Digital World Insider: HDTV From A to Z

Do you fall off your chair whenever you hear the words high def? Go to Best Buy and Circuit City just for fun on a Friday night? Worry more about what your TiVo did today than what your spouse did?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then Digital World Insider is for you. Digital World Insider has all the latest news and information about Digital World magazine and the world of consumer electronics. In this first issue of Digital World Insider, I'll give you the scoop on the premiere issue of Digital World as well as what's going on at Digital World Online.

I Want My HDTV

HDTV is like Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream: One taste, and you're hooked. But the problems have always been price and accessibility: the cost of high-def TVs and equipment and the lack of adequate HD programming.

The past couple of years have seen big changes. For one, HDTVs are coming down in price. Although they're roughly the size of a baby whale, CRT-based HDTVs can now be had for less than $1000--and personally, I've been very happy with my two-year-old Sony baby whale. If you can afford to spend more for a flat-panel HDTV, check out "Screen Tests" from the premiere issue of Digital World.

We took eight 50- and 52-inch beauties--five plasma and three DLP HDTVs--into our lab and put them through rigorous testing that you won't see in most other AV magazines. We calibrated each display, then looked at DVD, standard-definition, and high-definition video samples. Six judges rated the screens' image quality in each of five different categories.

But what good is owning a fancy-pants HDTV set if you can't watch and record high-def content at will? Ahh. That's where the DirecTV HD DVR HR10-250 receiver and recorder comes in--reviewed in the first issue of Digital World by yours truly.

Now, I've reviewed a lot of gadgets and electronics in my ten years as a tech journalist. And most of the time, I return the device once I'm done with the review. But the DirecTV HD DVR still occupies valuable real estate on top of my TV cabinet. (I'll have to send it back eventually--really soon now, I promise.) Since I finished my review, I have recorded Seabiscuit in high-def; gotten hooked on HBO's Six Feet Under in HD; and watched the Olympics HD channel religiously. Even events like badminton and team synchronized swimming are fascinating when you're watching them in 1080i--seriously.

DirecTV's HD DVR is one of the best devices I've seen for receiving and recording high-def content. But recording this type of video--and even worse, archiving it--is still a hassle for most consumers, as Digital World Contributing Editor Michael Desmond can tell you. In his quest to record programs in high-def, he continually ran into roadblocks. The most frustrating part? It's not the technology that's slowing us down--it's the content creators, who don't want us to be able to record shows and movies at high quality. Read about Michael's experiences in his Tech At Home column.

Don't have the cash to buy an HDTV set just yet? No worries. If you install ATI's $199 HDTV Wonder PCI card into your PC, you can receive, record, and time-shift over-the-air HD broadcasts on your computer. Of course, you're limited by how good your reception is (usually, less than ideal), but it's a good, cheap way to dip your toes into the high-def world. Check out our online-only review of the HDTV Wonder.

Finally, if "high-definition" is a foreign concept to you, read PC World's "HDTV Answer Guide" for answers to basic questions and advice on how to set up a home HD system.

Also in Digital World

Of course, Digital World isn't just about HDTV--if it were, we'd call it HD World, which does sounds kind of sexy. Digital World is full of news, analysis, reviews, and tips covering the entire world of consumer electronics, home entertainment, and high-tech gadgets.

For instance, who says Apple's IPod reigns supreme? Not us. Sure, it's a great device--but it may not give you the best bang for your buck, and we're not afraid to say so. In "Digital Music: Here, There, and Everywhere," we tested nine digital audio players, from ultraportable to large-capacity, and picked our favorites.

Of course, digital music isn't just about the player. In that feature we also rate online music services and Wi-Fi-based digital-audio receivers for streaming music from your PC to your stereo. Plus we share our favorite tips for managing your music library, encoding your tunes, picking the best music software, and tricking out your player with the coolest accessories.

Digital World's also got advice for all you budding videographers. We interviewed three digital filmmakers who spilled their secrets on making your dream film on a budget. Read "Spielbergs on a Shoestring," then get cracking on that film.

Remember: just four months till Sundance 2005!

So you don't fancy yourself the next Spielberg? It's okay: neither do I. The extent of my creative ability is snapping a picture of my cat without cutting off his tail. So you can imagine just how much help I need when I'm working with a low-quality camera like the one on my cell phone. In "Popular Phonetography," find out how you can take cell-phone pictures that, well, aren't completely horrible.

Of course, there's tons more in the premiere issue of Digital World:

In her Skeptical Shopper column, Roberta Furger looks at a little-talked-about but probably devious practice that greatly affects the prices you pay for consumer electronics.

In his Gear To Go column, James A. Martin delves into the world of portable video players and the promise of television and video on the go.

In his Descrambler column, Michael Riggs tells you about the different types of AV cables and their ports. Read this column, and you'll never confuse "component" with "composite" ever again.

In "The Wallflowers Go Digital," we interview the popular band. Jakob Dylan and the guys are back in the studio working on another album--but they're also quite the gadget geeks. Find out the one techie diversion that just may keep them from finishing.

And Finally...

What do you do when you've finished reading your first issue of Digital World--besides reevaluate your current TV situation? Head to Digital World Online, where you'll find exclusive content like "The Home Theater Experience," a primer on how to set up a home theater system--complete with surround-sound audio. You can also read online-only reviews like "Onkyo's DVD Changer Spins a New Tune," which looks at the Onkyo DV-CP802 universal DVD player.

Done? Okay, now you can go to Circuit City. In fact, I might just see you there.

Cathy Lu is contributing news editor for Digital World magazine. She's also in love with her TiVo. But it's okay--her husband understands. Or, at least he says he does.