When HDTV is not HDTV
Why many people are not watching high-definition TV on their HDTV sets
A man walks into a store and heads for the TV displays. He stops in front of a high-definition television with a 42-inch plasma screen and lets out a low whistle. The picture is stunning, better than he’s ever seen from a TV, and the sound is terrific, almost as though he’s in a theatre.
The man, whom we’ll call Mike, knows he’s got to have one. He calls the salesperson over, confirms the price and asks about delivery. He can’t wait.
The salesperson explains that, although this is a high-definition television, Mike will have to buy an HD package from his cable or satellite company to get a similar picture. As for the sound, Mike will need a Dolby Digital surround-sound system to get that.
But Mike isn’t really listening; he thinks the salesman is just trying to get him to spend more. The $3,500 plus tax for the TV is already enough.
Two days later, the TV arrives. Mike sets it up and switches it on. Something is wrong, very wrong.
The picture is a square on a wide screen and the quality of that picture is, well, not much better than his old set.
“Happens a lot,” says Brian Ripchensky, a TV sales expert at Future Shop’s Laird Ave. store.
“Some people think they’re going to get an HD picture by tuning into the channels they’ve always used. They don’t realize they have to rent or buy a high-definition terminal from their cable or satellite company and then tune to specific high-definition channels to get the HD picture.”
As a result, there are a lot of owners of HD sets still watching standard programming.
“Buying an expensive big-screen television is not a good investment unless you’re going to get high-definition service now or in the near future,” says Ripchensky.
Mark Stoakes, the general manager of Kromer Radio, on Bathurst St. in Toronto, also stresses the need for a good surround-sound system.
“Some people spend thousands on the new television and then look for the cheapest audio system. You cannot get great sound from a $500 receiver-and-speakers package.”
He advises spending at least $1,500 for a good sound system.
Prices of HDTVs vary dramatically, from a low of $1,200 for a 32-inch LCD set from a maker you’ve never heard of, to more than $3,000 for a superior set from a major manufacturer.
Source: TheStar.Com
