Tele-confusion.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

Mike Miles has been shopping for a big screen TV since 2004. He says the high sticker prices, the confusing array of different formats, screen sizes, resolution ratings and other options, plus some of the unanswered questions about the government's ongoing conversion to digital-only television broadcasting by 2009, have led him to take a wait-and-see attitude.

"I'm waiting for the standards to settle down and the costs to go down, which they are starting to do," said Miles, a free-lance TV engineer who used to work for PBS.

Miles isn't the only one who's a bit confounded by the alphabet soup of different big screen TV formats - LCD, CRT, Plasma, RPTV, front projection. Add in the option for high definition programming, a computer connection, surround sound, plus at least five different types of connection cables to choose from and you've got a recipe for confusion.

Given the number of buying guides, buyer tutorials, TV glossaries and other tools being offered to consumers, retailers are clearly trying to simplify the equation.

``The flat panels seem to be the most popular at this time,'' says Jeff Vandervelden, co-owner of Bradford's Home Entertainment in Eugene, referring to the trim LCD and plasma sets that measure just a few inches deep. ``I think the idea of just putting a TV on the wall is appealing to a lot of people.''

Consumer demand for big screen TVs is high and is only expected to rise as TVs become even sleeker and prices continue to fall.

And as the government's 2009 deadline for digital-only programming approaches, many consumers are finding they'd rather replace that old tube TV than buy the converter box that analog holdouts will need to receive a digital signal.

Even though consumers such as Miles are waiting, many are finding it hard to resist those slim, sexy TV screens that can hang above the fireplace like a piece of art.

But how do you make the transition when you know almost nothing about what's out there?

That was the obstacle facing Mike Logan, when he began shopping for a new TV set last fall to replace his family's 4-year-old RCA tube TV.

"It was not a small proposition, but it was something that we decided to do," says Logan, whose family chose to skip Christmas gifts last year in order to buy the high definition $1,700 TV set they eventually opted for. `My son said, `We gotta join the 21st century here.' '

After doing some initial research, he and his wife decided to shop for a flat panel TV set that would hang on the wall in an entertainment room. Initially, he says, he was confused. He didn't know the difference between plasma and LCD (the two competing flat panel formats) and says he wouldn't have known an HDMI cord (the expensive all-in-one cable used for high definition video and audio connections) from a coaxial cable (the standard round black cable).

But, Logan says, he found a knowledgeable salesperson to help him and did some online research at the electronics review Web site CNET. After a couple of weeks he was talking the talk and ready to make an informed decision.

The biggest surprise for Logan was the importance of a high quality audio receiver, which not only provided great sound, but also allowed him to run just one cable to his TV set.

"I had to do the research to know what questions to even ask," Logan says. "But I think if people are just willing to go through it a step at a time, you'll learn what you need to know."

Logan faced another obstacle in installing his new TV set, a 40-inch Sony LCD flat panel. In order to get the clean, uncluttered look he wanted, he had to cut a hole in his wall and string 25-feet of expensive connector cable. He also installed surge protectors and mounting hardware for the TV set.

Logan involved his 15-year-old son Shawn in the installation process. He says he's glad he did it himself because he gained a better understanding of how the technology works.

He has no regrets about the money he sunk into the project and says he's now the hit of the neighborhood.

"The key thing is my son will have his friends over now," Logan says. "On Christmas morning, the (whole family) was on the couch watching a TV program, and I can't remember doing that since the kids were little."

PLASMA

Pros: You can get a big flat screen for the money; strong black levels and contrast ratios enhance movie viewing

Cons: Not as bright as LCD; chance of ``burn in''

LCD

Pros: Very bright, for better daytime viewing; many screen sizes

Cons: Get expensive quickly as sizes go up; motion blur and poor viewing from an angle

RPTV (REAR PROJECTION)

Pros: Great prices per screen inch; performance to match all tastes and wallets

Cons: Not flat; bulb replacement is costly

Source: Geoffrey Morrison, Home Theater Magazine, www.hometheatermag.com

BIG SCREEN TV SHOPPING TIPS

How: Before you start looking, ask yourself how you'll be using your new TV. Will you be watching television programs? Screening movies? Playing video games? What are the lighting conditions in your house?

Budget: The cost of your new big screen isn't directly reflected in the sticker price, especially if you are buying a high definition set. You'll also need cables and mounting hardware. And there may be installation costs, not to mention an increase in your cable or satellite bill if you upgrade your service.

Consider your space: Do you have any size constraints? Do you want to mount your TV on a wall or place it in a corner? Is the area well lighted? Where will you be watching from?

Adjust: The TVs you see in the showroom are often adjusted at maximum brightness to catch your eye. Don't be afraid to dial down those settings.

Stand back: Rarely will you be sitting right in front of a TV as you are in an electronics showroom. See how the picture looks from couch distance.

Go online: You can check what the sales clerk tells you at Web sites such as the one maintained by Consumer Reports (www .consumerreports.org) or CNET (www.cnet.com). The online tutorials offered by some of the retail electronics giants may also be helpful.

WHOSE TV IS THAT?

You can tell a lot about people based on the car they drive, the clothes they wear, the dog they walk - but can the same be said of the TV sets they watch? Maybe so. Can you match the following local personalities with the TV sets they own?

1. Jeff Vandervelden, TV/stereo shop owner A. 40-inch Sony Bravia flat panel LCD

2. Kitty Piercy, Eugene mayor B. 30-inch German-made Loewe CRT

3. Rick Dancer, KEZI news anchor C. 25-inch CRT (25 years old, partially broken)

4. Ernie Kent, UO basketball coach D. 19-inch Sony FD Trinitron CRT

5. John Fischer, KEZI meteorologist E. 32-inch Toshiba flat panel LCD (secondary TV)

See answers near the bottom of this page.

TV QUIZ ANSWERS

1: B

2: D

3: A

4: E

5: C