SolveYourProblem
HDTV Article Series
Buying
a High Definition Television (HDTV)
Should
I Switch To HDTV Now or Later?
Most consumers are still relatively uneducated
when it comes to HDTV. In fact, according to Rick Chessen,
the associate chief and chairman of the FCC, American consumers
need to realize that “analog sets will have limited capabilities
in their future.” But, is it really important to make the switch
to HDTV now. Or should you wait till later?
Program Offerings
The answer to this question lies mostly in personal opinion
and individual situations. Currently, television channels are
not HDTV. Those that do offer HDTV are: ABC, CBS, Cinemax,
Encore, ESPN, ESPN 2, Fox, Fox Sports, HBO, HDNet, The Movie
Channel, NBC, PBS, Showtime, and Starz, Universal. With the
exception of the broadcast networks of ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC,
and PBS, each of these channels requires cable or satellite
service to receive.
Therefore, a person who doesn’t watch any of these channels
often might not need to run out and buy a HDTV at the moment.
By the end of 2006, however, the FCC has dictated
that every channel must broadcast in only digital format. Digital format
is not the same as HDTV, but HDTV needs digital format in order
to run. If the FCC gets its way, analog televisions will be
nothing more than oversized paperweights, unless the owner
purchases a special digital-to-analog converter. In this case,
the television will be able to show programming, but it still
won’t be of the higher quality received by those who own televisions
with digital receivers.
No Avoiding the Inevitable
Of course, most people who watch television watch at least
one of the channels that currently broadcast in HDTV. So, the
question still remains: Should the HDTV be bought now, or should
the consumer wait?
With the FCC’s regulations, coupled with the ever-increasing
popularity of HDTV, there is no avoiding the fact that HDTV
is in the future of all Americans. But, for the true television
connoisseur, there doesn’t appear to be much advantage to either
waiting to buy an HDTV or purchasing one now.
True, the price of HDTV televisions has fallen since they
were first introduced. And, they are likely to continue to
fall. But for the person who is passionate about television,
it almost seems foolish to wait to purchase an HDTV because
it is simply putting off the inevitable. There are no current
HDTV breakthroughs on the horizon, so waiting to purchase an
HDTV won’t increase the chances of having the “latest and greatest”
technology – which technology has already arrived.
For
someone who is, however, an infrequent viewer of television
or who doesn’t relish the television viewing experience, it
might be a good idea to simply wait. When the time comes that
all broadcasters are forced to switch to digital broadcasting,
it will come time for these consumers to make a decision. They
can either purchase an HDTV television, or they can buy a digital-to-analog
converter.
If the current analog television still produces an acceptable
picture and is still in good working order, purchasing a digital-to-analog
is likely the best choice for people in this category. Most
experts believe these will only cost about $50-100 at the time
the switchover takes place, which makes buying one of the converters
quite affordable – particularly when compared to paying hundreds,
maybe thousands, of dollars for a HDTV television.
In fact, there has been talk within the government about assisting
low-income families in purchasing digital-to-analog converters.
This discussion has mostly taken place because it is likely
to be low-income families who are most affected by the FCC’s
mandate for all broadcasters to switch to digital. The current
Bush administration, however, is not in favor of this suggestion.
No matter a person’s level of television passion, a person
in the market to purchase a new television in order to replace
a new one should seriously consider purchasing an HDTV television
instead of an analog television. If a consumer does
purchase an analog television, it will soon be obsolete and
will require
additional money to enjoy television programming. It is worthwhile
to save the time and worries and spend a little extra cash
on the HDTV now, rather than spend extra money down the road
on a television that doesn’t provide the extra perks supplied
by HDTV.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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