If you do not/will not have HDTV service and are sticking with standard cable, what is the best tv to buy?

Question:

My Dad's tv just died, so he's looking to buy a new one. He's very old school, and refuses to order hdtv service, since his current cable company charges extra for it. I read that all standard staions will be broadcast in hdtv by 2009, but there's no telling when all cable stations will have to go hd. He will never get hdtv service unless there is absolutely no other way to watch cable channels. He also loves not having a cable box right now, and I don't think he even has digital cable, just standard (analog).

That being said, if he is to purchase a new flat screen right now, what is the best option for performance and cost efficiency? Should he get an EDTV? Should he get an "HDTV compatible" model, just in case he has to convert in the future? Also, what kind of screen? LCD? Plasma? Rear Projection? And what features should he look for in a new model? He only uses it to watch tv, with no vcr or dvd player, and he mostly watches sports and news.

Answer:
He can get an SDTV..that's a Standard Definition TV set with a Digital Tuner that gets all the HDTV stations, but displays it on an OLD SCHOOL picture tube.

They are Real Cheap in the 27 inch size.

sony lcd or philips are my favs--- i don't get this whole hdtv---i can see the actors flaws---ewwww

Just a couple notes, you might specify what size TV your Dad is looking for (27", 42", etc). If you are getting a large TV you might actually want something with better resolution (HD). Plasma is the most expensive typically but often has a better picture than LCD, or CRT.

It sounds like your dad should just get one of the old CRT (tube) TV's that is compatible for a digital signal in the future. The idea is that the old CRT (tube) TV's are much less expensive (but quite a bit heavier) than LCD TV's. So, if weight is an issue, you should aim for a LCD TV with digital capabilities.

Basically, you'll see that most all of the televisions they sell now are designed to handle the new digital signals (HD or not) but they will simply downgrade the image for a non HDTV.

Myself, I have a LCD HDTV (built-in HD tuner) with standard cable and I have found that I receive channels in HD straight through co-axial cable (without a cable box). I agree with your dad, I don't like having a cable box and I was happy to see that I didn't need one to receive these HD signals.

If he is just watching regular TV, you should probably NOT get an HDTV set. Why? HDTV's don't display regular TV signals very well. The picture is bigger but grainy. You're probably better off getting a regular CRT type TV set for him. When everything goes digital, he will probably have to get a cable box though.

If you do not/will not have HDTV service and are sticking with standard cable, what is the best tv to buy?

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