We all believe that we were born knowing all about the Macintosh, and we can’t remember a time when the Mac was new and confusing. (Well I can, but I’ve been doing this a long time.)

Imagine a newbie to not just Macs but computers as a whole. What kind of Mac to get, what kind of printer buy and how to connect it, and how to set up a wired and wireless network with a cable modem, router, firewall, and so on would be a daunting task.

I think it’s the same for many in the HDTV space, except that it may be a little tougher. It’s not just Mac vs. PC, it’s Plasma vs. LCD vs. DLP vs. LCoS. It’s Sony vs. Samsung vs. Panasonic vs. Sharp. And when one throws in a home theater A/V receiver, it can get really confusing.

So to help get you started, I’m going to suggest some sample systems. I’ll go from a very basic HDTV system for a small apartment to a fairly serious set up for a technical professional. However, since I’m not a home theater system expert, I’m not going to delve into those $30,000 systems with projectors, 8 foot screens, theater seats, and a popcorn machine.

Feel free to buy your own popcorn machine. (By the way, the very best popcorn on the planet, both taste and healthwise is at the Crown Jewel Popcorn Co. in Albuquerque, NM.)

Neither am I going to dwell on rear projection systems. For many, they are viable and some people will go that direction with forethought. I’m just not going to cover them here. I’ll also assume you already have a DVD player with component video output, just waiting to be invoked. I won’t even get into Blu-ray vs. HD DVD for obvious reasons if you’re a regular reader here.

The systems below are simply suggestions and aren’t meant to endorse any one vendor over the other. However, the equipment I mention consists of items I’ve done some research on or have experience with. Also, I haven’t checked every possible technical scenario to insure compatibility with your needs or the interfaces -- that part is up to you and, possibly, your installer or consultant. Consider it a starting point to get your mind ignited.

Also, I’ve compared the systems to a Macintosh purchase to put it all in perspective. I suspect that many of the readers might be inclined to buy a loaded MacBook Pro, but would be put off to spend $2,500 on an HDTV system. So comparing prices in parens serves to put things in perspective. All prices are approximate.

Small Apartment Starter System ~ $800 (Used 13-inch MacBook, roughly)

If you want to get into HDTV at minimum cost, you’ll have to violate my HDTV rule #3, back in the introduction to this series, and settle for the speakers used in the TV. This isn’t going top provide 6 channel Dolby Digital sound, but one can always add an A/V receiver later.

• 1. Cable or Satellite HD receiver w/DVR $monthly rent
• 2. 32-inch Samsung LN-T3253, LCD 720p/60 $800.00

This could also be a bedroom or den system. The HDMI cable will carry sound and video to the TV’s display and speakers. A TV like this weighs about 24 pounds and can be easily placed on a coffee table, dresser, etc. A TV like this has fluorescent backlighting, not LED, and will max out at 720p. But it’s an easy, starter system. As I described before, make sure the coxial cable from the wall to the set top box is good quality RG-6.

Modest HDTV and Sound System ~ $2600 (Good 15-inch MacBook Pro)

As we work our way up here, the investment in the TV and the support devices increases dramatically, but the satisfaction will increase enormously.

• 1. Cable or Satellite HD receiver w/DVR $monthly rent
• 2. 46-inch Samsung LN-T4665 LCD 1080p/60 $1700.00
• 3. Sony STR-DG710 A/V receiver $ 300.00
• 4. Primus P162 front L/R speakers $ 200.00 (pair)
• 5. Primus PC350 center speaker $ 150.00
• 6. Low end entertainment system w/ tempered glass $ 200.00

In this system, you’ve jumped to a three speaker system, a 1080p/60 LCD TV that weighs just 60 lbs. It still doesn’t have LED backlighting, but it’ll serve as a great starter HDTV display that could later be moved to a den or bedroom. You could add rear speakers later for full surround sound. One could drop about $700 here by substituting a holiday priced 720p/60 40-inch LCD or Plasma display for about $1,000.

Ambitious HDTV and Sound System ~ $3550 (Well equipped Mac Pro)

In this sligtly elevated scernario, the audio components are upgraded from the bare minimum to respectable.

• 1. Cable or Satellite service w/DVR $monthly rent
• 2. 46-inch Samsung LN-T4665 1080p/60 $1700.00
• 3. Apple TV $ 300.00
• 4. Yamaha RX-V661BL A/V receiver $ 500.00
• 5. Polk RTi A3 front L/R speakers $ 400.00 (pair)
• 6. Polk CSi A4 center speaker $ 250.00
• 7. Paradigm Atom rear L/R speakers $ 189.00 (pair)
• 8. Low end entertainment system w/ tempered glass $ 200.00

This is probably the sweet spot for a full featured HDTV systems with very good sound. It’s about what you’d pay for a loaded dual 3.0 GHz Mac Pro with 4 GB RAM and a 23-inch Cinema display. We’re into some serious HDTV displays and a serious, capable A/V receiver that can scale up output from your DVD player.

• 1. Cable or Satellite HD receiver w/DVR $monthly rent
• 2. a. 50-inch TH-50PZ77U Panasonic Plasma 1080p/60 $2800.00, or ...
• 2. b. 46-inch Sony Bravia KDL40XBR5 LCD w/1080p/60/24 $2600.00
• 3. Denon AVR2808CI A/V receiver $ 850.00
• 4. Bowers and Wilkins 685 front L/R speakers $ 600.00 (pair)
• 5. a. Bowers and Wilkins HTM62 center speaker $ 400.00, or ...
• 5. b. Polk CSi A6 center speaker $ 400.00
• 6. Bowers and Wilkins ASW610 Subwoofer $ 650.00 (optional)
• 7. Paradigm Atom rear L/R speakers $ 189.00 (pair)
• 8. High end pedestal TV stand and shelves $ 350.00
• 9. Apple TV (optional), Vudu (optional)

A major step up from here would be, say, a premium Pioneer PRO-150FD 60 inch Plasma, 1080p/60/24 which is in the $6,000.00 range. Beyond that, one can get into the overhead projector systems, large wall screens, and theater seats and lighting -- something beyond the scope of this article.

Summing it Up

Putting the various systems in perspective by comparing to some common Macintosh systems shows that while these prices seem high, one is really getting a lot of very nice hardware for the money. After all, a 46-inch LCD towers over a MacBook Pro’s tiny 15-inch display.

Here’s a really good chance to fire up Apple’s Numbers spreadsheet and start playing with various options. Just remember to go back and look at the technical considerations in the previous installments. For example, if you’re a movie fanatic, you’ll really want an LCD HDTV with 1080p/60/24 input. And don’t forget to add cables, taxes, shipping, and installlation. Those extras can really add up.

Armed with all the technical background from the previous installments, some sample systems from above and Internet access to start pricing components, you’re ready to start ordering equipment. (Or open a discussion with a local professional.) With good fortune, it’ll be all set up by Christmas and you’re set to enter the world of high definition TV, never to look back.

Here are the links to all six articles in the series.

Nov 7th:The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Introduction

Nov 13th: The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Display Selection

Nov 16th: The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Audio Selection

Nov 29th: The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Source Selection

Dec 6th: The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Installation

Dec 14th: The Fireside Guide: Moving to High Definition, Sample Systems