I gave a friend a coat hanger to help retrieve keys from a locked car, I cautioned him not to break a window. He told me that wouldn't be an issue because all of the windows were rolled down. Lesson: although we try to help, it sometimes just doesn't matter. A person with 20/20 vision that views a 50” television at 10 feet away will likely be unable to see a difference between 720p and 1080p. Viewing a 60” television, however, increases the size enough that a 1080p resolution will likely be distinguishable. Viewing distance and television size play an important role in determining if there is any benefit to a Full HD 1080p screen. Keep in mind that an investment in Full HD is an investment in the future. Currently there are no HD television broadcasts in 1080p so the only way to benefit from this higher resolution is through specially marked HD-DVD players, Blu-Ray players or games for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. For a more detailed explanation of screen sizing considerations, as well as a lookup table for viewing distances and recommended screen resolutions, take a look at Size Matters.
   
   
6. The type of cable connection used is important, but it doesn’t have to be costly. When I bought my car, I paid an extra $500 for helium-filled tires. Lighter weight and better fuel economy sounded like a good idea but my spare tire flew away when I let go of the string. Lesson: don't fall for helium tires - and don't fall for expensive cables. There are three good choices for HD video signals. The three-wire component video cable transfers an analog signal, while HDMI and DVI cables transfer digital signals. The only difference between the two digital cables is that HDMI also carries 6-speaker sound signals in the same single cable. While individual circumstances determine whether component or HDMI/DVI provides better picture quality (you should give each a try), HDMI/DVI are the only cables to support Full HD 1080p resolution. Additionally, the analog component cabling is susceptible to signal quality deterioration due to quality of the cable, length of the run, or splitting. For the digital cables, however, The TV either receives the signal or it does not. Any qualified HDMI/DVI cable will provide optimal, lossless picture quality, regardless of price. There is no need spend a lot here, especially if you have moderate runs of cable.
   
   
7. Placing an HDTV in your home does not mean that everything you watch will have crystal clear detail. HDTV has tremendous capabilities, but it can't provide a quality picture from a poor source any more than a Porsche can perform with water in its fuel tank. Due to the increased size and pixel count of most HDTVs, a standard definition signal will look poor and all imperfections will become very visible. To get an HD signal from your satellite or cable provider you need to subscribe to their HD service. Keep in mind that not all channels will be in HD and those HD channels may not play HD programs all of the time. Depending on your location, you can also get local channels in HD over-the-air (i.e. from an antenna). Although standard DVDs are not in HD, they can look pretty darn good using an upconverting DVD player that translates the image to near-HD. The HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players, however, are your best bet for true HD movies on disc. For gaming, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have HD output, but Nintendo’s Wii does not. Remember that component, HDMI, or DVI cables are needed to carry that HD signal (you won’t get it from a composite or s-video cable) and HDMI and DVI are required for 1080p. Without an HD source or HD cabling, you're just putting water in the fuel tank. For more, read Hi Def Jam.
   
   
8. A widescreen television will not eliminate all black bars. Although this is what I have termed a "pain in the aspect," it's important to understand why black bars appear. The aspect ratio of HDTV is 16:9, which means that for every 16 units wide, the screen is 9 units high. If you have an HD programming source (i.e. satellite, cable, or over-the-air), the HD programs will fit perfectly on your new HDTV display. Most television programming, however, is still in standard definition and the boxier 4:3 aspect ratio. This will give black bars at the side. Additionally, movies are typically shot using wider 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratios. These movies will have black bars at the top and bottom of an HDTV. Zooming or stretching the image can eliminate the black bars, but you should be aware of the mismatch in aspect ratios and distorted images. Visit my earlier post, Pain in the Aspect, for more detail on the subject.
   
   
9. Surround sound is part of the HDTV package. Most ladies won't purchase a new dress without new pumps to complete the package. The same accessorizing should be done when creating your high definition home entertainment system. Don’t forget to include an audio receiver capable of 5.1 surround sound output that comes with HDTV. Most HDTV sources will send sound output to five speakers plus a sub-woofer (for deep base sounds). The HDMI cable connectivity not only passes an HD video signal, but a 5.1 surround sound signal, too. All of this is contained in the single cable, making it the connection method of choice. Using an HDMI cable to connect an HD cable/satellite box to an audio receiver and then to your HDTV will likely bring superior video and sound to your television viewing experience. It also allows the receiver to facilitate video switching between many sources (cable, satellite, video games, over-the-air, DVD, PC, etc.) for those TVs with limited inputs. The receiver can really be those purple pumps that complete the appearance. Look for a future post from me regarding receivers with this capability.
   
   
10. You should place the TV as close to eye-level as possible. Ergonomically speaking, you don’t want SPS (short person syndrome), a phenomenon resulting from having to look up for extended periods of time. This means that mounting your plasma above the fireplace will likely have results similar to exhaustively comparing HDTVs: a royal pain in the neck. For most situations, the middle of your television screen should be around four feet off the floor. If you have a large viewing distance, you can get a little higher. Additionally, a projection television such as a DLP, LCD Projection, or LCoS gives its best picture when viewed from eye-level. While these projection televisions have a broad side-to-side viewing angle, their picture deteriorates quickly when viewed vertically off-center. More viewing angle information is provided in High Def Alphabet Soup.

High-Def Alphabet Soup: PDP LCD DLP LCoS! What is the Best Type of HDTV for Me?

So, you want to buy an HDTV? I sometimes think it is easier to buy a car than a new television. All cars use the same type of internal combustion engine and adhere to measurement standards that allow for comparison (i.e. horsepower and gas mileage ratings). In the HDTV arena, things seem to be mushier. Some manufacturers will decide to publish viewing angles and brightness measures…and others will not. Attributes like picture quality and color vividness are just plain difficult to measure and communicate. Additionally, a manufacturer may list a contrast ratio, but fail to mention whether it is a dynamic or static. I can’t decide if comparing televisions is more like herding cats or nailing Jell-o to a tree. But that is not going to stop me from trying to establish some basic guidelines to compare types of HDTVs. Just keep in mind that there is no replacement for your own first-hand evaluation of any television's picture.

The one part that I will spare you is all of the behind-the-scenes, didn’t-need-to-know, I-couldn’t-care-less detail of how each technology works. I’ll skip over the details of how electricity between plates of glass will excite gases to a state of flatulence, emitting a spectrum that is tantalizing to the senses. Most folks don’t need to know that millions of mirrors the size of flea dandruff turn on hinges that are thinner than a pubic hair and reflect light in a bazillion colors ranging from back-of-the-throat mucus green to falling-off-a-cliff-to-my-death pale yellow. I will spare you the detail. You will thank me.

Another thing to understand is that evaluating TV types is like playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with the donkey on a racing car. The moving target requires constant re-evaluation. Each of the five HDTV types discussed here have distinct advantages and disadvantages, but manufacturers work to address these issues and improve upon prior models. The plasmas have addressed their prior burn-in issues. Newer LCDs will start having new features to improve motion clarity. DLPs have worked to eliminate its rainbow effect. Yesterday’s rules of thumb can quickly turn into today’s myths.

Flat Panel: PDP & LCD
Let us start our discussion with the cream of the crop, the flat panel televisions. If you want a wall-mountable television (or just something really thin), then Plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display) will do the trick at about 4 inches of thickness. Both continue to improve upon their deficiencies, making the differences noted here smaller than ever. Plasma Display Panels (PDP) generally have deeper blacks and better color, but LCD TVs are brighter, making them better choices for well lit rooms. LCD televisions display static images better and continue to be the choice for PC connectivity. Quick motion display, on the other hand, is typically better on the plasma. At the last Consumer Electronics Show, however, many manufacturers showed interpolation methods to improve motion clarity on LCDs. In the near future, look for features like Clear Motion (JVC), Natural Motion (Philips), and – the award for the longest name – Motion Compensation Frame Interpolation (Samsung and Sharp). While LCDs are more prevalent for TVs 37" and under, Plasmas are still more popular in the over-60" range. The sweet spot of the market, displays of the 42" to 50" size, is where the greatest competition exists between the two technologies.

Rear Projection: DLP, LCD Projection, LCoS
If keeping your wallet fat is more important than making your television ultra-thin, then rear projection televisions may be the best option for you. These may be deeper than flat panels, but at 11" to 18" in depth, they are much shallower than your father's rear projection. Three main technologies dominate: DLP, LCD projection, and LCoS. While each has advantages and disadvantages, the DLP (digital light processing) appears to have the slight edge with deeper blacks, a good display of motion, and great capability of displaying still images from a PC. This technology from Texas Instruments, is the one touting millions of tiny little mirrors. Additionally, DLPs continue to dominate the very large 60”+ market. In the past, DLPs have been plagued by "rainbows", infrequent color streaks seen by some viewers. Newer DLP models with high speed color wheels have addressed this problem. LCD projection televisions have grown in popularity and are very price competitive near the sweet spot. The LCD's "screen door effect", a phenomenon where you can see the space between the image pixels, is only seen up close and will diminish with 1080p output. The LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology has been sporadically used among manufacturers, and now has been rebranded as SXRD (Sony) and HD-ILA (JVC). With only these two major manufacturers left, LCoS has been kept out of the limelight. It is hard to go wrong with a good quality set using any of these technologies. They have all come a long way and provide outstanding pictures.

Viewing Angle
Besides console depth, one of the biggest differences between flat panels and rear projection TVs is the viewing angle. This term describes how far off-center you can view the television before you start to see deterioration of the image color and brightness. Plasmas and LCDs have horizontal viewing angles around 178° (note: be suspicious of any figures greater than 180° - this means that you see a good image when you sit behind the screen). The rear projection models suffer in this area, with horizontal viewing angles in the range of 130° to 160°. This, I argue, may be good enough for just about anyone. Any viewing position beyond this range just sucks anyway. If you are sitting at the outskirts of a 120° view, your image is significantly distorted, appearing to be half the width of an image viewed from the front (see graphical illustration). Any horizontal viewing position beyond the capability of TVs described here is just a poor place to watch HDTV.

The viewing angle of greater concern is the vertical viewing angle. For plasmas and LCDs, this continues to hover around 176°. This means you can practically have the TV hanging from the ceiling directly above you and you will see a colorful, bright picture (albeit scrunchy from the angle at which you are viewing). The rear projections, however, start to have significant deterioration 20°-30° above horizontal (i.e. a 40°-60° total viewing angle). At a viewing distance of 8 feet, that can be as little as 3 feet above eye level. Ideally, for ergonomic reasons, you want the TV to be as close to eye level, anyway. In making your decision, however, you need to keep in mind that rear project televisions have limitations on how high the TV can sit.

The Chart
Below is a chart that summarizes the main features of HDTVs and their relative ranking among the television types. Black level and brightness help make up the contrast ratios. Be careful when reading manufacturer specs on contrast ratios. A dynamic contrast ratio looks at the brightest vs. darkest points over time, where the static contrast ratio evaluates this for a snapshot in time. Very high dynamic contrast ratios are easier to achieve than static ones. An outstanding static contrast ratio may be 1,500:1, while it is not unusual to see a dynamic contrast ratio over 10,000:1. The criteria "XL Sizes" refers to the ability of the technology to delivery very large (60"+) televisions. Lastly, the "Price/Size" attribute describes how large of a screen you can buy with your dollar, regardless of other features. An overall rating is provided with all criteria given equal weighting.
Conclusion
While the bottom line of the chart shows the plasma technology on top, this is obviously using my choice of criteria and scaling of attribute differences. [Added 07/11/07: My opinion is not isolated, however, as CNETs Best HDTVs Overall had Plasmas in 6 of the top 10 spots.] It is often more useful, however, to consider your particular application and determine which criteria are important for your environment. For example, something as simple as wall mounting would eliminate the DLP technology from consideration. So with your own criteria and the knowledge gathered here, maybe you can make a little more sense of the high-def alphabet soup and create an informed buying decision.

Size Matters! How Big Should My New HDTV Be?

I can still remember growing up in a Chicago suburb in the late 1970s with our own version of home theater. To have the true theatrical experience, we sat about 2 feet from the television, giving us the illusion that the image on the screen was really large. Playing the video game Pong was like watching a tennis match, requiring our heads to turn back and forth. Looking back, this provided a valuable lesson today on how to determine the proper screen size. While new high definition resolutions are important, one must also consider viewing distance as a major part of the home entertainment equation.

In Support of a Larger TV
There are good reasons to believe that upgrading to a high definition television justifies a larger screen. Going from a standard definition television to a widescreen HDTV will require a 22% larger screen to support the broader image while maintaining the same viewable height. Additionally, the increased resolution from standard definition to high definition will allow an 84% larger screen to appear to have the same picture quality. These reasons, combined with dramatic price drops, contribute to the logic and feasibility of replacing that old 30” picture tube with a 50” high definition television. To readers who appreciate me mentioning this: you are welcome (you know who you are).

In the past, television sizes ranged from 19” to 30”. Today, the right size television lies somewhere between a postage stamp monitor and a billboard-sized screen that stretches from wall to wall. Does it make sense, however, to ask the salesperson at TVs ‘R’ Us for advice on screen size? The last time I did, the seller also mentioned their low rental rates on cranes to facilitate installation. What consumers really need is logical, third party guidance on defining the appropriate screen size. The proverbial retail fox will be more than happy to give advice on how to guard the henhouse. But the fox may end up using a toothpick to clean its teeth while we try to figure out how to remove the fireplace and make room for a mammoth television.

The “Eyes” Have It
To help determine the optimal screen size, one factor that we can consider is the capability of the human eye, called visual acuity. A person with 20/20 vision is able to distinguish lines on a screen separated by 1/60th of a degree. How much detail this person can see on a television depends on the resolution (display lines on the screen) and viewing distance. The greater the resolution, the more lines on the screen, and the more difficult it is to distinguish the individual lines. If you are able to actually see the individual lines on a TV screen, you may need to sit farther away, get a higher resolution screen, or both. It is my belief that you don’t want to be able to distinguish individual lines. This will ensure top picture quality perception.

Standard or enhanced definition televisions that have DVD-quality screens will have 480 lines of resolution, while high definition (HD) televisions have at least 720 lines. The premium HD televisions, called “Full HD” or “1080p”, will have 1080 lines of resolution. Although we will only be referencing television with “progressive scan” lines, keep in mind that there is an alternate resolution that uses something called “interlaced scan”. These screens only refresh half of the lines each pass and are inferior to a progressive scan screen. For our purposes, we can assume that the 1080i (interlaced scan) picture quality is closest to 720p quality (progressive scan).

Home Theater vs. Home Entertainment
Detection of individual lines is not all we need to consider. To truly mimic a theater, we may look at cinema standards such as those set forth by THX, a company that certifies theaters to ensure an optimal movie experience. They have recommendations for viewing angles, which determines how large a screen should be for a given viewing distance. These guidelines create a theater experience and should be taken with a grain of salt when considering home entertainment usage. In a movie theater, the entire focus is on the screen. This may not be the same goal within a family’s living room.

In the following chart, the range of data we discussed comes together. Resolution detection of the human eye is combined with professional cinema standards as well as some retailer/manufacturer guidelines. A "screen size data" spreadsheet showing background calculations may be accessed online. For a given viewing distance, the chart shows a range of recommended screen sizes and the highest resolution that may impact the viewer’s perception. The black areas show recommendations for a true home theater experience while the gray blocks show guidelines for more typical home entertainment applications. Although the topic merits a more in-depth discussion, it should be know that there is some debate as to whether 1080p is noticeable or worth the premium price tag. Also, there is currently almost no 1080p content available except for HD video games, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray players. For the budget conscious, a 720p or 1080i may be sufficient.

Ultimately, personal preference also needs to play a major role in determining the best screen size for your application. This is the main reason why we see a range of TV sizes for each viewing distance. You may not want a home theater television “swallowing” the majority of your living space. But then again, there are few better ways to get immersed in the viewing experience than wrapping yourself in a widescreen television. To go with a TV of this size, however, you’ll also need a tub of popcorn the size of a garbage can, a soda the size of a beach pail, gumdrops the size of golf balls, and a dentist with an opening next week. Happy viewing and chewing!

(click on chart to make larger)

Hi Def Jam! Why Do HDTV Images in Restaurants Look So Bad?

If you purchase a High Definition Television (HDTV), shouldn’t everything look better on its display? No. And not anyone can make my powder blue leisure suit look good. Only I can do that. If you take a tour of local restaurants that have plasma displays, you’ll likely find a surprisingly high number of inferior-looking pictures. Poor resolution of the source signal can create sub-optimal picture quality. This is also why many folks are getting their new HD television home and becoming disappointed with the image they see. To get the best picture on your HDTV, you need to find good HD programming from your content provider (i.e. your cable or satellite company).

Is That Hi Def?
In a 2007 study by Leichtman Research Group, about 22% of HD owners state that they are not receiving HD signals. There are another 25% of HD owners, however, that incorrectly believe they are watching HD programming from cable or DBS (digital broadcast satellite). This reminds me of the stumbling drunk friend that needed a ride home. By the time we got to his apartment and I threw away the remaining empty bottles, I realized that he was drinking non-alcoholic beer. When questioned, he said that he thought it was the “good stuff”. I suppose this is the way a quarter of the HD owners may end up feeling. But instead of non-alcoholic beer, they’re being fed non-HD content.

Out in public view, Bubba the restaurant manager has placed a number of large plasma TVs in the bar area. What finer place to display very high-resolution pictures than at a bar where senses are being dulled by downed brewskies? Maybe that’s the reason the owner will plop down several thousand dollars for an HDTV, but then not spend the extra monthly fee to get HD content on the screen. The ultra-large super-size flat panel TV may be capable of sparkling “1080 I gotta P”, but the signal is from the same source they used with the old 25-inch picture tube. This may also be why ESPN’s Sportscenter shows Tiger Woods looking like he spent the week hanging out at Krispy Kreme. The television is attempting to display a narrower non-HD signal by stretching it to fit the HDTV widescreen. Analogously, they have spent the money on the powder blue leisure suit, but don’t have the collar that extends out to the shoulders. It falls short of creating the total package.

Non-HD Content
It is true that a high definition television has over 3x the resolution of a standard definition television. This feature combined with falling prices has meant that many people are upgrading to larger screen sizes. If a non-HD source is sent to the TV screen, however, the lower resolution image is much larger and the flaws have become much more visible. It relates to the celebrity close-up mug shot that shows all of the blemishes you didn’t see from afar.

Although 53% of the HD owners are receiving HD signals, it is likely that only a small subset of channels are available to them in HD. Most channels are only available in standard definition. Even HD channels will often display programs that are only shown in standard definition. While content providers are adding more HD content, it will likely be years before HD content is prominent. It is important to research your programming with your cable or satellite provider. There is a way to get free HD content: over-the-air. Local stations typically broadcast in HD, but you will likely need a new rabbit-ear antenna similar to the one I used when I first bought my blue leisure suit. This HD trend is bringing back the antenna into style - as opposed to the blue leisure suit that never really went out-of-style.

Surprisingly, I found one exception to the HD television phenomenon within restaurants. It was at my local Hooters. There were no plasmas or LCDs to be found anywhere. They had dozens of old picture tube televisions mounted on antiquated brackets that conspicuously wrap under the TV like the belt of a heavyweight champion. I guess they didn’t want to have anything flat associated with their brand of restaurant. They felt the need to stick to the ole "boob tube". Oops, I didn’t intend the pun to be that direct. If they did switch to a new flat panel television, however, they could always get a smaller LCD screen and wrap it in an XXS T-shirt to make it look larger than it really is.