The hot thing in the television industry is HDTV. HDTV stands for High Definition Television. It is digital television capable of much higher resolution than analog television. HDTV’s come in two formats. The first is 1080i. It is capable of 1920 x 1080 resolution. Currently this is the highest resolution available. This format paints out lines of the image in alternating patterns, therefore it cannot display progressive-scan DVDs. While the images are brilliant in 1080i, critics claim movement doesn’t read well on the screen. The second format is the 720p. The resolution on the 720p is 1280x720. Even though it is lower than the 1080i, the 720 remain the most commonly used HDTV format. While the 1080i cannot display progressive-scan DVDs, the 720p is a progressive-scan format. This means that the TV paints every line of an image in order.
Many stores sell what is called HDTV ready TVs. It does have the capabilities of HDTV but it still can’t receive high definition input without a high definition tuner.
You can also buy televisions that are wide screened. They were designed to resemble a movie theater screens.
Judging a TVs picture quality is a subjective term. The problem in judging a TVs picture quality is that what looks good in the store may not look the same when you take the TV home. It is a different environment. The showrooms at the store are usually well lit and stores usually fix the TV in a manner in which the TV will look its best. If at all possible take a DVD or videotape to the store and test the quality of the picture by using what you know is a quality that you are familiar with.