OTHER TECH

A few high-def front projectors make an appearance under the $3,000 bar, but there aren't many and their features are wildly different from TVs with screens, so we've opted not to include them in our listings. Still, depending on your situation, they might be worth a look. Just keep in mind that front projectors require a dark room and generally aren't suited for everyday viewing.

HDTV DeliversWhatever type of TV is in your screen dreams, you need to think about how you're going to be getting HDTV programs before you pick out a model. You have three choices: over the air (or "terrestrial"), by satellite, or via cable.

Receiving HDTV over the air is not too far removed from the analog realm, where you'd just slap rabbit ears on top of the set or connect it to a roof- or attic-mounted antenna. The difference is that unlike analog signals, digital signals don't degrade "gracefully" - you pretty much get a perfect picture or none at all. Since HDTV signals are broadcast on the VHF and UHF bands, just like regular TV, an antenna that works well for analog signals should work equally well for HDTV. For digital reception, however you may find that aiming the antenna properly is more critical than with analog reception. Antennas can cost anywhere between about $30 to $200, depending mainly on whether they're indoor models or larger, outdoor designs.

Pulling in HDTV from a satellite service is similar to the terrestrial scenario, except instead of an antenna, you need a satellite dish (duh), which is usually about 20 inches in diameter and installed on or near your roof. Other than that, you just need to make sure your set-top or built-in HDTV tuner is equipped to receive satellite signals. And, oh yeah - there's that whole monthly-fee thing, which varies depending on your service provider (DirecTV, Dish Network, or Voom) and whatever program package you get. They start at about $40 and can go well above $100.

If you're like most Americans, you get your regular TV channels from cable. You can probably get your HDTV this way, too, which means you can skip the antenna, but you'll need to make sure your tuner is cable-ready and your cable company is offering HDTV service (see our HDTV cable guide). You'll probably also need a decoder box from your cable provider if you want to access premium channels like HBO or Showtime, which are scrambled. A few HDTVs can now accept a CableCARD, which you would lease from your cable company and insert into your TV in lieu of a decoder box, to do the unscrambling.

Individual Pixels The main benefit of HDTV over the 60-plus-year-old analog TV system is obviously the more lifelike picture quality, but high-def TV signals also bring with them the potential for 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound - even from terrestrial broadcasts! Most HDTVs with built-in tuners have a digital audio output (either optical or coaxial) to feed the multichannel soundtrack to the surround sound decoder in your receiver or preamplifier.

One of the big things that worries people who are ready to buy a new TV is the idea that an HDTV set might be obsolete in a few years. It's understandable, given how rapidly technologies (like computer chips) seem to be replaced by the next generation. But any HDTV that you buy today - and there are 124 models in our under-$3,000 price range alone - won't become obsolete anytime soon. One potential caveat is an antipiracy proposal before the FCC that would enable program providers to restrict the resolution of HDTV signals transmitted through analog component-video connectors. But so far, nothing has been decided. Barring any catastrophes, a high-def set you buy today - or bought five years ago, for that matter - will be compatible with HDTV programming into the foreseeable future.

In the past couple of years, prices of high-def TVs have begun to level out, enabling HDTV to take its first steps toward the mainstream. Sure, they may be even less expensive a year from now, but we're not likely to see the same dramatic price drops we've seen recently. Now that high-def sets are more affordable, you can give yourself a pat on the back for saving a bundle by not relenting to the desire to be the first HDTV owner on the block. But it's no fun being last, either.

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