Confused about new TVs--hope not too OT

[ChrisW6ATV]

Veg-o-matic-

The best thing to do is probably go and look at some LCD TVs at local stores. The "bad news", but maybe good for what you want to see, is that most of the stores do not know how to switch and connect their TVs, so you will see more plain analog/non-hi-def signals on the LCDs in the stores anyway, and you can judge for yourself how they look. As rcaman said, Sony, Sharp, and Samsung are the better brands for LCD TVs (and they cost more than "no-name" brands, too). Look for a recent Consumer Reports magazine article on LCD TVs-they may have ideal advice for someone like you who is not interested in being a fanatic about HDTV but just wants something that looks good with the basics. If you are used to a 25" TV now, you should get a 27" or 32" LCD TV, depending on your space and budget. (All LCDs except a few smaller ones are "wide screen" now.)

Regarding all the buzz words and acronyms:

ATSC is the new "digital TV" for signals from an antenna, over-the-air, free TV. You should get a TV with this built-in, and at this point almost all TVs do have it, even the standard CRT TVs.

NTSC is the soon-to-go-away analog TV from antennas we have been watching since 1946. Most or all TVs still have this, too, but you will not need it after spring 2009.

QAM is the digital version of an analog "Cable-ready" TV, as most TVs have been since the 1980's. If you plan to keep using cable TV, and especially if you have the cheapest, basic cable service, QAM is definitely a good feature to have. All cable-TV systems will eventually be all-digital, and having QAM on your TV means you can still get your cable channels without paying for a cable box when they change to digital.