Digital video connections are the newest way to transfer signals, and they allow video information to remain in digital form from the source component all the way to the display. This promises the sharpest picture possible from HD sources. FireWire, also known as IEEE-1394, is one version, and it also carries compressed signals from your digital tuner to digital recording devices like D-VHS or some future HD-compatible, recordable DVD. The digital visual interface, or DVI, is another connection that passes a digital signal but won’t connect to recordable devices. For compatibility, make sure the display’s DVI connection is also equipped with the HDCP anticopying encryption/ decryption system. HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) adds encrypted digital audio streams along with the encrypted digital video information; is backwards-compatible with existing DVI devices; and will likely appear on DVD and HDTV components in the future.

Fortunately, there are numerous options to choose from when purchasing a TV set; however, you may not find a TV with all of the features discussed in this article. That being the case, get started by considering the ones that seem most important to you, and take it from there.

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 Plasma and LCD Displays
Rid yourself of that huge tube TV with one of these thin, flat panel TVs. Sizes, measured diagonally, range from 15-inch models in a 4:3 aspect ratio to 61-inch widescreen (16:9) plasma HDTVs.

 Direct View CRT Displays (27+ inches)
If you don’t need or can’t afford a flat panel, you can take comfort knowing that most CRT displays still look better. Here are listings of all the DTV-ready and integrated DTV models that are 27-inches and larger.