The approximate measurement in inches of the viewable area of the HDTV screen measured diagonally.

The amount of detail that a HDTV can display. Three standards are currently defined by the International Telecommunication Union for widespread use. The standards (best to worse) are 1080p, 1080i and 720p.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price.

Typical price of the HDTV in a store or from an online retailer.

A calculation of the cost per square inch of the HDTV screen. Computed by dividing the area of the screen (height x width), by the "Street Price".

• An ATSC tuner allows for reception of over-the-air digital television (DTV) signals with an antenna, in North America.
• An NTSC tuner allows for the reception of legacy analog NTSC broadcasts. Currently February 17, 2009 is the scheduled mandatory shut off date for all NTSC broadcasts in North America.
• A QAM tuner allows for direct reception of unscrambled digital cable channels without the use of a set-top box.

Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is a framework to allow consumers to easily and conveniently enjoy digital content using diverse devices from any location in their home. The framework utilizes a home IP Network, whether that network is wired, Wi-Fi or a mix of wired and Wi-Fi topology, to allow an exchange of data between digital devices.

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Remote control units that are packaged with HDTVs fall in to 3 distinct groups. From best to worse they are:

• “Multi-Brand Learning” remotes have a pre-programmed code library of commands for other manufacturer’s equipment, and also have the ability to learn commands not programmed in the library so you can use one remote for all of your equipment.
• “Multi-Brand” remotes have a built-in code library of commands for other manufacturer’s equipment, allowing you to control the basic functions of other equipment with one remote.
• “Basic” remotes will control only the HDTV set, and perhaps other equipment produced by the same manufacturer.

Standard manufacturer’s warranty, when the HDTV is purchased from an authorized dealer.

Picture-in-Picture (and its many aliases), allows you to view content from one source on one part of the screen and content from another (or the same) source on a different part of the screen. The original implementation of the feature was with one source being displayed on the full screen, and a picture from the second source displayed in a window on top of the full screen picture , usually in the corner of the screen. Later implemenations added the ability to size and move the window, split the screen, and freeze the image on the main or window section.

A Comb Filter clears up any fuzziness or discoloration in fine picture detail that may be introduced by RF and composite video connections limited bandwidth capabilities. The feature is only important if you will be using legacy VCRs and / or DVDs that are not equiped with a SVideo component or better conntection capibility. Comb filter type are (ranked from most to least effective): 3D Digital, 3-Line and 2-Line.

Reverse 3:2 Pulldown or de-interlacing as it is sometimes called will eliminate most, if not all, of the apparent subtle jerking you see in smooth camera pans. If you have never noticed the subtle jerking in smooth camera pans when watching a DVD, you already own (or plan to own) a progressive scan DVD, HD DVD or Blu-ray player, this feature will not be important to you.

120Hz refresh rate, is a technique used by LCD displays to help to minimize the blurring we detect when there are fast moving objects on screen. The technology works by doubling the native refresh rate of LCD displays from 60Hz (the screen image is redrawn 60 times per second) to 120Hz (120 times per second). If you will be using your HDTV to watch sports, action movies or play video games, this is a feature you will appreciate.

Channel or Video labeling provides you with the ability to label each channel (or input) for easy identification of the origins of the source content you are watching. With most digital cable systems, Directv, and Dish Netwrok , the television station call letters are transmitted with each channel, and will appear breifly on the screen when you change the channel. For typical TV viewing this feature is redundant, however if you have a complex setup with multiple components and broadcast feeds, this feature will be benificial.

Favorite Channels allow you to designate a collection of channels you watch frequently. Member channels in the grouping can be quickly accessed with the click of a single button, selected when the HDTV is powered on, and / or allow for channel surfing of only channels in the collection.

Allows you to see images from multiple channels on screen at the same time. A convience for habitual channel surfers.

V-Chip or Parental Control, as it is sometimes called, allows the blocking of television channels or programs. With V-chip technology, programs that have been rated are encoded with a signal of the rating. If the program’s rating is outside of the level set on the TV, the program is blocked. A password designated by the HDTV owner, will allow the block to be overidden. Most implementations of V-Chip allows for the blocking of a channel completely, which is a great way to handle unencoded content.

Allows the HDTV set to shut itself off after a preset period of time has elapsed.

Allows you to have the HDTV turn itself on and off at a designated time. This feature is not only a great convenience, allowing you to automatically turn on the set and set it to your favourite channel as you step out of the shower in the morning, it is also a safety feature. Many of us set our lights on timers to create the illusion that someone is home when we go on vacation, the illusion can be further enhanced with of the television’s event timer.

Indicates the current time.

Closed Caption (CC) or subtitles as it is commonly called, displays a written transcript of the dialog of television, video and film content. This allows people with hearing impairments or viewer watching in a noisy environment the opportunity to read the spoken dialog.

Auto Volume Adjust (level sound, night mode, or several other aliases), reduces the dramatic differences in volume levels that can occur between program and commercial segments, or dialog and special effects segments of programs.

SAP (Secondary Audio Programming) is a second audio channel that is transmitted with television programming. The second audio channel signal is audio in a second language. Televisions that posses SAP can decode audio broadcast in the second language.

Surround sound refers to the application of audio to channels to surround the listening audience in sound. With HDTVs usually possessing only 2 speakers, surround sound is achieved by using psychoacoustic sound localization techniques (tricking our ears) to simulate a 3-D sound field. SRS Surround is a patented psychoacoustic 3D technology of SRS Labs. There are four version of SRS surround for television applications; they are called “Focus”, “TruBass”, “WOW” and “TruSurround XT”.

The stated measurement of the maximum audio power output.

Audio Out is an unamplified low level audio output connection, which allows the audio signal from a HDTV to be sent to another audio component for further amplification. With a “variable” output, the final volume level heard by the listener is adjusted up and down by the HDTV volume control. With a “fixed” output the final volume level heard by the listener is controlled by the separate audio component(s) that the HDTV is connected to. “Selectable” offer the greatest flexibility allowing you to choose either the “variable” or fixed mode. “Fixed” output will give you better sound quality, while “variable” allows you the convenience of using or HDTV remote to control your listening volume.

SPDIF which stands for Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format is an audio connection designed to carry compressed digital audio between home theater components.

Digital Fiber is the optimum audio connection for sending compressed or uncompressed audio between audio components.

Digital Coaxial is a digital audio connection capable of sending compressed or uncompressed audio between, audio components. It is equal in sound quality to its fiber-optic counter-part digital fiber, but it is physically more robust than digital fiber. However, digital coaxial can suffer from electro-magnetic interference.

Simplay HD is a new independent testing program for consumer high definition equipment that tests HDMI interoperability and connectivity of products. The program tests high definition components and cables so that end users will be assured that products will provide the highest quality performance and work together seamlessly.

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CEC (Consumer Electronic Control) is an optional specification that is part of HDMI version 1.3a. This specification allows components to discover, communicate and self configure other CEC components in your system, so that optimal configuration becomes plug and play. For example, a feature know as “One Touch Play” will allow a CEC enabled Blu-ray player to switch the active source input on a CEC enabled HDTV, to the HDMI connection the player is connected to, simply by pushing the “Play” button.

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HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the next generation connection interface, capable of transmitting uncompressed video and audio digital streams. This connection is the optimum interface for connecting Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD, HD satellite receivers, HD cable set-top-boxes, video game consoles, AV receivers and new DVD players. You should purchase a HDTV with at least one of this type of interface.

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DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a video only digital interface that was designed to maximize the visual quality of digital display equipment. This interface type has been superseded by HDMI connection for use with HDTV, and it is now primarily used to connect computer video to flat Panel LCD and Plasma computer displays.

VGA (Video Graphics Array) is the ubiquitous 15 pin connector used to connect a computer to a standard analog computer display. If you plan to hook you computer directly to your HDTV and your computer only has a standard VGA graphics card, having one of these will simplify your connection. If your computer has a modern high performance Video adapter with a DVI connector, you will be able to use a DVI or HDMI connection (with the aid of a DVI to HDMI cable) on your HDTV and get superior performance.

IEEE 1394 (Also known as FireWire and i.Link) is a serial bus interface standard that offers high-speed communications, real-time data services, and allows up to 63 devices to be connected up together. IEEE 1394 has been chosen by HANA (High Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance) as the standard connection type for component communication and control.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a computer serial bus interface, designed to allow diverse peripheral connections using a standardised interface. USB devices allow for plug-and-play, without the need for device driver installation and equipment rebooting. HDTVs with this connection allow you to do things like view photo and other media stored on USB memory sticks directly on the HDTV set.

Component Video is the best analog video connection, which transmits video on 3 separate cables; one for color information, one for luminance (or greyscale) information and the final one for synch. If the component you are connecting to your HDTV doesn’t have a digital video connection, this is your best alternative.

Composite Video is a low quality legacy video only connection that uses a single wire to transmit video signals. At the dawn of the home video components market, this was the only video- only connection available.

SVideo or a Y/C connection as it is sometimes called is a legacy analog video- only connection that superseded composite video connections. SVideo separates the video signal into two separate signals; one signal carries the color information, and the second carries the luminance (greyscale) information.

RF is a connection that was designed to work with radio frequencies, making it an ideal connector for television antenna systems. RF connecting cables are typically implemented with coaxial cable, thus the connection has the alias “coaxial”. With the advent of cable television, RF connections became the standard way to connect a television tuner to a cable TV feed.

A Cablecard is a PCMCIA card similar to the ones used in laptops that has been designed to allow consumers to view and record encrypted digital cable. Under an FCC mandate, cable providers systems must allow the use of third party devices to access their encoded services, thus freeing consumer for using Cable Company owned set-to-boxes. The use of a cablecard simplifies the use of HDTV convenience features like picture-in-picture and TV-Guide.

Standard computer Ethernet connection.

Energy Star Compliance ensures that the HDTV uses significantly less energy when it is turned off.

Vesa (Video Electronics Standards Association) has defined standard configurations covering the mounting of flat panel monitors and displays to walls and on stands. The Flat Panel Mounting Interface (FDMI), defines the horizontal and vertical distances between mounting screw positions, as well as the depth and tread of the screws. Consumers benefit from this standardization safe in the knowledge that third party mounts will work with HDTVs that follow this standard.

The exterior dimensions of the HDTV.

The exterior dimensions of the HDTV, inclusive of its standard base or pedestal.

The weight of the HDTV set chassis.

The weight of the HDTV set, plus its standard base or pedestal.

Power consumed by the HDTV while in general operation.