We’ve been surprised to have so many requests by readers for a good buyer’s guide to HDTVs—it’s easily eclipsed requests for purchasing legitimate Kristy McNichol autographed glossies on eBay. (Hint: Go for the Empty Nest cast photos that were accidentally left unsigned by David Leisure for big savings.)

I (Joel) had been a bit hesitant to dive into a primer on HDTV. Not because it’s a bad idea, but because I had just written a big piece for Popular Mechanics about the very same thing, in the issue that is currently on the stands.

Good on PopMech, then, for putting a copy of the article online for Consumerist readers. They didn’t have to do that, but it’s saved me from having to be something besides totally slovenly. Be sure to tell them you appreciated it if you, you know, did.

One minor caveat: The article was published for the Christmas buying season. There’s a big chart of suggested televisions in the article and while I easily stand by our choices—we often picked slightly older TVs that had reviewed well rather than newer, shinier models—there will also be dozens of HDTVs announced this week at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show). Model lines may be updated with new features while retailing for the same price; prices will fall on existing models, etc. Take the time to educate yourself about HDTVs this week, then start shopping next.

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