XBOX + HDTV

HDTV sets aren’t just for high-definition television anymore.

Microsoft’s recently released Xbox 360 video-game console has ushered in a new era of high-definition gaming, and this trend looks to accelerate next year with the release of Sony’s PlayStation 3 console.

As a result, many consumers will be shopping for high-def TV sets in the coming months with both games and TV in mind.

Games designed for the Xbox 360 look stunning on HD sets. Eye-popping visuals range from lifelike grass in “Madden NFL 06” and realistic reflections off speedsters in “Project Gotham Racing 3” to the believable humans in “Peter Jackson’s King Kong” and convincing combat action in the World War II-themed “Call of Duty 2.”

The HD-gaming factor might appear to make your HDTV shopping more complicated and confusing, but don’t panic. If you buy a set with high-definition gaming in mind, you’re pretty much guaranteed top-notch TV watching.

HDTV: The basics

Right from the get-go, HDTV shopping can be headache inducing. Options range from weighty CRT (short for cathode-ray tube) models and “rear-projection” displays to flat-panel models of the plasma and LCD (liquid-crystal display) varieties. Prices can range from as little as $400 to more than $10,000.

Here are the basics on each kind of HDTV set:

CRT. Picture-tube TVs are like sets of decades past, but with wide-format “letterbox” screens and improved image quality. The advantage: Because they are on the way out, they’re cheaper. The disadvantage: They are bulky, and because of their heft, screen sizes typically don’t exceed 34 inches.

But CRTs “look as good as anything we sell,” said Ben Steenson, a TV expert at Ultimate Electronics in Roseville, Minn. “You get phenomenal contrast and good color. This is the most refined TV technology. It’s been around for 80 years.”

Rear projection. Talk about bulk. Historically, these cabinet-like TVs have been massive because they include hidden projection gear that casts an image onto the rear of the viewing panel, but newer models are thinner. Because the TVs rest on the floor, their screen sizes start around 40 inches and exceed 60 inches – at affordable prices.

Steenson owns a 56-inch rear-projection TV using a newer technology called “digital light processing,” or DLP. He says this guarantees him a sharp image with excellent contrast when he’s watching TV or using his PlayStation 2 console.

Plasma. These popular flat-panel displays start about 40 inches and exceed 60 inches but get quite pricey in the larger sizes. Plasmas are thin and quite bright, delivering “the best picture quality that you can get,” Steenson says.

LCD. This other kind of flat-panel TV also is thin but tends to run smaller with screen sizes of about 40 inches or less. LCD imagery also tends to be very sharp and bright, and the sets typically run cooler and quieter than plasmas.

Video game issues

When looking for an HDTV set with gaming in mind, consumers should look for key features. These include:

Screen resolutions. The Xbox 360 provides “true” high-definition video gaming with imagery akin to high-def TV shows available over the air or via cable. This means you should try to do better than an “enhanced definition” set with a wide-format screen but relatively subpar imagery.

Look for 720p and 1080i, the technical specs for full-fledged HD. The Xbox 360 supports both, and games made for the 360 require 1080i, Microsoft says. Some advanced HDTV sets also incorporate a new specification called 1080p. The upcoming PlayStation 3 reportedly will support this spec.

HD vs. “HD-ready”? A set with an HDTV “tuner” is required for over-the-air HD broadcasts. This is not an issue for Xbox 360 gamers or for those who get their HD television via cable.

Responsiveness. Older LCDs and some low-cost models might be susceptible to image “lag” – sometimes dubbed “ghosting” or “smearing” – which occurs when fast-moving objects leave fleeting image residue on the screen.

So look for LCDs with “response times” or “refresh rates” of 16 milliseconds or lower. Rates of 12 to 8 milliseconds are ideal, experts say. This will ensure your football action – live-action or Xbox-generated – is ghost-free.

Other kinds of HDTV sets tend to be free of this problem.

Brightness. If your TV room is sun-drenched but your in-game environments are dark, be wary of rear-projection TVs. These typically aren’t as bright as other kind of HDTV sets, so your game imagery might wash out.

Sharpness. Flat-panel TVs tend to be pretty sharp. So do picture-tube sets, but be wary of older rear-projection displays that use a kind of CRT technology. These can be tricky to calibrate and tend to be on the dim side. More advanced rear-projection technologies include LCD and the aforementioned DLP.

Color reproduction. You’ll want an HDTV set with vivid colors, superb contrast and the ability to display “pure” blacks instead of shades of gray. Plasmas will get you vibrant colors and high contrast, but some plasma sets as well as LCDs might struggle to properly display dark environments within games. Newer brand-name sets minimize this issue.

Screen “burn-in.” Plasma displays as well as some older kinds of rear-projection TVs have historically been susceptible to “burn-in,” when game or other imagery remains motionless for too long and leaves an imprint.

This is less of an issue with newer sets, but experts advise plasma buyers to vary the use of their TVs during a brief break-in period.

Ports. While older TVs might connect to Xboxes via an older “composite” connection, newer TVs offer a higher-quality “component” connection. Some current-model HDTV sets also offer state-of-the-art HDMI – short for “high-definition multimedia interface” – ports. While the Xbox 360 doesn’t hook up to such a port now, it’s probably not a bad idea to future-proof yourselves by getting HDMI-enabled TVs.

An HDMI port will convert to DVI – short for “digital visual interface,” another way to connect audiovisual as well as computer gear – with an adapter.

Another port to consider is CableCard, which will accommodate the miniaturized equivalent of a cable set-top box and therefore save you space. This technology looks to be big, so get in on the ground floor.

Try it out in the store. “Anyone planning to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a display should bring their game console into the store and try it,” says Dan Schinasi, a Samsung HDTV-marketing manager. “Or, if the store has its own console, ask to connect it.”

Buy now or later? Prospective HD gamers face a dilemma: Some slick sets with game-enhanced features won’t be available until next year.

Upcoming Samsung sets, for instance, will offer a “game mode” that can be switched off during television viewing (current sets offer something akin to game mode that is on all the time). Philips’ Ambilight feature, which consists of along-the-edges mood lighting that reacts to game imagery on the screen, will get more sophisticated on cheaper sets.

If you’re not in a big hurry to buy, therefore, consider waiting until January’s Consumer Electronics Show. Top TV makers will announce their new HDTV lines there.

Getting more info

HDTV is a complex topic, and we’ve only skimmed the surface. For more information, try the following:

Best Buy. The retailer offers useful HDTV information at www.bestbuy.com (search for “HDTV Information Center”).

CNET. This top technology site has an “HDTV World” section with “everything you need to know about HDTV.” Go to www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1- 5102926-1.html.