Attack of the Cheap Digital TVs

Rob Pegoraro writes:  "... But now that RCA set I reviewed has company -- lots of it. Best Buy's Web site lists six different under-$400 cathode-ray-tube TV sets with digital tuners. The cheapest among them, a 27-incher from Sharp, is on sale for just $250. Even Sony is jumping into this product category, with a 27-inch digital-tuner-equipped Trinitron available for $400.  ¶  My intention in citing all these cut-rate digital sets is not to make this newsletter look like an advertorial, but to note that the industry is getting these sets on the market not a moment too soon. When the 'Deficit Reduction of 2005' became law last month, analog TV's end became a legal fact.  ¶  That day will come on Feb. 17, 2009, when the wavelength spectrum reserved for analog TV will go back to the government, which will resell some of it and allocate other portions for use by cops, firefighters and paramedics.  ¶  Take a look at every TV in your house, then think about how long you've kept in service. That's why you shouldn't buy any more sets with only analog tuners. They are guaranteed -- required, in fact -- to become obsolete in less than three years. And as these recent product introductions show, you shouldn't have to pay much extra for a set with a digital tuner (well, at least at 27 inches or more). ..."  Link:  Washington Post.