| Recently TV's have got wider and thinner and some | | | | So it all sounds negative at this point, and until the |
| would even say... 'sexier', but have they got any | | | | launch of the Sony PS3, it was. |
| better? | | | | Now things are different. All of the PS3 games are |
| Sure, the latest trend is HDTV (High Definition | | | | high definition, pushing your HDTV to produce |
| TeleVision), promising stunning picture quality, but at | | | | amazing details, sharp images and a range of colours |
| a much higher price than regular CRT (Cathode Ray | | | | not even possible on your home computer monitor. |
| Tube) Televisions. | | | | A recent PS3 firmware update now upscales regular |
| Buzz words like plasma, rear projection and LCD will | | | | DVD's and makes them look amazing when played on |
| roll off the salesman's tongue as you walk into your | | | | a HDTV. |
| local electrical store, before being asked to choose | | | | The PlayStation3 has a BluRay player built into it. Blu |
| from a variety of screen sizes, shapes and brands. | | | | Ray movies are now coming down in price, and there |
| It's enough to make you give up before you even | | | | is now a huge selection of movies to choose from; all |
| start looking! | | | | recorded in high definition. Personally I would |
| So Do I need a HDTV for my PS3 ? | | | | recommend that you rent Blu-Ray for now, until their |
| PlayStation 3 comes with a cable that will let you use | | | | price falls a little more. |
| a regular television, so you don't 'need' one, but be | | | | The PS3 also allows you to surf the internet, which is |
| prepared to be very disappointed with the picture | | | | a completely new experience on a 32 inch screen |
| quality. | | | | sitting in on a comfy chair. Many HDTV will allow you |
| The PS3 isn't cheap, whereas the PS2 is, so just be | | | | to split the screen, allowing others to watch TV while |
| sure you are happy that you will hardly be able to | | | | you surf the net. |
| see any difference between the games on either | | | | So the choice is now more difficult. |
| system on an old fashioned TV. | | | | If you are happy with a small screen and don't need |
| The biggest problem for those people who were | | | | TV channels, then the alternative is to hook your |
| among the first to buy a HDTV was that there was | | | | PS3 up to a computer monitor. You will need a special |
| almost nothing to watch on it that showed off the | | | | cable, and a monitor with a digital input, but this will |
| very high detail levels that can be produced by these | | | | work fine. If your monitor doesn't have speakers, |
| TV's. Normal television channels can look even worse | | | | then you will need to buy some. |
| on a high definition television because they emphasize | | | | If you want a screen larger than 22 inches, then |
| every tiny imperfection. Digital TV looks better, but | | | | definitely get a HTDV, but make sure it has at least |
| again can look terrible when you are watching fast | | | | one HDMI connector on the back and has a |
| moving or very detailed scenes. Ideally, you will need | | | | resolution of 1080i or 1080p and a screen refresh |
| to subscribe to a range of dedicated high definition | | | | rate of 8ms or less. |
| channels. | | | | |