Digital TV Transition - Types of Televisions

Joel Topcik: Hi, I am Joel Topcik from Broadcasting & Cable magazine. We are talking about how you can prepare for the digital TV transition. In this segment, Jason Oxman of the Consumer Electronics Association will provide an overview of the different types of digital television sets available in the market.

Jason Oxman: The digital TV transition includes a lot of great features, but one of the most exciting things about digital television is the new way in which you can enjoy entertainment in your home with high quality, High-definition images, digital surround sound audio and all the other exciting features of digital television. But you may be asking how do you take advantage of digital television? What are the different types of television sets that are available? Well, we are going to answer those questions right now by taking a look at the many options you have to choose from when you visit your local consumer electronics retailer. You may have an analog television in your house today and if you want to enjoy all the full rich features of digital television, you may be considering upgrading to digital television. An analog television looks like this. It has a standard 4 X 3 screen, very square in shape and it usually has a type of a tube in the back. Those analog televisions will continue to work if you are hooked up to a cable or a satellite, but if you want to enjoy the true value of digital television, High-definition images, digital surround sound audio, you need start looking at a digital television and there are several models available. The first and most basic of digital television is a CRT-based or a tube digital television. Those look a lot like the analog televisions that you may have in your home today, but the screen will be wider. Instead of a 4 X 3 aspect ratio, you will see a 16 X 9 screen, a screen that looks like a rectangle. That's the most basic type of digital television.

A second type of digital television; if you are really interested in getting the most features out of the digital television transition including High-definition television and digital surround sound audio, you may want to look at some other types of digital television.

Over my right shoulder here are plasma televisions. Plasma televisions are very thin, they are very large and they look terrific and they sound even better. A second type of higher end digital television directly behind me is called a Rear Projection television, a digital television that gets its image from the back of the TV, meaning the TV will slightly thicker, but you will still enjoy a High-definition image and digital surround sound.

Another type of High-definition television over my left shoulder, an LCD. An LCD television generally available between 13 and 70 inches also has a rich High-definition image and digital surround sound.

If you have cable or satellite in your home you can still buy a DTV integrated or DTV built-in TV. The TV will not use the tuner that's built in to itself, but rather it will take the tuner from the cable or satellite box.

In any case your consumer electronics retailer has all the information you need to make sure that you make the correct choice in a digital television for your home.