A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

GIVE ME GLAMOUR AND SEDITION: Matt's picture below prompted a few questions and suggestions about how to pick a high-definition television. My thoughts are below, and then we can open it up for discussion:

1. I can't really tell the difference between plasma and LCD picture quality, but there is a huge difference between those and the projection TVs. When I watch a projection TV in a bright room, it seems dim, and sometimes the viewing angle can make it worse. The LCD and plasma models are much more expensive, but there's a reason beyond just the flatness. If you love TV and want the best possible TV experience, save up and get something that gives off, rather than reflects, light.
   
2. When I bought my TV, there weren't any affordable (relative term when you're talking about $3000 tvs, I know) models that had better than 720p resolution. That means 720 horizontal lines of video all the time (the "i" you sometimes see means "interlaced," so 720i would mean that there are 720 lines on your TV, but you only see every other one -- the 360 odd lines alternate frames with the 360 even lines). Now you can, and should, get 1080p. That's more than four times the clarity of your old standard TV.
   
3. A lot of models include a tuner and speakers, and you get charged for them. If you have a satellite or cable box -- and who gets an HDTV without having one or the other? -- then you don't need a tuner. If you plan on running your TV through your own sound system, you don't need speakers. See if you can get as high-quality a monitor for a lower price by finding a TV that doesn't have these unnecessary features.
   
4. Pay attention to the peripherals. How many input slots are there? You're probably going to want at least three (we have two lines running in from our TiVo -- an HD and a standard-def line, plus a line for the DVD player; if you have or are planning to get a console video game or a Blu-Ray player, you may need more slots, and in my experience the aftermarket splitters degrade the signal). Can you replace the inputs, so that you can swap an HDMI input for a coax or component video slot? How easy is it to get the replacement parts?
   
5. This is just personal preference, but I don't think burn-in is really a problem for the plasma. Native aspect ratio for non-HD tv is distracting to me (the bars on the side are so sad), so we toggle back and forth between 16:9 for HD and the justify setting for the 4:3 non-HD programming. It took about two days to get over the vertigo from the justify setting (it keeps the middle of the picture true while stretching the sides; it works a little like a fishbowl lens that has no top or bottom). Now we only notice it when it gives the unflattering appearance of sudden weight gain to the people standing off to the side.
   
6. If you're wondering whether you should get HDTV, find somebody who has HDTV and watch two shows with them: a basketball or night football game, and a program involving beaches (you can cast about for a suitable nature show or Lost, but frankly, I think there is an episode of Swimsuit Destinations on the HD channel at all times). If nothing in you goes "holy crap" when you see the little droplets of rain on Eli Manning's helmet or realize that a regular TV just lacks the visual vocabulary to convey the expansiveness of the ocean, then you really don't need HDTV and should be happy to save the money.
   
7. If you're still not sure whether you want it, wait. Prices keep coming down and quality keeps going up. HDTV will still be there later when you change your mind, and you won't stress about spending a lot of money for something that the new models obsoleted in the next year.

I know not everybody will agree with all of this, but those are my thoughts.