Direct-view TVs: still prime time.(best gifts)

Though new TV technologies are making more of a splash, direct-view TVs--the kind with a picture tube--continue to be the choice of many consumers. Many of these sets offer fine picture quality at a low price. Even within this familiar group, you have several choices to make, notably about screen size, shape, and definition. Here's how to decide which TV is right for you.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Do you want the best at-home viewing possible? Then a high-definition TV (HDTV) is the way to go. As explained in TV Guide on page 24, these digital sets can display sharper, finer images than conventional analog TVs, whether you're watching HDTV programming, standard TV programming, or DVD movies.

But outstanding picture quality will cost you. Though HD sets cost less than they used to, they still command a premium. Prices for 32-inch HD-ready TVs start at about $700, with larger sets selling for more than $1,000. You can get a very good conventional set in the same size range for hundreds of dollars less.

The availability of HD programming may figure into your choice. You may have noticed that many prime-time shows on the major broadcast networks are "simulcast in HD." But these may or may not be available in your area.

Many viewers can't receive HD broadcasts via antenna. Satellite companies offer little if any broadcast programming in HD. Cable companies are more likely to offer the major networks' HD fare, but that varies by company Both satellite and cable do have movies, sports, and a few HD channels, though.

Would you prefer to spend hundreds of dollars less? Then think analog. There's no question that HDTVs can display sharper, more detailed images than standard-definition analog TVs, but that doesn't mean you can't get very pleasing picture quality from a conventional set. As the Ratings on page 29 show, some of the best sets offer excellent picture quality, often at prices that make them very good values.