It's alarming how quickly the television industry has evolved over the past several decades. Simple television sets have grown from small screens with rabbit-ear antennas to wall-sized flat screens offering larger-than-life sound and picture. The media has also expanded, from three main North American networks to virtually limitless satellite programming choices.

Buying a television is no longer as simply as making a trip to the local department store. There are many points to consider when choosing a new set. Analog, or digital? HDTV ready, or HDTV enabled? LCD or plasma screen? The decision can be overwhelming, so it helps to understand a few basic points about modern day televisions.

Analog Signals

Most of us have grown up watching an analog television. This is the "old fashioned" technology that used television signals sent and received in analog format. Analog televisions are relatively inexpensive and offer good quality for minimum investment. The disadvantage of this format is that analog TV signals are only able to accommodate a limited amount of data for the screen and sound. Another drawback is that analog signals can be easily and immediately corrupted by outside forces. If you have an analog television, those no need to worry. Analog service will be available and your set will work just fine even after other formats begin to dominate the market.

Digital Signals

Using digital TV signals, television stations are able to send data that is much denser and includes more definition. With digital service, there is less degradation of the signals. This decreased interruption and increased level of density creates a more stable, better quality sound and picture, particularly through DVDs.

High Definition (HDTV)

High definition is quickly passing traditional digital as the new standard in television viewing. Customers are able to enjoy the highest levels of audio and video quality when television stations transmit signals in high definition television (HDTV) format. To enjoy this format, your television set must be able to receive and process the specialized signals, and display them on an HDTV-enabled screen. All of the elements combined will create a stunning visual and audio experience.

Digital television and HDTV are commonplace in today's industry, but you won't be able to appreciate the pristine levels of sound and picture on your old television set. We are in the midst of a digital video revolution, thanks to recent advancements like DTV, DVD-Video, HDTV, digital satellite broadcasts and computer video. One giant leap forward in modern television technology is plasma display technology.

Plasma screens entered the US market toward the end of 1999, but the concept was initially put into place at the University of Illinois in July 1964. These first displays were nothing more than points of light formed in laboratory experiments. From this starting point the technology began to improve, and by the late 1960s it had advanced to the point where scientists were able to put up geometric shapes. Today, thanks to the development in high speed digital processing, materials and advanced manufacturing technology, brighter full-color plasma display screens are widely available.

The development of plasma televisions has made technological leaps and bounds ahead of other television technologies. In fact, plasma televisions are now the fastest-selling 'new' television technology on the market. Compared to conventional televisions, plasma screens provide a higher resolution, and many new plasma televisions are capable of displaying HDTV signals. In addition to superior picture quality, plasma televisions are easily mounted to the wall for a theatre quality viewing experience.

With HDTV displayed on a plasma screen, it's like you're seeing your favorite movies and television programs for the very first time.