Lower Prices on LED, LCD and Plasma Televisions!

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New, Lower LCD / Plasma Pricing -

The Home Technology Store has recently updated their product pricing and shipping cost structure on all LCD, LED and Plasma Televisions. This new structure will ensure we have the best value in the industery when you compare shipping costs, and product prices. Currently our top selling LED TV is the LG 47LH90, with a reduced priced of $1429.95

Kef XQ40 Speakers - Respect is what the XQ40 commands.

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Respect is what the XQ40 commands. Not just because it sounds as assertive as it looks, but because of the uncanny illusion of presence it creates.

The Kef XQ Series is designed to bridge the gap between Kef's uber-high-end Reference Series and the popular iQ series. By providing high-end drivers and elegant finish, the XQ speakers will hold their own with any other speaker in its class.

The XQ40 speaker includes some of the best technology upgrades in the Kef arsenal. The XQ40 provides Kef's Uni-Q array with a elliptical dome tweeter and Uni-Form midrange driver. The Crown-WaveGuide device will protect the tweeter from damage and improve high frequency dispersion. This speaker is offered in high-grade, high-gloss finishes birds-eye maple, khaya mahogany, and piano black. Additional features like magnetic grill attachments and direct fitting WBT terminals were added to further improve this series aesthetic appeal.

Audiophile or Hobbyist, if you are looking for a high quality, great sounding speaker and the Kef Xq40 fits in your budget - you will not be disappointed. The added bonus, is the finish of these speakers. It can be hard to find speakers that not only sound great, but add to your decor.

Kef XQ40

What is an LED TV?

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What is an "LED" TV? LCD and Plasma have been the two types of TV's to choose between for years - Now we have a 3rd "type" being marketed called the LED TV. However marketing terminology of these can be somewhat misleading customers into thinking they are a true LED TV while the actual technology is "LED Back-lit LCD". So, these are still an LCD TV, only with "LED Back Lighting". A true LED TV would use an individual LED for each pixel, and this technology is not yet available in consumer products. What are the PRO's? Unlike standard LCD TV's that use fluorescent tubes to light the screen, the new LED TV's use LED lights. Because a tube is always on, with a standard LCD even when the screen is supposed to be "all black" you will notice some light.(A perfect screen would be just as dark, as when the TV is turned off). Being able to turn off LED's will improve the black levels. Other benefits of LED TV's is that they will use less energy and offer the ability to design a thinner TV. What are the Con's? Price - Like any new technology, the LED backlit TV's are currently more expensive than a standard LCD. Even with the prices dropping, with a small picture improvement, the best way to justify a LED TV is that they use less power, saving you money over the life of the product.

New - Complete Home Theater Systems With Installation

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Upgrade your Home Theater Surround For the Holidays -

If you are looking to upgrade your surround sound system for the holidays and you are not sure what to get, and don’t want to install it yourself.. The Home Technology Store has a solution for you, complete packages with all the accessories required and professional installation.

The Home Technology Store has released pre-packaged home theater systems – With installation. These systems have been configured by our system designers, based on products that work well together, and based on popular combinations from past customers. By pairing up the proper components, with professional installation and sound calibration, you will receive the best surround sound system money can buy.

If you are looking to maximize your budget, this holiday season – Checkout our Complete home Theater System packages. If you purchase before December 15th, we can get installation scheduled before December 25th.

Top In-Ceiling Speaker Picks

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Home Theater Design, Knowledge and Installation - Maximize your Investment.

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Home Technology Store, Design & Installation - Maximize your Investment on Home Theater Products.

  Our sales staff has a saying that states, a “customer can spend twice as much at a big box retailer and get half the experience as we can provide”.  This is not only because we offer good pricing, but because our sales and installation staff has used the equipment, designed thousands of systems, and understands how to maximize the experience, but not oversell. We start by understanding your needs, and removing the industry buzz words, like 1080p.  We then design a home theater system that will maximize your experience for the best possible price, and ignoring the marketing buzz..

The Audio/ Video industry is full of ‘Buzz words’ that truly are not measurement of quality, and typically the standard for measurement depends on the manufacturer and not a standard.. Just imagine if a new car MPG rating was measured different from manufacturer to manufacturer. Truly the only way a customer will know if a tv or speaker is better than another model is to see it in action, or listen to a professional who has.

  For Example  

·span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">         >How is contrast ratio determined, and why they are so different brand by brand?

·         Why do some 720P televisions have a better picture than a low cost 1080P?

·         Does the frequency range of a speaker actually indicate a better speaker?& 

  The answer, technically is no.  It is true, all of these ratings could indicate something better, but only when you are looking within a specific “class” of equipment. For 1080P is a rating of the total number of pixels… But is no indication if those are fuzzy pixels, or if the color pallet is limited. This does not mean you need to buy the most expensive, just means you need to compare to others in the class, to see what makes the most sense for you. This is why our staff is trained to looking beyond these buzzwords, as we fell it is crucial to designing a system that will maximize your experience and lower your costs.

  Full Service Design and Installation;

  Full Service system design and installation should not be limited to customers who live within driving distance of our showrooms. By building strategic partnerships and employing some of the most brilliant minds in the industry, we have become the first “Custom Integration” company to expand to nationwide, with the ability to provide full service design and installation to anyone in the US.  Now anyone can take advantage of our superior design team, and nationwide installation team.

Customers can visit a big box store such as Best Buy or huge websites like Amazon.com and buy almost any product, including many of the products we carry. However looking at a product on a shelf, reading specs, listening to buzz words and reading reviews online to build a system yourself is not the best way to maximize your investment. We feel being able to talk to a professional who has actually worked with all products shown, possibly owns a similar setup him/herself to design a system based on your “NEEDS” not printed specifications, is the only way to get the best system for your money – Specifically if buying online where you can’t, see touch, or listen to the products .

HD Video Distribution to All Rooms

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Multi-Room HD Video Distribution

Being able to distribute HD video between all rooms in the house is desired by many people building or updating a home. However, what is required to accomplish this task is not understood, even by many in the Audio/Video industry.

What Works The Best?

Component Video - By installing a RGB cable from your utility room or A/V rack to each TV location is the 1 solution that we still recommend. Ok, so your limited to 720p or 1080i... Even if you paid an arm & leg for your 52" LED for the master bedroom, you can rest easy knowing you will have picture every time you turn on your TV. HDMI simply do not offer that reliability (will explain that below).

By adding an Component Video Amplifier and/or Component Video matrix. You can have multiple HD sources running to every room of the house - even over long distances.

RF Modulation - Creating a TV channel for each HD source is another option that will work every time you turn on your TV. However, this can be a bit more expensive. Products by ZeeVee will modulate any HD signal (Component Video) to your ATSC tuner over a single Coax cable. If you are building and you can run new cable, see the solution above. This solution works great but gets expensive if you want to add 4-5 HD Sources. Again your are limited to 720P or 1080i

1080P...

HDMI Distribution is the only way to distribute 1080p to each room. Hopefully this will not always be true, but currently there are no reliable distribution methods for HDMI, that are guaranteed to work. HDMI is great for a local picture, but many people have closed up their walls, only to find they cannot use the HDMI buried within due to weird issues. I don't discourage anyone from trying, but make sure you wire for a Plan B (Component Video)

Over the past year the distribution components required for HDMI have come down in price, but this does not indicate an improvement in quality. Under 15' is the known distance that HDMI should work every time. Up to 50' it may work depending on the source, but will probably require a repeater. Anything over 50' if you are brave, make sure you also run wire for plan B (Component Video) before you close up the walls.

Any distance over 25' we have had the best luck with Dual Cat6 cable and using an HDMI Sender/Receiver. Even though the Specs say you can use Cat5, we have seen fewer problems using Cat6.

Recently many modern "Formats" (HDMI) are being created in order of importance (1) prevent illegally copying the song or picture (2) provide a good quality sound/picture. (3) Create Confusion (well, not actually on the list but should be)

Denon AVR 4310 CI - Home Theater Receiver Review

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Denon AVR 4310 CI Home Theater Receiver;

The AVR-4310CI is taking surround receivers to the next level. In addition to many of the standard features you have come to enjoy from Denon receivers, custom integration capabilities to home networks and A/V systems has been expanded making this surround receiver the true heart of any high end home theater networked or non-networked. The AVR-4310CI also brings with it the new surround formats that HD has to offer, making the home A/V theater experience like none you have seen or heard before.

  The Denon AVR 4310CI, adds the following Features;.

• 130 Watts x 7 Channels
• 6 HDMI inputs, with Up Conversion, and Up Scaling to 1080p
• Digital USB iPod Dock control with on-screen Menu
• Pro Audyssey Calibration
• RS232 Input
• Satellite Radio

Denon AVR 2310 CI Receiver Review

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Denon AVR 2310 CI Home Theater Receiver;

The first of the CI series receivers. The CI series is specifically designed for high-end projects, typically sold through “Custom Installers” who understand how to take advantage of the CI features. Such as RS232 and Trigger inputs. However along with the Custom Installation features, these systems typically feature higher powered amplifiers, upgraded audio/video chip-sets and other various features not found in standard receivers.

The Denon AVR 2310CI, adds the following Features;. 

• 105 Watts x 7 Channels
• 5 HDMI inputs, with Up Conversion, and Up Scaling to 1080p
• iPod Dock control with on-screen Menu
• RS232 Input
• Satellite Radio

 

Denon 2310 Receiver

Denon AVR 3310 CI - Home Theater Receiver

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The Denon AVR 3310 CI Home Theater Receiver.

Historically the Denon 3 series is the top selling receiver in the entire line. This model is between the utra-high end and their lower level receivers. This series typically includes all of the newest technology and provides a great value.  The new 3310 model is no exception to this rule. The Denon AVR 3310 CI is bound to be a huge hit by offering some great features at a great value.  

  New features that are available in the 3310

• 5 HDMI Inputs with up conversion, and up scaling
• Network Audio & Internet Radio (Including Napster, Rhapsody)
• Upgradeable Firmware
• HD Radio Tuner
• iPod Dock with on-screen Menu control
• Screen-Overlay Menu
• XM Satellite Ready (Add 3^rd Party Tuner)

Designing a Home Theater - Picking Your Speakers

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Selecting a Home Theater Speaker:

Budget

Some think that "A Speaker is a Speaker" and you only pay for the name. This however is not true. The speaker market is very competitive and you typically pay for the quality first, and maybe brand 2nd. So, finding a good quality speaker that fits into your budget is the most important part.

Speaker Type (Style):

The first thing you need to decide is what type or style of speaker you want. Floor mounted or bookshelf, in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. Ceiling and wall mounted speakers are becomming more popular, and require a little more planning in advance.

Speaker Terms to Look for:

Bipole
A speaker design that generates equal amounts of sound both forward and backward, with the two sounds being "in phase." See also Dipole.

Coloration
Any change in the character of a sound that reduces accuracy, such as an over- or under-emphasis of certain frequencies.

Connectors (pins, plugs, etc.) (Click for pictures)
There are several different ways to connect the cables from your receiver or amplifier to your speakers. Bare wire connections are acceptable, especially with "spring clip" terminals. However, there are other connector types that provide more solid and secure connections, especially with binding post terminals.

• Spade connectors are compatible with most binding post terminals. A spade fits around the terminal's central threaded post, allowing you to then tighten the collar down on the spade for a snug, secure connection. But keep in mind, some electronics now have terminals that prohibit the use of spade connectors.
  
  
• Pin-type connectors will work with both spring clip and binding post terminals. This is probably the best type for connecting a thick, heavy-gauge wire to a small spring clip connector. On a 5-way binding post, this slender pin will also fit the hole that's back near the base of the central post (see binding post illustration, below). You can then tighten the collar down against it.
  
  
• Banana plugs will plug straight into the center of 5-way binding posts. They make a quick and convenient connection — nothing to loosen or tighten.
  
  
• Double-banana plugs are the same as banana plugs, except the positive and negative banana connectors are both fixed in a molded housing that spaces them 3/4" apart. (These are even quicker and easier to connect than regular, single banana plugs — as long as the terminals on your speakers and/or receiver are true 5-way binding posts with the proper spacing.)

Crossover
A circuit that divides the frequency spectrum into two or more parts. A crossover acts as a filter, allowing certain frequencies to pass through to the speaker while blocking others. It's the crossover's job to send only high frequencies to the tweeter and only low frequencies to the woofer. (And midrange frequencies to the midrange driver in a 3-way speaker.)

A high-pass crossover allows only frequencies above the "crossover frequency" to pass through, while a low-pass crossover (common in powered subwoofers) allows only frequencies below the crossover frequency to pass through. A "bandpass" crossover combines a high-pass and a low-pass so that the driver (often a midrange unit) only sees a restricted band of middle frequencies.

Decibel (dB)
The standard unit of measure for expressing relative power or amplitude differences. With speakers, it's a measure of loudness. One dB is the smallest change in loudness most people can detect. A 1 dB difference is barely noticeable, but a 10 dB difference is big — a speaker playing at 10 dB higher volume will sound twice as loud.

Another amazing dB fact: for any given set of speakers, each 3 dB increase in volume level requires a doubling of the amplifier power.

Diaphragm
The part of a speaker driver that moves, producing the sound. Each diaphragm is directly connected to a voice coil. The diaphragm for a woofer is a cone, while for a tweeter, it's often a dome.

Diffusion
The scattering of sound. Diffusion reduces the ability of a listener to pinpoint the actual location of a speaker, a useful quality in surround speakers. Diffuse surrounds create a wraparound soundfield that draws you into the on-screen action.

Dipole
A speaker design that generates equal amounts of sound both forward and backward, with the two sounds being "out of phase." Dipoles are often used as surround speakers. See also Bipole.

Direct and reflected sound
The sound that you hear from your listening/viewing position is a combination of the direct sound that travels straight from your speakers to your ears, and the indirect, reflected sound — the sound from your speakers that bounces off the walls, floor, ceiling or furniture before it reaches your ears.

Dispersion
The degree to which a speaker's sound is spread over the listening area.

Driver
Any individual diaphragm (cone, dome, etc.) within a speaker that compresses and rarefies the air to create sound waves, such as a woofer, tweeter, midrange, etc.

Dynamic range
The difference between loud and soft sounds. A speaker with wide dynamic range — one that can reproduce the sudden and wide changes between loud and soft sounds in music and video soundtracks — will sound more realistic.

Efficiency (Sensitivity)
Although a speaker's efficiency rating is almost always correlated to its sensitivity rating, it is actually a different measurement. The efficiency rating for a speaker is a measure of how well a speaker converts watts of electrical power into watts of acoustical power. Most speakers have a very low efficiency rating — between 1% and 10% — so manufacturers rarely provide this information, choosing instead to list sensitivity ratings.

Flat
When a speaker's response is described as "flat," that's a good thing. It means that the speaker can accurately reproduce a signal that is fed to it without adding unnatural coloration to the sound. Specific frequencies don't sound too loud or too soft.

Frequency response
The human ear responds to frequencies from approximately 20 to 20,000 cycles-per-second, or Hertz. A speaker's frequency response indicates how much of that range can be reproduced.

Hertz (Hz)
The unit of sound frequency; one Hz is equal to one cycle per second. The range of human hearing is 20-20,000 Hz. Points of reference: low "E" on a bass guitar is 41 Hz; middle "C" on a piano is 262 Hz; cymbals can go out to 15,000 Hz.

Imaging
The ability of a speaker to reproduce spatial information in a recording so that you can visualize the relative positioning of individual voices and instruments as you're listening.

Impedance
The load value (in ohms) that the speakers present to the amplifier — the amount of resistance to the flow of current. While playing music, a speaker's actual impedance constantly fluctuates; however, speakers are usually given a single nominal impedance rating for easy comparison. Low-impedance speakers (4 ohms or less) can cause problems with receivers or amplifiers that are not designed to deliver large amounts of current.

Midrange
The range of frequencies above bass and below treble that our ears are most sensitive to, which includes most vocal and instrumental sounds. Sometimes refers to a driver designed to reproduce these frequencies.

Phase
Refers to the timing relationship of two or more signals or sound waves. It's especially important to be sure that your stereo speakers are playing "in phase." This means that the drivers (cones and domes) of your right and left speakers are moving in and out at the same time.

If your stereo speakers are "out of phase" — that is, with one set of positive and negative leads reversed — you'll hear significantly less bass, and instead of producing a strong center image, the sound tends to stay localized at the speakers. To learn how to be sure your speakers are in phase, check the Home Speakers FAQ).

Phase control
A 2-position switch found on some powered subwoofers that lets you delay the subwoofer's output slightly so that it is in phase with the output from your main speakers.

Power handling
A measure of how much amplifier power, in watts, a speaker can take before it is damaged.

Resonance
When a component or system vibrates more at a certain frequency than at any other frequency. In a speaker system, resonance with the speaker enclosure or any of the components can lead to colorations in the sound.

Satellite speaker
A small speaker with limited bass response that's often designed to be used with a matching subwoofer.

Sensitivity
A sensitivity rating tells you how effectively a speaker converts power (watts) into volume (decibels). The higher the rating, the louder your speakers will play with a given amount of amplifier power. Sensitivity is often measured by driving a speaker with one watt and measuring the loudness in decibels at one meter.

Subwoofer
A speaker specially designed to reproduce a range of very low frequencies only (the bass). The typical range for a subwoofer is about 20-200 Hz.

A "powered subwoofer" includes a built-in amplifier to drive the speaker.

Surround speakers
In a home theater system, the speakers located beside or behind the listening/viewing position. These speakers can be mounted on the walls, placed on stands, or set on bookshelves. They help create an enveloping three-dimensional soundstage by reproducing the surround information on video soundtracks and music recordings encoded with surround sound. Depending on the format, the surround speakers will be asked to do different things. For details, check out our nuts and bolts discussion of the different surround sound formats.

Terminals
You probably don't think about the connectors on the back of your speakers until you go to hook them up. There are two basic types: spring clips and binding posts.

• Spring clip terminals are usually found on lower-priced speakers, and low- to medium-priced receivers. They work best with bare wire connections with small-gauge speaker wire, or pin-type connectors (see connectors, above).
  
  
• Binding post terminals are a sturdier, more versatile type of speaker jack, often found on higher-quality speakers and receivers, and on most amplifiers. They're threaded, so you can tighten them down against the wire or connector for an extra-snug connection.

Tweeter
A small, lightweight driver that reproduces the highest musical frequencies, like violins, cymbals, female vocals, etc. The typical range for a tweeter is everything above 2,000 Hz or so.

Video shielding
A way of containing a speaker's magnetic energy inside its enclosure. This is usually achieved by placing another speaker magnet back-to-back with the existing one so that the two magnetic fields cancel each other. Shielding may also be achieved by lining the inside of the speaker cabinet with metal.

Voice coil
The cylindrical coil of wire that moves in the magnetic field of a dynamic driver. The voice coil is bonded to the diaphragm, which actually produces the sound.

Woofer
A type of driver that features a cone-shaped diaphragm, commonly used for producing the mid- and low-frequency portions of the music signal.

Designing A Home Theater - Picking a Receiver

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What is a Surround Sound Receiver?

A surround processor, or receiver, may produce 6, 7, or 8 channels of output, depending on the source and type of surround processing. The basic surround format (“5.1” surround) includes three full-range front channels (left, right and center), two full-range surround channels (left surround and right surround), and a low-frequency, or subwoofer channel. Because the subwoofer channel carries only the lowest octaves compared to the five full-range speakers, it is called the “.1” channel. A “6.1-channel setup” adds a separate full-range “center back” speaker to the 5.1 array. A “7.1”-channel system includes two “back” channels in addition to the surround channels.

What do I look for in A Home Theater Receiver?

First, let's answer the question: "What is a home theater receiver and what does it do?"  A home theater receiver serves as the central point of a home theater or home audio system and performs the following functions:

• Switching for all of your home theater system's audio and video components

• Surround sound decoding

• Signal processing for simulated soundfields and bass management

• Amplifies the audio signals to drive the loudspeakers and controls the playback volume

• Serves as an AM/FM radio tuner

The receiver is both the "smarts" and the "power" behind a home theater system.  It takes the audio signals from all of your source components (e.g., DVD-Video player, CD player, VCR, tape deck, turntable), performs any needed decoding and post-processing, amplifies the signal to power your home theater's array of loudspeakers, and controls the playback volume.  For video signal, the receiver performs the necessary switching and outputs it to your TV.  With all this functionality, a receiver is one of the more complex and expensive components in a home theater or home audio system.

The terms "home theater receiver", "audio/video receiver", "A/V receiver", "surround receiver", "Dolby Digital/DTS receiver", and "receiver" are used interchangeably on this web site, since we're talking about a receiver that has at least five channels of processing and amplification for home theater and multi-channel music sources such as DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD.  If you're not familiar with all the terms we just threw out, don't worry.  We'll discuss each of these functions in turn.  Then we'll tell you what else you should look for, and how to compare and audition A/V receivers when you shop.

We recommend that you choose a receiver or processor with at least two digital inputs: one for your DVD player and one for HDTV. However, many other components incorporate Dolby Digital technology, such as personal video recorders (PVR) and the Xbox, so you'll need additional digital inputs to connect these.

Dolby Digital is the audio standard for HDTV and DVD. So you'll need at least one source component with a Dolby Digital output. (The output may also be labeled AC-3.) This component could be a DVD player, a digital cable or digital satellite set-top box, and/or a digital television (DTV) receiver.

Layout: - The key to picking a surround sound receiver is to find one that matches your speaker layout requirements. Most Receivers will work for Dolby Digital 5.1. Then depending on the model, they should also work for 6.1 or 7.1 surround. See the diagrams below to help you pick the right receiver type.

Each speaker of your home theater needs its own channel of amplification, so a 5.1 system needs six channels and a 7.1 system needs eight. These amplifiers are typically built into audio/video receivers, but there are also many stand-alone multichannel power amplifiers for use with preamp/processor components. (Subwoofers, the ".1" channel, frequently incorporate their own built-in amplification and need only a line-level connection from the subwoofer output to the receiver.)

Dolby Digital 5.1 Setup:

Dolby Digital 6.1 Setup:

Dolby Digital 7.1 Setup:

Designing A Home Theater - Speaker Placement

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Speaker Placement:

Layout: - The key to picking a surround sound receiver is to find one that matches your speaker layout requirements. Most Receivers will work for Dolby Digital 5.1. Then depending on the model, they should also work for 6.1 or 7.1 surround. See the diagrams below to help you pick the right receiver type.

Each speaker of your home theater needs its own channel of amplification, so a 5.1 system needs six channels and a 7.1 system needs eight. These amplifiers are typically built into audio/video receivers, but there are also many stand-alone multichannel power amplifiers for use with preamp/processor components. (Subwoofers, the ".1" channel, frequently incorporate their own built-in amplification and need only a line-level connection from the subwoofer output to the receiver.)

Dolby Digital 5.1 Setup:

Dolby Digital 6.1 Setup:

Dolby Digital 7.1 Setup:

Wall Mounting A Flat Panel TV - Tips & Tricks!

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How To Mount a TV Instructions

Example - How to Mount a LCD/PLasma TV

Assembly Instructions for Sanus LCD Wall Mount Model: VMF This product is designed to mount VESA 75/100 LCD televisions up to 50 pounds onto a vertical wall. It allows you to effortlessly tilt your new television up to 15° up or down without the use of tools. Note: The hardware provided is for wood stud walls only. If you are uncertain about the nature of your installation. Required Tools: Drill with 3/16” bit, Phillips screw driver Mounting the Wall Plate: The Wall Plate (a) MUST be mounted to a wood stud. Use a high quality stud sensor to locate a stud. It is a good idea to verify where the stud is located with an awl or thin nail. Use the Wall Plate as a template to mark the two hole locations on the wall. Make sure these holes are aligned vertically and centered over the stud. Pre-drill the two holes using a 3/16” drill bit. Attach the Wall Plate to the wall using the two Wall Mount Screws (g) as shown in Diagram 1. Tighten the Wall Mount Screws until they protrude 1/4 inch from the wall. You will firmly tighten the Wall Mount Screws during final assembly. Attaching the Monitor Plate to the TV: Mount the assembly to the back of your LCD television using the M4 Bolts (h) as shown in Diagram 2. Place the four M4 Bolts through the holes in TV Mount Plate (b) and tighten into the VESA bolt mounting pattern on the back of the television. mounting pattern on TV Final Assembly: Next hang the assembly over the Wall Mount Screws (g) using the key-holes in the Wall Plate as shown in Diagram 3. Once the Wall Plate slides down over the Wall Mount Screws, firmly tighten them with the Allen Key (j).

What is HDTV?

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What is HDTV? What is HDTV? Short for High-Definition Television, a new type of television that provides much better resolution than current televisions based on the NTSC standard. HDTV is a digital TV broadcasting format where the broadcast transmits widescreen pictures with more detail and quality than found in a standard analog television, or other digital television formats. HDTV is a type of Digital Television (DTV) broadcast, and is considered to be the best quality DTV format available. Types of HDTV displays include direct-view, plasma, rear screen, and front screen projection. HDTV requires an HDTV tuner to view and the most detailed HDTV format is 1080i. * HDTV Minimum Performance Attributes: Receiver: Receives ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions and decodes all ATSC Table 3 video formats Display Scanning Format: Has active vertical scanning lines of 720 progressive (720p), 1080 interlaced (1080i), or higher Aspect Ratio: Capable of displaying a 16:9 image1 Audio: Receives and reproduces, and/or outputs Dolby Digital audio NTSC vs. HDTV The Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) has set voluntary standards for digital television. These standards include how sound and video are encoded and transmitted. They also provide guidelines for different levels of quality. All of the digital standards are better in quality than analog signals. HDTV standards are the top tier of all the digital signals. Standard vs. high-definition aspect ratio The ATSC has created 18 commonly used digital broadcast formats for video. The lowest quality digital format is about the same as the highest quality an analog TV can display. The 18 formats cover differences in: Aspect ratio - Standard television has a 4:3 aspect ratio - it is four units wide by three units high. HDTV has a 16:9 aspect ratio, more like a movie screen. Resolution - The lowest standard resolution (SDTV) will be about the same as analog TV and will go up to 704 x 480 pixels. The highest HDTV resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels. HDTV can display about ten times as many pixels as an analog TV set. Frame rate - A set's frame rate describes how many times it creates a complete picture on the screen every second. DTV frame rates usually end in "i" or "p" to denote whether they are interlaced or progressive. DTV frame rates range from 24p (24 frames per second, progressive) to 60p (60 frames per second, progressive). Once you Get a HDTV Setup in your home - You need Signal: An antenna - Depending on your location relative to the stations you want to watch, a set of rabbit ears might do, but you might need a rooftop or attic antenna. You can buy an antenna that's specially made for digital signals, but any reliable VHF/UHF antenna will work. Cable - Keep in mind that digital cable is not the same as HDTV. You'll need to check with your provider to determine which packages include HDTV stations. You'll also either need a set-top cable box or a CableCARD™ to allow your television to receive and decode the cable signal. Satellite service - As with cable, check with your provider to determine which plans and stations use HDTV signals. You may need a different satellite dish and tuner to receive HDTV signals via satellite. What is the benefit to me? All this extra bandwidth and image resolution brings you one big benefit better pictures in fact much better, having seen HDTV images during a recent test I can only compare it to the first time I tried to compare VHS with a DVD. Plus HDTV is widescreen as standard giving you the full cinematic experience on all images How do I watch it? Broadcasters are starting to shoot material in HD, many films are now edited on HD as its cheaper than film in some instances, plus many live events are now being shot in HD and relayed to the USA and Japan for the HD enabled networks, so there is content available, perhaps not enough to make a good channel.