This week we're going to look at what kinds of 16:9 sets are out there as well as the three things most folks watch on 16:9 sets: Cable/Sat, DVD and the new HDTV standard.

Before you head into your favorite electronic shop keep this in mind. In 2006, all of the TV signals in the US will use the new HDTV standard and most broadcasters will start to phase out shooting shows in the 4:3 aspect in order to take advantage of the new 16:9 format. If this purchase is to replace your main TV for watching DVDs, you live in a big city or you have a dish or HDTV from your cable system, then you'll want to think hard about going with a 16:9 HDTV ready set.

Now then, there are three different kinds of TVs. Tube, Projection and Plasma.

If you're reading this and you don't have $5,000 for a set, forget plasma. Don't even look at it.

Tube is an option but only if your budget is over $1,500 and your ideal set size is around 30 to 35 inches. Tube gives the best video quality but it is also the most expense per inch of screen size.

Projection gives the most bang for the buck. That same $1,500 will put you in a nice 55-inch projection set. As with anything, there's a trade off. Projection sets have some issues with clarity if the signal is bad (like cable) and still has the "burn in issue." Projection TVs use color guns rather than tubes to shoot the image on to a screen. Leave a fixed image on the set for too long and it will burn a 'shadow' of that image's outline on your set forever (or until you pay out the nose to fix it).

To fit a 4:3 image on the 16:9 set, you get what is know as "barn doors." They work like the old letterboxes but for the sides as opposed to the top and bottoms. Tube sets handle this with no problem but projection sets leave the image on for too long and the barn doors burn into your screen. To fix this, projection sets have different stretching modes to reformat the image to remove the doors. Check these different modes out if you're looking at a projection set.

Now when you're ready to start checking out who has the best picture you want the salesperson to work a bit. You want to see three different signals go across the set. Cable/ Sat, DVD and HDTV. Cable/Sat will look the worst of the three. This is due to the compression of the signal by the provider so they can get more channels in the pipe. Digital cable doesn't matter since it has the same problem. Once you see who passes this test move to DVD.

The thing about DVD players is that you now have something called "Progressive Scan" on some high end modes. Since Progressive Scan takes advantage of the HDTV features in this set we're looking at they are often demo'ed with them. Make sure you ask since you can see the difference.

It's a common myth that DVD is the end-all be-all when it comes to picture clarity. That honor goes to HDTV. But DVDs on a 16:9 rock much more than on your standard 4:3. Need some visuals? Check out this great article on Anamorphic vs. Non-Anamorphic DVD

HDTV is the show closer; the one that's going to make you weak in the knees. And for that reason I'm saving it for next week.

Til then, be good