Buying a New TV

Hmmm.. I just bought a 34" HDTV. I chose to go with a CRT (traditional picture tube) TV.

For what's going to happen you can find out just about everything you'd need here:
http://www.ce.org/publications/books_references/dtv_guide/default.asp

They cover all of the current news on HDTV and have a listing of all of the US channels that broadcast in HD. Check out their quarterly guide archives for lots of info.

To stay under $1000 in that category you'll be pretty limited in selection on CRT based models. There are only two manufacturers that have models that can do 1080i in the under $1000 category. Those are Samsung and Phillips and I think you'd be stuck at the 30" models unless you find a good sale (I happened to pick up a Phillips 34" Widescreen HDTV for $899 but it was a "last one in the store!" sale. It was regulalrly $1499.)

You won't find a LCD or Plasma model in that size for under $1000. The largest selection choice would probably be in rear-projection models.

Just a word on HD in general: "Normal" TV is broadcast in "480i" format. "HDTV" is broadcast in 720p, or 1080i formats. There are also TVs sold as "EDTV" (Extended Definition Television). The formats they can handle are all different except that EDTV can NOT handle 1080i. Usually they can do 480p and/or 720p.

Lots of stores try to pass off EDTVs as HDTVs. Technically I suppose they are (they CAN do 720p which is a HDTV format..) but I wouldn't waste my money on one. Make sure whatever you buy is capable of displaying true 1080i.