Daniel T'seleie
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 14/04) - Remember the "comet-tail" on Fox TV's hockey broadcasts?

The glowing line trailing the puck was supposed to help people keep track of the action. It was grossly unpopular, in Canada at least, and did little to help hockey ratings.

More sophisticated Canadian hockey fans didn't need that gimmick: give us a big screen with a clear picture and we're set for the playoffs.

Eric Brown, sales representative at Krazy Eddies electronics store, knows that first-hand.

"During playoff time people come in and buy more projection TVs," Brown said.

Several customers this year have told Brown one of the reasons they are going for big screens capable of showing High Definition TV (HDTV) pictures is for the hockey. The HDTV picture is similar to the dimensions of a movie theatre screen, and the picture is clearer. It also offers Dolby surround sound.

But going high definition is not cheap. There are several types of HD televisions, including projection TVs, LCD and plasma screens.

A high-definition TV of reasonable size without added features is about $1,000. Some big screens can cost $15,000.

There is also the cost of programming. Regular cable won't give you HD quality. You need a satellite or digital cable for that.

Not all programming (and not all NHL games at that) are available in HD. Brown says this is due to production costs. It's still more expensive and more trouble to produce a program in HD.

But that will change with time says Brown. He expects to see all programming available in HD within the next decade.

For now, hockey fans can thank the NHL for breaking new ground. The new technology takes viewers one step closer to the game. Turn on your HDTV, turn off the furnace and you might think you were in the arena.