You also have to decide if you want your new set to have an analog or digital tuner. In about three years, broadcasters will no longer transmit analog signals. Don’t worry, your analog TV won’t be useless, but you will need to buy a box to convert those digital signals to analog. (Read: PC Magazine’s Set-top Box Buying Guide)

Even so, as the Federal Communications Commission points out on its digital TV Web site, (www.dtv.gov) "to enjoy the full benefits of Digital TV, including superior sound and clarity, you must own a Digital TV set."

So, you need to understand the terminology. Standard Definition or SDTV is the entry level for digital sets. The next step up is EDTV or Enhanced Definition. The best digital picture is HDTV or High Definition.

Barry says for around $300 or less, you can now get a digital set, 27 inches or smaller that has both a digital and an analog receiver.

In its December issue, Consumer Reports (www.consumerreports.org) has these three tips for anyone in the market for an HDTV:

1) Buy the largest HDTV your budget and your space will allow. The editors say if you're trying to decide between two sizes, "you'll probably be happier in the long run with the bigger set."

When the magazine surveyed people who had purchased a big screen TV, many said if they had the chance to do it over again, they would buy a larger size.

Is your room big enough for that TV? Consumer Reports says you need to be at least five feet away from an HDTV that's 36-inches or small and six to nine feet away from a screen that is 40 to 65-inches.

2) Stick with a wide-screen set. With some CRT (picture tube) and LCD sets you can choose between a wide screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio (it looks like a movie theater screen) and the traditional 4:3 screen. You'll pay more for the wide screen, but it's better suited for DVDs and HD programming.

3) Don't rule out HD-ready sets. These sets, also called HDTV monitors let you go HDTV for less. An HD-ready set does not have a built-in digital tuner, so to receive HDTV broadcasts you'll need a cable/satellite box or some other digital tuner. The editors point out that the only benefit to an integrated HDTV (one with a digital tuner built-in) is that it can receive digital broadcast signals via an antenna, "an option few viewers use."

Are the new TV technologies are reliable as the good old picture tube? Based on reader surveys Consumer Reports says LCD and plasma TVs "have been as reliable as picture-tube TVs during their first year of use, but it's too soon to know about later years."

For more information:

LCS TVs: How to Choose

Plasma TVs: How to Choose

Consumer Reports Buying a TV Decision Guide

Digital TV: Tomorrow's TV Today!

Great TV picture can often lead to confused viewer

HDTV is getting clearer