To tube or not to tube, that is the question

Your next decision is whether to purchase an analog (CRT- Cathode Ray Tube) or more cutting edge digital option.

If your choice of TV screen size is 36 inches or less and you are considering budget, think about an analog TV. The technology has been around for years and they last a long time. The picture quality is great, and you can find them at the lowest price points. However they can be big and heavy, the larger the screen size. There are now larger sets with a fifteen inch depth on the market, but will increase the price tag a couple of hundred dollars.

Also keep in mind there is only one resolution for analog TVs — 480 lines - odd lines first, then even - to produce a picture. For a not too finicky viewer, this works just fine. However, as you get into larger TV's this resolution becomes more inadequate. Analog picture quality can suffer as well from noisier signals than a digital transmission.

If you like the wide screen format and see yourself viewing a lot of DVD movies on anything larger than 36 inches, or pride yourself on being the first on the block with the latest gadget move on up to digital.