Tips for TV buyers: How to decide on a screen size

Many buyers don’t know how big an LCD or plasma TV they should get, especially if they've been watching a small screen for years.

In general, bigger is better—up to a point, of course. A big screen enables you to fully appreciate the fine, sharp detail of HD content, which can make viewing more compelling and create more of a theater experience. Here are some guidelines to help you settle on the right TV screen size:

If this is your first flat-panel TV, don’t base your decision on the size of your old picture-tube set. Back in the day, most of us were happy with 27-inch or 32-inch sets—and some lucky ducks had 36-inchers—but you don’t have to settle for that anymore. There are now much larger screens available, and high-definition picture quality is good enough to be viewed in a much larger size.

We believe that most consumers would be happiest with at least a 40- to 42-inch LCD or plasma TV for a main TV viewed regularly, and many would prefer a 46- to 50-inch set. Those sizes might sound large compared to what you had before, but consider a few points. First, the slim size of flat-panel TVs means they’re not as overwhelming in a room as a bulky picture-tube set.

Commentary: Goodbye, my old friend – Analog TV

The switch over from analog to digital TV signals on June 12, 2009 marks a definite end to the familiar, decades-old way television programs arrive into millions of American homes.
[ stock photo courtesy of: Kenn Kiser ]

June 12, 2009. The day analog television died. We all knew this day was coming, but that doesn't lessen the pain. Allow me to offer a eulogy for my dear old friend.

Given that I'm a Gen-Xer and a native son of New York City (media capital of the world), it's no surprise that TV was a big part of my life growing up. I spent a lot of time (maybe too much) in front of that glowing screen. Ask me my favorite happy childhood memories and I can immediately list: The Sesame Street gang teaching me my A-B-Cs (PBS, Channel 13); watching School House Rock on ABC Saturday mornings. (Who knew that catchy ad-like jingles could teach you stuff and be fun? "Conjunction Junction, what's your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses..."); and watching movies at 4:30 weekday afternoons instead of doing homework. (Thanks, WABC Channel 7—especially for the many “Godzilla” weeks!)

Maybe I had a sheltered childhood, but over-the-air TV opened up a wonderful world of entertainment (and learning)—all for free... using just a simple antenna. It captivated millions of others, including the nearly 106 million Americans who watched the finale of M*A*S*H, the more than 90 million who discovered first-hand, who shot "J.R." on Dallas, and the nearly 53 million who watched Friends go for that one last cup of coffee at "Central Perk." Truly free TV was indeed powerful in its day.

DTV transition takes full effect today

Friday June 12, 2009 marks the end of all analog broadcasts from nearly all but a minority of television stations in the United States.
[ stock photo courtesy of: Doru Lupeanu ]

DTV day has finally arrived, after what seems like the longest ramp-up in history. Here’s what you can expect, and what you should do, as full-power TV stations pull the plug on analog broadcasts and go all-digital.

Watch the clock. Stations will be cutting off analog broadcasts at various times during the day. Some made the switch in the wee hours of the morning while we slept, as soon as the date rolled over to June 12. Most will be making the change sometime between noon and 11:59 p.m. tonight, according to the FCC. You can telephone your local stations to see when they'll be doing the deed.

Run a channel scan. This will pick up any new digital stations that just became available and stations that just increased their transmission strength. Because some stations might be changing over late in the day, rescan your channels again tomorrow, on June 13. For more help, check out our video guide to setting up and using a DTV converter box.

Check for new channels. You might find extra "side channels" with different programming from major networks. They should come up (as 2.1 or 2-1, for example) as you surf using the channel up/down button on the remote.

Get help. The FCC's toll-free help line, 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) is currently up and running 24 hours a day. The 4,000 agents on duty can answer a question or tell you whether free, in-home local assistance is available in your area from a source such as AmeriCorps or your local fire department. You can also get hands-on help at one of the 600-plus walk-in centers set up nationwide. The FCC's online DTV hub has all this information and much more.

Look for analog holdovers. You might find that some stations in your area are still sending analog signals. There are thousands of stations (technically called low-power stations, Class A stations, and TV translator stations) that did not have to discontinue analog broadcasts as of today. Many operate in more remote areas. If you have a DTV converter box connected to your TV, you'll need to use the box's analog pass-through feature to get those analog stations in addition to the digital broadcasts you can now get. If the box you bought does not have this feature, you can connect the equipment in a way that will allow you to pull in both types of broadcasts. A diagram in the brochure DTV Made Easy shows how to connect your gear. (If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can download a copy of DTV Made Easy here. —Eileen McCooey

DTV converter coupons are flowing again

If you're one of the millions of people who’ve been placed on a waiting list to receive DTV converter-box coupons, there’s some good news: According to the NTIA, you should have your coupons by the end of next week at the latest.

And for those who either never applied for coupons but wish to do so, or who have coupons that have since expired, there's still time to act. Just visit the DTV coupon website at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx, or call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009), to reapply. As in the past, each eligible household can receive up to two $40 coupons. The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), the agency spearheading the DTV coupon program, says with the waiting-list backlog now cleared, it should take on average about nine days to receive a coupon after you apply.

The coupon program has been restarted thanks to the recently passed stimulus package, which allocated some $650 million to the DTV coupon program. In addition to funding more coupons, the NTIA says the money is being used to streamline the applications process to reduce waiting, and to help the agency reach "the most vulnerable populations" via local outreach efforts. The renewed funding of the coupon program follows a decision by Congress to delay the analog cutoff for over-the-air broadcasts until June 12, 2009. One of the main reasons was that the government ran out of money to fund the DTV converter-box coupons, leaving some 4 million people on a coupon waiting list. These coupons can be used to help offset the cost of buying one of these boxes, which make over-the-air digital signals usable on older TVs that won’t work after June 12.

DTV tips: Choosing and using an antenna

There are many factors that will affect your digital TV reception, as we've mentioned in many other posts, in our DTV transition guide, and in our buying advice on DTV converter boxes. Two of the most critical—and related—factors are your location and your antenna.

There are plenty of antennas that can pull in over-the-air DTV signals. (And as many visitors here on our blog have noted, you do not need to pay for those pricey "HDTV antennas" seen in some stores and online sites. Any TV antenna designed to receive VHF and UHF signals can work under the right circumstances.)

But choosing the right antenna for your setup depends largely on your physical location. Tall trees, hills, and buildings can degrade, or even block, sensitive digital signals. Distance is a factor as well. How far and in which direction your local TV stations' transmitters are located relative to your home will affect your antenna choice, too.

Since there are so many factors in finding the right antenna, Consumer Reports can't recommend a specific antenna that will work for you. What works best here in our hilly Yonkers headquarters (roughly 18 miles from the local New York City TV transmitters on the Empire State Building) might not be the best choice for you. But, here are some tips that might help if you're having difficulties in receiving DTV signals:

Indoor antennas. Start first with the lowest-cost option—a UHF/VHF antenna you already own or a low-priced indoor model from an electronics store. Some cost $20 or less. Simple "rabbit ear" antennas with just two arms won't work because they pull in only VHF stations. Indoor antennas tend to work best if you're located within a few miles of your local TV stations. Since the wood and/or metal within your home's walls might interfere with and degrade digital signals, try physically relocating your indoor antenna around various parts of the room—preferably near a window facing the direction of your local TV transmitters.

DTV transition: A third of stations are all-digital as of today

Despite the recent bill to delay the date by which all of the nation's full-power television stations will turn off their old analog transmitters and go to all-digital broadcasting, more than a third of all stations will be digital-only by the end of today—originally the final day of the DTV transition.

Some 432 of the nation's 1,795 full-power television stations have received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to turn off their analog signals today. That's on top of an additional 220 such stations that have already switched over to digital.

The agency had said that how many viewers in a market are prepared for the transition would be considered when deciding whether to grant requests. And in 25 markets where all of the major network affiliates had asked to turn off their analog signals on February 17th the FCC added some additional requirements. At least one of the stations in those markets will have to continue analog broadcasts, at least for local news, emergency information, and instructional programming on the digital switchover.

DTV delay likely

It looks like analog TV broadcasts, now scheduled to end in just two weeks, will be around for another few months. In a vote this week, the House is expected to okay a bill that pushes the DTV transition to June 12—almost four months beyond the original Feb. 17 deadline.

The House last week nixed the bill in its first pass, but a revised proposal up for vote on Feb. 4 is almost certain to get thumbs up from a simple majority of representatives. The Senate has already approved a delay, so once the House has given the green light, President Obama can clinch the deal with a stroke of his pen.

A June deadline would provide time to solve problems with the coupon program—currently out of money—and to ease the way for consumers unsure of what they will need to get digital TV broadcasts via antenna. (Cable and satellite subscribers aren't affected.) Additional funding for coupons, expedited delivery, and education is included in the Obama administration's stimulus package, so the next question is—when will that bill be passed?

Stay tuned to our Electronics Blog for more Digital TV transition information.

Bill to extend DTV transition fails—for now, at least

Sometimes momentum isn't everything. Despite being approved in the Senate, and backed by advocacy groups including Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, the bill to extend the deadline for the shutoff of analog TV was defeated today in Congress. But advocates, including Consumers Union, are still working to try and pass the measure soon.

With 258 members voting in favor and 168 opposed, the measure fell about 30 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage today. Advocates are asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the DTV extension up to the House floor tomorrow, when it will require only a simple majority vote for passage.

House representatives who opposed the bill cited a number of reasons, including its cost. (An additional $650 million would have been allocated to the program to provide coupons to reimburse at least part of the cost of DTV converter boxes for older analog TVs. Proponents of delay counter by saying the funds are a small percentage of the $19 billion the government is earning from auctioning off the spectrum now being used for analog TV broadcasts.)

As we've emphasized before, the decision—and the transition to digital broadcasting itself—has little or no effect on cable and satellite subscribers. But if you receive over-the-air local broadcasts from an antenna, the transition is important, as we cover in our general advice.

"With over 3 million requests for coupons on a waiting list at the Commerce Department, consumers today have been told they're on their own," Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst for Consumers Union. "We're hopeful that the minority in the House will work with Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats and the new administration to come to a bipartisan compromise and give consumers relief for what has become a federal unfunded mandate."

We'll keep an eye on what happens next concerning the DTV transition—and other issues—in our new "morning update" blog postings. And check back here on the Electronics Blog for help and advice on digital converter boxes and DTV transition advice.

DTV transition delay gets bipartisan support

As we head into the weekend, the proposed delay in the imminent shutoff of over-the-air analog TV broadcasts is looking like a stronger bet.

Though the February 17 date stands as of now, a bipartisan compromise that would delay the transition until June 12 was made official today in Washington D.C. and will go to a vote in the Senate next week. The telecommunications advocates at the Washington office of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, are hopeful that the compromise deal will pass in the Senate. A House vote will follow.

Also, the Obama administration yesterday appointed as interim chairman of the Federal Communications Commission a commissioner, Michael J. Copps, who had publicly expressed support for the delay. (Adobe Acrobat required.)

As Washington works this out, meantime, many Americans who receive over-the-air broadcasts to older TV sets can and should continue to equip those sets to receive new digital signals. We've added the new video at right to our advice and assistance on the DTV transition. Featuring test engineer Chris Andrade, it offers step-by-step advice on how to set up and troubleshoot the DTV converter box and UHF antenna that are required to receive digital signals to an older analog set.

Not sure if you need a box? Consult our Guide to the DTV Transition or watch our free video "Guide to DTV converter boxes." Not sure which box is best for your needs? Consult our Ratings of more than 30 boxes, available free. Looking to get one of the $40 coupons issued by the federal government to subsidize the cost of a new box? For now, the subsidy program is out of money, but you can get on a waiting list to receive a coupon at http://www.dtv2009.gov.

—Paul Reynolds

Are you ready for green TV?

Flat-panel TVs, especially plasma TVs, consume a good deal of power—perhaps more than your fridge, as we found when we tested the power consumption of a range of TV types recently. But how much do you care about that?

We ask because some TV manufacturers, when they gather at events like the Consumer Electronics Show, say that energy consumption and other green considerations aren't yet a high-priority concern for a critical mass of consumers. And that, they say, makes them reluctant to compromise on attributes that are clear consumer priorities, like low prices and bright screens, in order to boost greenness.

Yet greener computers and monitors have entered the market. Why? In part because the federal government buys millions of those products every year and insists that 95 percent of them meet environmental standards set by EPEAT—the Electronics Product Environmental Assessment Tool. The standards stipulate that desktops, laptops, and monitors contain fewer toxins like lead and mercury, be Energy Star-qualified, and contain recyclable or reusable parts, among other criteria. Some of the greener models developed to meet EPEAT's stipulations are available to consumers, too; the program's website has a searchable list.

Currently, EPEAT standards are being considered for TVs. But since the Feds don't buy many TVs, the incentive to create the standards wouldn't be there the way it is for computers. Our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, believe it will be key to have other big purchasers and retailers engage in the development of the standards.

Of course, the biggest driver in all of this is you, the consumer. Are greener TVs on your radar? Would you trade off other attributes, like screen size or price, to get a greener set? Tell us what you think.