I was in a store this weekend looking at buying a new HDTV at least 50". I was just looking not intent on buying anything but the salesman tried to tell me that I should buy before July 1, 2005. He just kept going on and on about how now is the time to buy. He said something about a new feature in tvs after that date that wont allow certain features like today. I was thinking he is blowing smoke but not 100% sure. Anyone know if something is coming that I should be aware of before buying a new tv?

I have no clue what he is talking about and neither did he.

Not a clue what the sales guys was referring to. Maybe digital rights management?? In any case you have nothing to lose by waiting prices continue to fall and features continue to rise. There are no special features today?? Did he give any specific examples. I personnaly wouldnt worry about it.

he said something about a flag that would be on the tvs after that date and would disable something.

Yes, disable his ability to close a sale & earn commission immediately.

Exactly. The "new feature" he was talking about was the trip to Hawaii he wins by selling more TVs than the other salespeople on the floor.

What he's referring to is the FCC approved technology to limit Internet piracy of digital TV shows. The approved anti-piracy mechanism will make it harder for computer users to distribute digital TV programs on the Internet.

In its order, the Federal Communications Commission told makers of digital
television receivers that by July 1, 2005, their models must recognize an
electronic marker that broadcasters can embed in their programs to limit piracy.

That's completely wrong.

TV's after 7/1/04 must include some sort of encryption recognition on digital inputs, so DVI inputs must be HDCP compliant, or you have to have HDMI.

The thing is, if the TV does NOT have it, yet your source does, then the TV will not display anything at all. So it's an advantage to be compliant on the display side, NOT a disadvantage.

He has it completely backwards.

He was referring to the "broadcast flag." Beginning in July 2005, all digital video-recording devices sold in the U.S. are required to recognize a "broadcast flag" encoded in the digital video stream. Recorders must then encode a flagged program so it cannot be shared between machines or over the Internet.

For a decent summary of what it is, read this:
http://www.g4techtv.com/feature.aspx?article_key=39462

Read the FCC order here:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_publi...oc?date=031104

Wired news has an article on it here:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,62619,00.html


Note that the makers of TiVo appear to have one a partial exception from the FCC, but they still have to impose certain restrictions.

Even if he was referring to the broadcast flag; what does that have to do with buying a TV before next July? The flag will be controlled by the STB and the recorder in use and the TV will only be the display. Older models of HDTVs won't suddenly be obsolete next July if he buys one now and buying one after that date won't change how it's displayed either. The guy is blowing smoke or smoking blow.

Some new models may hve come in. I remember there was a Panasonic HDTV that just had more connections in the back so they change dthe model number. Somer stores have to move the old ones.