Sales of HDTVs are more than doubling each year, technology
advances are announced daily, and it's hard to keep up with this
heady pace. But it all sounds strangely familiar. Take a moment
to consider the personal computer market of 15 years ago. Back
in 1991...
* The computer you really wanted cost $3,000 or more;
* System specifications were a confusing mess of acronyms and
jargon, such as EGA and VGA, MHz and KB, IDE and DRAM, cache and
interleave;
* The technology was changing rapidly, making it hard to keep up
with the differences between the 80386 and 80386SX and the new
80486;
* If you walked into a computer store, you'd likely be confused
by the answers to your questions;
* If you went to more than one computer store, you'd find that
you'd be told conflicting answers to your questions; * Some
familiar brands such as IBM had personal computers, but you also
were confronted by a host of unfamiliar brands such as Swan and
Gateway and Sager and Packard Bell;
* Your purchase was going to have to last you at least five
years, so you wanted to make sure you bought a system that
wasn't going to be obsolete overnight; and
* You didn't want to make a stupid mistake, but it was hard to
get enough information to make a confident decision.
Fast-forward to 2006: this same list describes the current HDTV
and digital TV market, only the jargon and acronyms and brands
have changed.
Early adopters and high-end HD television enthusiasts either
have the time and interest to educate themselves, or have the
money to let someone else figure it out for them. These people
rely on the specialist magazines and custom HDTV installation
services.
As we climb into the fat part of the HDTV adopter curve,
however, we encounter HDTV buyers who are more concerned with
maximum results for minimum costs than with becoming experts in
high definition television on their own. They need a source of
independent, expert HDTV advice that will help them learn enough
to make a confident, informed decision about their HDTV and home
entertainment purchases, without having to invest a significant
amount of time and money in the process.
Alfred Poor's HDTV Resource Center is designed to meet the needs
of the "fat part" of the HDTV adopter market, providing access
to information that is presented in clear and accessible terms
that will help buyers understand the important issues so that
they can make up their own minds about which factors are most
important for their needs and tastes.
Alfred Poor has spent the last 20 years helping millions of
readers cope with the confusion surrounding personal computers
and related products, and has earned an international following
in the process. He now turns his skills and two decades of
experience to the HDTV and home entertainment market, with the
goal of helping bewildered readers cut through the confusion,
and make confident HDTV buying decisions.
About the author:
Alfred Poor has been one of the display industry's most
knowledgeable and influential analysts and journalists for the
past 20 years. His
HDTV
Resource Center and
HDTV
Buying Guides help consumers make sense out of the confusing
HDTV market. As an independent industry expert Alfred provides
expert advice consumers can trust.
