Hitachi Tv Repair

TECHNOLOGY | With a DIGITAL FUTURE ahead, TV is finally thinking outside the box.

WATCHING the Masters' tournament for the first time on a digital high-definition television (HDTV), Rick Cathcart was struck by a few things. Even at a distance, the individual blades of grass on the green and the dimples on the golf ball were drawn in intricate, razor-sharp detail. So were the players' faces. "You could tell that it had been three or four hours since they shaved. You could see who had had a restless night and who had gotten a good night's sleep," says the Redwood City, Cal., resident.

Watching Patti LuPone singing at the White House in high definition, Gene Cowan, an art director in Washington, D.C., could pick out the singer's out-of-place strands of hair. "Then the camera pulled back, and what struck me was the color. The color palette on a regular TV set is very muted, but here the blues were blue, the reds were red, the greens were green. The colors were unbelievable."

In La Plata, Md., David Kemp popped a DVD of Twister into his digital home theater to play for family members on a rainy night. "People couldn't tell if the thunder was from outside or from the movie," he says.

TV--and the stuff you watch on it--is in the throes of a digital revolution. Unlike TV's traditional analog format, digital technology transmits pictures and sound as a computer transmits data, allowing programs to be crammed with enhancements such as crystal-clear pictures, surround sound, even interactive features such as Web sites or a choice of camera angles.

To view digital programs, you'll need a digital TV set. There are two kinds: high definition (HDTV) and standard definition (SDTV). SDTV is an updated version of today's television, offering clearer pictures and sound than analog TV--but not nearly as crisp as HDTV. SDTV sets are slowly showing up in stores, but since they have neither the ultra-high-resolution dazzle to appeal to well-heeled videophiles nor the price tags to go home with mainstream consumers (most sets cost well over $1,000), they're not exactly selling like hotcakes.

Part of SDTV's problem is that most digital-TV stations are programming for SDTV as if it were ordinary analog TV. None is making use of SDTV's best feature: the ability to send multiple signals simultaneously over the same channel. "If stations start broadcasting three or four SDTV channels, then people will become aware of it," says Cahners In-Stat senior analyst Michelle Abraham. You could flip between a cooking show on channel 2.1, an exercise class on 2.2, and a sitcom on 2.3, all broadcast by a digital channel 2. So far, that hasn't happened, and in any case it is HDTV--digital's premium product--that's in the spotlight.

In early 1998 an HDTV set was priced at $8,000 for a 55-inch model. Now, a similar set can be had for $5,000. The trickle-down is being pushed along by falling component prices and zooming demand: In the first three months of this year, retail outlets sold about one-third of all the 123,000 digital TVs sold thus far, according to tracking group NPD Intellect.

But considering that a nondigital 55-inch TV set would run about $1,800, the question is, is digital for you?

Digital doubt

IF YOU'RE a dedicated video groupie, you've probably already decided that the answer is yes. You've likely been to a store that sells digital TVs, mouth clamped shut to keep from drooling at the razor-sharp resolution and lush colors of an HDTV set. You probably also know that HDTV programming is pretty slim. But, damn it, you don't care. You will have that box.

You're hardly alone. HDTV's ultra-crisp resolution--up to 1,080 horizontal lines, more than twice that of an analog set--is winning enough consumers over that Cahners In-Stat expects HDTV shipments to retailers will more than double this year. And prices have been edging down. Hitachi, Panasonic and Toshiba sell 36-inch sets that are "HD ready" for $2,200 to $2,800. This type of set--also called an HD monitor--might be considered a toe-in-the-water approach to HDTV because it needs a set-top decoder box. The box is currently priced at $500 and up (RCA sells a 36-inch monitor with decoder box included for $2,500). Even without decoders, these sets will make regular TV channels, DVDs and VCR tapes look considerably sharper.

You'll see more of these sets than higher-priced "integrated" HDTVs, which have a high-definition decoder built in. Retailers are pushing HD-ready sets so that consumers can put off buying a decoder box until the skimpy lineup of HDTV programming bulks up (and the decoder boxes themselves come down in price).

HDTV is no exception to the rule that you get what you pay for. Ironically, you'll notice the most difference between high- and low-end sets in the quality of the line doublers, which controls how well the set improves the picture for standard analog programs and DVDs. Also, wide-screen HDTVs are usually more expensive than their traditionally shaped counterparts. Since high-definition broadcasts are in a wide-screen format, square sets have to squish the picture down to fit in the whole image.

Another caveat: Finding qualified service technicians for a new, exotic product such as high-definition television can be a hassle. Gene Cowan is in a running battle with Hitachi over picture-tube problems in the 36-inch HDTV set he bought a year ago. "The repair people they send say either `I don't know, find someone else,' or `I don't see anything wrong with it,'" he says.

I want my HDTV

WHAT LITTLE HDTV programming there is comes from scattered sources--mostly over-the-air broadcasts. That means you'll probably need a professionally installed outdoor antenna to pull in digital stations, depending on how strong the signal is where you live. The bright side: You'll have none of the snow, "ghosting" or other fuzziness you remember from trying to tune an analog TV. Digital signals come across crystal clear--or not at all.

So what's on? Since last fall, CBS has gone far beyond the other networks to broadcast most of its primetime lineup in HDTV. Don't thank CBS. It's set maker Mitsubishi that's bearing the additional postproduction costs, to boost sales of its sets. Big-ticket sporting events are emerging as an HDTV favorite, including this year's Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four (NBC, however, won't be showing any Olympic events in HDTV). ABC showed Monday Night Football in high definition last year, thanks to support from Panasonic (the network hasn't decided if it will repeat the broadcasts in the fall). And public TV stations such as WRAL (Raleigh, N.C.), KCTS (Seattle) and WETA (Washington, D.C.) are producing their own documentaries in HDTV, some of which are shown on a loop sent to all PBS affiliates.

Keeping tabs on all this doesn't have to be difficult. For a one-time $35 charge, you can get a daily e-mail of high-definition program listings and reviews (sign up at hdtvmagazine.net).

Content discontent

THE EFFORTS OF ambitious broadcasters, however, are good only for viewers who live within range of their digital signals. For TV stations, going digital often means expensive upgrades like building a new broadcast tower. Of about 1,600 full-power TV stations in the country, only 99 have completed the transition to digital broadcasting, and those are mostly in the 30 largest cities.

Direct-satellite broadcasters EchoStar and DirecTV send the channels that HBO and Showtime use for HDTV programs (monthly packages that include these channels start at $31 for EchoStar and $48 for DirecTV). But to receive local stations in high definition, you'll still need an antenna.

Since nearly 70% of television viewers subscribe to cable, getting cable systems to broadcast in high definition is a make-or-break issue for HDTV. Most cable companies are converting to digital networks, but that's not the same as digital television--the systems are using the upgrades to squeeze in more analog channels and provide high-speed Internet access instead. Some systems, such as Cablevision and Time Warner in New York City and Cox in Omaha, are providing a few channels in HDTV, but most cable operators are taking a wait-and-see tack. And it will probably be late 2001 before cable-compatible HDTV sets hit retail floors, anyway.

On the whole, HDTV owners are as frustrated by the lack of programs in high definition as they are dazzled by the ones they do see. Carlton Rice was disappointed that NBC, which he remembers as a trailblazer when color TV was introduced, chose not to broadcast the NBA playoffs in high definition. "I think the networks are very myopic in their views," the Laurel, Md:, man says. "In my mind, there is not enough content."

So it's not too surprising that a lot of digital-TV purchases have nothing to do with what's on the air. What's selling digital television is all those DVD players, says Greg Tarr, executive editor of This Week in Consumer Electronics. But Tarr notes that you'll need a pricey progressive-scan DVD player to take full advantage of HDTV's superior resolution. Another big draw for DVD fans is the wide screen of many digital sets, which means you can watch a movie-size picture without top and bottom black bars.

If you're skittish about the digital transition, you have plenty of time to make up your mind. The Federal Communications Commission has set a 2006 deadline for the changeover to all-digital TV, but a Congressional Budget Office report last year concluded that the transition would probably drag on longer in many areas. Even after the switch, digital-to-analog converters will be available.

By then, it might be getting harder to find an old-fashioned TV set in the first place. Manufacturers Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Pioneer, for example, have all announced that they'll no longer make analog TVs after next year.

--Reporter: JAMES RAMAGE

RELATED ARTICLE: CARS | Entertainment

MOBILE TAKES "ARE WE THERE YET?" OUT OF TRAVEL

The license-plate game and highway bingo don't distract today's kids for long. But for $400 to $3,000 or more, you can transform your minivan or SUV into a mobile home theater. Choices include DVD or VHS cassette decks, TV tuners, rocking surround sound, and even video games.

The companies that make mobile video systems have various ways to retrofit your vehicle. Some systems feature ceiling-mounted units with flip-down LCD monitors that may replace the dome light. Other monitors, which are often more expensive to install, can be inserted in the back of front seats or headrests. With either of these options, the actual DVD or cassette deck goes wherever there is room, such as under a seat.

The least-expensive systems to install combine a monitor and VCR or VCP (short for videocassette player, which plays but does not record tapes). Such consoles replace any existing storage compartment between the front seats.

All these systems come with jacks for video games, camcorders and other tech toys. Headsets are usually wireless. All systems include a wireless remote control. Some offer monitors with TV tuners, but it may not be worth paying extra because TV reception varies when you are moving.

Here are some systems to consider. To find a dealer near you (or to see if a system will match your vehicle), call the number listed or go to the Web site.

Alpine Electronics (800-257-4631; www.alpine1.com) will offer a 6.8-inch ceiling-mounted LCD monitor late this summer in addition to its 6.5-inch model that installs in the back of a front-seat headrest. Both types cost $800, and the VCR adds another $400. With installation, a single overhead monitor and VCR runs up to $1,800; a system with two headrest monitors and a VCR costs up to $2,800. A DVD player that also plays music CDs costs $1,200. A Dolby Digital 5.1 processor (a $600 add-on for the DVD player) adds home-theater surround sound.

Audiovox (800-645-7750; www.audiovox.com) makes a custom ceiling-mounted system for many models of SUVs and minivans, and also offers a universal ceiling-mounted system that fits most other vehicles. The 6.4-inch or 6.8-inch flip-down LCD screen with a VCP (in a console) lists for $1,200 without a TV tuner, $1,400 with a tuner. With installation, an overhead system will run between $1,800 and $2,400. An EZ Fit console, with a built-in VCP and a 5-inch traditional screen, costs about $600 installed and can be bolted into the floorboard between the front seats.

Audiovox's new $400 Video in a Bag is a portable system that requires no installation. It has a tiny, 4-inch flip-up LCD monitor, a VCP and built-in speakers. It hangs by nylon straps and S-hooks on the back of the driver's or front-passenger's seat, or between the two seats.

Panasonic (800-211-7262; www.panasonic.com/consumer _electronics/caraudio/mobile .htm) offers a dashboard-mounted DVD player (51,199) and a 7-inch LCD monitor ($1,099), which can be installed between the front seats. The DVD player can also play music CDs. You can use your vehicle's speakers or, for a theater sound, you can add a Dolby/DTS processor to drive front, rear, center and subwoofer speakers ($800). Installation can run about $200.

Rosen Products (800-284-7677; www.rosenproducts .com/autovideo.html), whose AutoVideo for SUVs and minivans is available at Best Buy, gives you a lot for your money. Prices, which include installation, start at $1,099 for a 5.6-inch ceiling-mounted LCD monitor, VCP, wireless remote and TV tuner with a built-in antenna (headphones are extra). The $1,699 system is virtually the same, except that it comes with a 6.4-inch monitor and wireless headphones.

Visteon (800-847-8366; www.evisteon.com) makes an $1,849 overhead system (including installation) for a long list of SUVs, and a new universal system for mini-vans for the same price. It includes a 6.4-inch, flip-down LCD screen, VCR, TV tuner with a built-in antenna, infrared remote control, two sets of wired headsets (wireless ones are optional) and, to delight your kids, a Nintendo 64 game system. Visteon also makes a console model ($1,499) that has basically the same features but has a VCP and lacks the TV tuner.

--RONALEEN R. ROHA

RELATED ARTICLE: DIGITAL IN EIGHT EASY LESSONS

Buying a digital television means learning a bit of the digital dialect. Before you hit the showrooms, make sure you familiarize yourself with some of the key terms:

INTERLACING. The way analog TV works: The picture tube first draws all the even-numbered lines, then all the odd-numbered lines.

PROGRESSIVE SCAN. The way a computer monitor works: All lines are drawn sequentially from top to bottom.

HDTV. Digital sets capable of displaying a very high number of horizontal lines: 1,080 for interlaced or 720 for progressive (hence "high definition").

SDTV. Digital standard-definition sets: 480 progressive lines of resolution.

ASPECT RATIO. The shape of the screen. Regular TVs are a squarish 4 by 3; HDTV was designed for cinemalike 16 by 9 screens (though 4-by-3 HDTVs are generally cheaper).

REAR PROJECTION. A system to project images from within a TV set. Used for screens 40 inches and bigger.

DIRECT VIEW. The standard system for TVs smaller than 40 inches. Digital televisions can be either direct view or rear projection.

PLASMA. The screen used for flat, hang-on-the-wall TV sets. Most plasma sets are standard-definition digital, but Pioneer sells a 50-inch high-definition model for $20,000.

COPYRIGHT 2000 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group

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