Focusing on high-definition television

So, with the holidays bearing down on us and the gift-giving season in full swing, a question arises for some households: Is this the year to treat the family to a high-definition television?

It’s a question many fear to ask without first getting the answer to a more basic question: If I spend a sum north of four figures for a high-def TV, what will I be able to watch?

The answer: almost twice as much fare as was available last year at this time.

The push toward universal digital telecasting has been an often-confusing one for consumers. The issue reached a degree of finality in the summer when the Federal Communications Commission mandated that nearly all new televisions be equipped with digital tuners by 2007.

Opinions vary as to whether now is a good time to purchase a high-definition set, but a few things are clear. Costs have come down considerably in recent years and will probably continue to do so. And if a customer does spring for a set, there will be something to watch.

Among the major networks, ABC makes all of its scripted prime-time comedies and dramas available in HDTV, except for reruns of “Monk” and the new series “Dinotopia,” which has technical complexities that prevent it from being presented in high def.

CBS airs its entire comedy and drama lineup in high-definition, along with one daytime serial, “The Young and the Restless.” NBC offers much of its prime-time roster in high-definition as well as “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.”

And an increasing number of high-profile sports events soon will be carried in high definition.

Potential consumers, whether walking into an audio-video specialty shop or the TV section of a department store, can’t help being impressed by high-definition television. Then comes the technical stuff.

The picture is far better than most people are used to, and so is the sound. The image is in a 16:9 ratio of width to height, similar to the way most feature films are displayed and more closely matching the way we see the world with our eyes. The ratio on a conventional set is 4:3.

All high definition is digital, but not all digital is high definition. HDTV refers to the highest quality level of digital transmission, a distinction to keep in mind while shopping.

Some sets are sold with built-in tuners that can receive high-definition signals and display them on the set’s HD monitor. These are referred to as “integrated sets.” Others consist of HD-capable monitors that require the addition of an external tuner to decode the high-definition signals and pass them to the monitor. This type of set is called HD-ready.

If all of this has been on your mind lately, you are not alone. Sales of high-def televisions this year are projected to surpass 2 million, up from about 1.4 million last year.