HDTV

Take a look back at the pros and cons of life before HDTV, Facebook and Wi-Fi. You do remember life before texting, don't you?

Time was the only way you could access Netflix's Watch Instantly feature was on a Windows PC. Now you only need to watch on a computer (Intel Macs included) if you want to. There are now many different ways to enjoy streaming Netflix content where you really want to see it--on your TV.

If you're buying your first HDTV or an upgrade from a starter set, your new television may deliver a better picture than the one you're used to. But picking the right HDTV can be confusing, especially when your favorite blue-shirted salesperson may be steering you in a certain direction in hopes of a bigger commission. Or maybe the rep is just misinformed. Whatever the reasons, the environment has rncouraged a cavalcade of claims about HDTVs--some of which were true for first-generation sets but have little relevance to today's buyers, some of remain valid, and some of which were never true.