The Ultimate HDTV Quiz

OK, too easy. Just wanted to start you off slow. HDTV stands for high-definition television.

HDTVs were first available in the U.S. in 1998.

There was a lot of hullabaloo in 2009 about the switch from an analog signal to digital.

There are lots of features to consider, but you can take a first pass with screen size and native resolution.

Native resolution is the number of pixels on the screen. Your TV will adapt the incoming signal to its native resolution.

720p and 1080i are the most common resolutions -- so if someone tries to sell you a 540z, you'll probably want to pass.

We "regular" folk can't easily tell the difference between the two, but many experts say 720p is a "smoother" picture because it comes in faster than 1080i, which has higher resolution but is an interlaced image (long story).

Plasma screens generally have a better picture than LCDs, but LCDs are better sellers because of the large range of prices and available screen sizes.

In part because of its video-compression technology, satellite service offers more national HD channels than cable does.

You're probably not watching the right channel. If the channel you're on isn't broadcast in HD, the picture still won't be good even when you're watching an HDTV.