For those considering the move to HD, I'd like to offer some lessons I've
learned going through this process.

1. Don't believe the salesperson, they are as confused about this as
eveyone else.

2. Be careful in the selection process for the HD set. Most of the rows of
HD monitors
you see at Sears, Circuit City, Sam's Club or whatever are *NOT*
displaying
programing in HD. Most are connected to a central cable input via a
distribution amp.
The clue is to look at the rear video connection. If it is a RG6 cable,
connected to the
threaded antenna or cable in connection, you ain't watching HD. Some
stores have
dedicated HD service. Ask if they do and to what sets it is connected.

3. Some manufacturers, Samsung, Phillips and others, have a "built-in" HD
tuner and are
advertised as not needing a cable company box. True, but it only works
for "off the air"
reception - meaning you need an old fashioned antenna and ABC, NBC or
CBS needs to
be broadcasting in HD mode. The built-in tuner will not decode a cable
company
service feed. You have to use a cable box for this.

4. I had two salespeople trying to convince me that an "ED" set was really
an "HD" set.
It's not, although the quantum leap in performance is going from analog
to digital with
ED. ED can display HD programing with very near HD quality, but it
still isn't HD.

5. If you are using a cable service provider, be prepared to spend an hour
or two on the
phone getting your service set up correctly. I've done this three times
now and each
HD box had to be remotely programed or "zapped" by the cable company in
order for
it to properly display HD programming. Also, some TVs accept a "cable
card" in lieu of
a cable "box". Our cable company offers the cable card however with it
you cannot
access the interactive services such as program guides or pay for view
options. For
these services you need the "box".

6. If you, like Tom, can't see the difference, you are either legally blind
or you are not
seeing true HD. Check out your system setup.

Eisboch (hopes this is helpful)