• In the near future we will all be getting a FREE up-grade in the signal that we have to view provided by our cable and satellite copmanies. However, if you don't have the TV to support it you will suffer a loss in screen usage (it will seem to shrink). The new Digital and HD format is not compatible with the older tube TVs and etc. the only way technology can convert the signal to a usable viewing range is to compress the picture for you, this will cause your TV to have a BLACK bar on each side of the screen (right and left). Now do realize the issue, all will be HD in a few years, so all will have side bars from compression if you do not up-grade to an HDTV.
• ** The problem here for consumers of HDTV is that when HD becomes a standard, the TV manufacturing companies will need to add new technology such as: disc players and memory hard drives. Those TV's prices will dwarf the prices of todays TV's prices. The manufacturer will have to do so, to continue to profit, and to proceed with succession. The end result is that, the TVs will rise in price due to a massive need for HDTVs, as the people of your community realize what they are watching and paying for, as opposed to what they can have. The math will show every month. They need an HDTV to get what they are paying for from the service provider. Then the TVs will up-grade as mentioned before. Yielding an average rise in price. HD wires will become more necessary and will also rise in price. Installation will occur more often , then changing or causing a reform in policies and a rise in price will occur. Now all this is speculation, but Y2-k caused a false alarm and evry thing was infact OK, unfortunately one day someone will wake up and will not have any thing on TV to watch or give them weather warnings..........  So to save money get an HDTV now Get it installed NOW on the wall if needed you will save money if you do so. Or you can try to keep your old TV on life support over the next few years and spend converter rentall fees from the service provider , up-grade fees, and etc.  Add them all up over the years,you will see, it will be smarter & less costly to buy NOW.