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Consumer Reports advice on buying HDTV, Plasma TV, LCD TV
sets
Posted Wednesday, March 15, 2006
March Issue Has Latest Ratings of HDTV, Plasma TV and LCD
television sets
Yonkers, NY – A combination of holiday deals on high definition
TVs, hoopla surrounding HD television broadcasts of the Super Bowl
and Olympics, and the arrival of sets with bigger screens and lower
prices will find many consumers pumped up about buying an HDTV. And
the March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports magazine suggests that
there’s no reason to hold off that purchase but also offers
consumers some must-have advice when shopping for a new HDTV set.
The March issue also contains CR’s latest expert and unbiased
Ratings on LCD TV, plasma TV, rear-projection and picture-tube TVs.
New brands: Be open to some new names but wary of others. Some
off-brands cost much less than major brands and consumers may
expect them to be mediocre, as was the result in many cases. But
several of the low-priced LCD television sets that CR tested did
surprisingly well.
Time a purchase to take advantage of expected price drops. While
lesser-known television brands are playing the price card,
consumers also will find that major brands are becoming less
expensive. The price erosion is likely to continue especially for
the biggest, priciest sets. By summer, prices of 50-inch plasma TVs
and LCD TV flat panels larger than 40 inches could fall by $500.
But little change is likely for picture-tube TVs and CRT-based
rear-projection TV sets. The magazine notes that consumers could
save money on the biggest-screen TVs if they are willing to wait a
few months. But CR also advises that there’s little reason to wait
to buy a smaller LCD television or plasma TV set, or a tube-based
set.
Buy a big screen TV to see the best HD broadcasts. Consumer
Reports’ survey of 500 HDTV owners showed that viewing enjoyment
increased with screen size, and many wished they’d purchased a
bigger set. The magazine recommends opting for a 16:9 wide screen,
which is better suited to viewing HD TV programming. And for
optimal viewing, sit at least 4 feet from a 37-inch or smaller HDTV
set and 5 to 9 feet from a 40-65-inch screen. Images may appear
coarse to viewers sitting any closer.
Consider the digital-tuner setup. HD-ready TVs require an external
digital tuner such as a cable or satellite box to receive
high-definition broadcasts. Integrated HDTV sets have built-in
digital tuners that enable them to receive free broadcast digital
signals, including HD, via VHF/UHF antenna. But they need a cable
or satellite box to receive HD programs and premium channels via
those subscription services. Some integrated TV sets also have QAM
tuners. Besides getting digital signals by antenna, they can
receive unscrambled digital-cable signals – including the local HD
channels in cable packages - via a cable into the set, without a
box. Digital-cable-ready (DCR) televisions can tune in HD TV
programming and premium channels with a CableCard (rented from the
cable company for a few dollars a month) that goes into a slot on
the TV. But CR notes that DCR TV is one-way, so there is no access
to interactive program guides, video on demand, or pay-per-view
ordering via the remote. Second-generation DCR-TVs aren’t due for a
while.
Decide whether to pay top dollar for a state-of-the-art 1080p
TV. In Consumer Reports initial tests of 1080p sets (the first with
the potential to display all the detail in 1080i signals, the most
common HD TV format) some showed very fine detail but others didn’t
make the most of the high resolution. Improved detail related to
1080p resolution alone doesn’t guarantee excellent images. If
consumers want the best possible quality and cost is no issue, CR
recommends shoppers buy a 1080p set. But if excellent picture
quality is top priority, consumers can save by buying one of the
best non-1080p TV sets instead.
Consider differences in reliability. Consumer Reports notes that
it’s too soon to know about the long-term reliability of many of
these TV sets and advises that consumers not rule out an extended
warranty for LCD television and plasma television sets, especially
for off-brands and expensive models. But the magazine also warns
that consumers should pay no more than 15 to 20 percent of the TV’s
cost. Microdisplays using LCD TV, DLP, or LCoS TV technology have
been the most repair-prone type during their first year of use
according to CR survey data. Toshiba DLP TVs have been less
repair-prone than most.
The full report on CR’s must-have advice for HDTV shoppers and the
latest Ratings of LCD television, Plasma television,
Rear-projection television and picture-tube TVs appears in the
March 2006 issue of Consumer Reports which goes on sale February 7,
2006 wherever magazines are sold. The report will also be available
online to subscribers of ConsumerReports.org at www.ConsumerReports.o
__________________________________________________________________________________
EA Drives Increased Efforts to Educate
Consumers on Transition to Digital Television; Industry
Agrees on Voluntary Label Program for Analog TVs
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2006--The Consumer
Electronics Association (CEA(R)) today announced a broad-based,
member-driven voluntary effort to help inform consumers about the
nation's transition from analog to digital television (DTV). The
effort will include a voluntary labeling program for TVs that have
only analog TV tuners, as well as general consumer education about
the transition to digital.
"We have reached an important milestone in the transition to DTV
with the adoption by Congress of the February 17, 2009 date for the
switch over to all digital broadcasting," said CEA President and
CEO Gary Shapiro. "CEA has long supported a cut-off date but our
job is not yet done. CEA and its members are now focused on
continuing to educate consumers about this exciting new era in
television."
The CEA Executive Board asked the Video Division Board to draft
and agree upon voluntary language for a Consumer Advisory Label to
help inform consumers about television sets that are equipped with
only an analog (NTSC) tuner. The language agreed upon is as
follows:
Notice: This TV has
only an 'analog' broadcast tuner so will
require a converter box
after February 17, 2009 to receive
over-the-air broadcasts
with an antenna, because of the
nation's transition to
digital broadcasting on that date, as
required by Federal law.
(It should continue to work as before
with cable and satellite
TV systems, gaming consoles, VCRs,
DVD players and similar
products.)
The Consumer Advisory Label will be placed prominently on analog
only TVs. CE manufacturers also will agree to include such language
permanently and conspicuously on the outside of the retail
packaging of analog-only TV. CEA and TV manufacturers are working
with retailers and others on implementation dates and overall DTV
consumer education, in order to have the broadest impact.
CEA forecasts that U.S. consumers will purchase more than 18
million DTV sets and displays this year, marking a 50 percent
increase over 2005 sales. Just within the first 8 weeks of 2006,
more than 1.6 million DTV units have been sold to dealers. This
represents a 60 percent increase over the same period in 2005. By
the end of 2006, CEA forecasts total DTV unit shipments will be
over 48 million. 2006 also marks a landmark year in which DTV units
- even HDTV units - will outsell analog television sets.
CEA also will continue its award-winning efforts to educate
consumers about the DTV transition. CEA's wealth of voluntary
education and promotional initiatives includes websites, printed
collateral and media outreach. CEA currently operates various
websites that promote the DTV transition through consumer and
retailer education. Resources can be found at www.ce.org/hdtv.
CEA will also reach out to consumer advocacy and other
organizations representing hard to reach populations to ensure the
educational materials reach a broader audience.
"We look forward to working with manufacturers, retailers,
government and all other industries involved in the switch to DTV
to develop and implement a vast array of consumer educational
programs," concluded Shapiro.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent
trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology
industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and
the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA
represents more than 2,100 corporate members involved in the
design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of
audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline
communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia
and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold
through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more
than $125 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available
online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for
information about the consumer electronics industry.
igh Hurdles in Digital-TV Race
With deadline ahead, television industry assesses nagging
issues
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/20/2006
Consumer-electronics manufacturers, broadcasters and legislators
descended on Washington last week for the Consumer Electronics
Association's Entertainment Technology Policy Summit. The mood was
upbeat, as set-makers spoke of the growing adoption of
high-definition TVs and programmers touted their increased HD
output.
But the tone at the show (co-sponsored by B&C) was at times
sober, as attendees spoke of the obstacles they must overcome
before analog TV gets turned off.
CEA chief Gary Shapiro said that, for the first time, set-makers
will sell more HDTV sets than analog TVs in 2006. The association
predicts 12.2 million sets with integrated digital tuners will ship
this year and 27.1 million DTV sets in 2009, when analog signals
are scheduled to cease.
Shapiro added that the DTV budget bill signed last month by
President Bush, which set the “hard date” of Feb. 17, 2009, for the
turnoff of analog signals, was a significant milepost in the
industry's long march to HDTV: “We, in essence, set the finish
line.”
But reaching that finish line remains an issue, given the
potential roadblocks.
In his keynote address, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said
most Americans don't realize that analog TV signals will cease in
2009. He called for a national campaign to educate consumers about
the turnoff and their options for receiving DTV service, which
include purchasing subsidized set-top boxes that will receive
digital signals and convert them to analog for viewing on older
sets.
“If we don't get this right,” Adelstein warned, “we could face a
tsunami of public outrage.”
He added that one of the major problems facing the transition is
that “consumers are buying up analog TVs at bargain-basement
prices” and creating a bigger universe of potentially obsolete
sets, despite set-makers' efforts to gradually integrate DTV tuners
into their products per federal mandate. He would like to see the
FCC work with the National Telecommunications & Information
Administration, which is overseeing the digital-to-analog
converter-box program, to create a “federal DTV task force” to
improve consumer awareness. He also called for more help from
consumer-electronics companies, the entertainment community and
broadcasters.
Even if “late adopters” get the message about the turnoff and
apply for their $40 subsidy for a converter box, there are concerns
about the boxes themselves. Electronics manufacturers say ATSC
(Advanced Television Systems Committee)-compliant receiver chips
are in their fifth generation of development and can reliably
receive DTV signals on small indoor antennas, but there is no
guarantee that the latest chips will be in low-cost DTV set-tops.
That may mean that people who buy the boxes will need to replace
their “rabbit-ear” antennas with specialized indoor antennas or
even install a rooftop antenna.
“You have no way of knowing what generation of chip you're
buying,” notes Ira Goldstone, chief technology officer for Tribune
Broadcasting. “If you're buying an HD set today, it doesn't say
'second-generation ATSC tuner' on it.”
CBS VP of Advanced Technology Bob Seidel says his network has
seen a broad range of performance in DTV tuners it has tested over
the years, and he believes differences in quality will get wider as
companies from China and Taiwan enter the digital-to-analog
converter-box market. “Some manufacturers will be looking to enter
the market with the lowest possible cost,” says Seidel. “So instead
of the $5 tuner, they might go with the $1.25 model.”
The suggested $40 rebate and projected $50 total cost of the
boxes is unrealistic, he adds, noting that CBS research indicates
that the price of the parts and the technology licenses for such
set-tops will add up to $40 per box before the retail markup.
Circuit City Chairman Alan McCollough, for one, doesn't like the
idea of a converter box in the first place, because DTV set-tops
are already a high-return item at the retail chain. Instead, he
would like to see broadcasters offer all their programming, both
analog and digital, in the widescreen format to spur consumers to
upgrade to DTV sets. “I'm suggesting all wide, all the time,” he
says.
Several attendees indicated a lack of confidence in
policy-makers. Brandon Burgess, CEO of Ion Media Networks (formerly
Paxson), says the government is at fault for failing to enact rules
on pressing issues like converter-box requirements, digital
must-carry and the broadcast flag. “Putting off rules is a way to
delay the hard date,” he says. “If it becomes apparent around
election time in 2008 that this thing isn't working, you are going
to see a delay in the hard date.”
Most agree there's a load of work to do before the hard date
arrives. Rick Chessen, former associate chief of the FCC media
bureau and now a lawyer with Washington firm Sheppard, Mullin,
Richter and Hampton, notes that 200 stations are not yet offering a
digital signal, 50% of DTV stations are still operating at low
power, and some 500 stations will be moving their DTV channel
assignments as part of the transition.
He says, “There is a very complicated dance that needs to happen
over the next two years.”
CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining
Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into
industry services, including technical training and education,
industry promotion, engineering standards development, market
research and legislative advocacy.
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