Clark despises monopolies. He has a built-in prejudice that makes him automatically expect bad things from them. One of his least favorite monopolies (one that invariably gets some of the lowest score in customer satisfaction ratings) is the cable industry. Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator, is not only raising rates by around 5%, but it's recently begun to put caps on the usage of its Comcast internet service. What's driving this? Clark says to look toward South Korea, which has one of the most advanced internet systems in the world. Younger Koreans no longer subscribe in large numbers to pay television. They watch TV mainly over the internet and on their advanced-technology media phones. Over the next year or two it will become much easier to get internet programming onto your big screen in this country as well. Comcast is very afraid of this trend, and has responded with this cap on internet usage. If you exceed their limit, they'll fire you as a customer. Time Warner Cable is looking at metering internet usage as well.

Even though the US pioneered the web, our internet capacity is now at third world standards. Other countries are much more advanced, and pricing reflects that. For example, Korea's ultra-fast high speed connection costs only about $7 a month - compare that to what you're paying here in the States! You can thank the cable monopolies for that.

Several months ago, Clark told you about a fight that's going on in the TV world between Verizon and the monopoly cable companies. The issue of contention has been Verizon's build-out of its FiOS (high-speed fiber-optic broadband Internet) network.

FiOS comes with the promise of a wide range of programming choices, which has the monopoly cable companies running scared and fighting it every step of the way. The hand-to-hand combat became so intense that Verizon began offering free HDTVs to new FiOS customers.

But now it turns out that Verizon has not been delivering on its promise. Adding insult to injury, Verizon is also refusing to grant media interviews about the "customer no service" debacle. They instead released a statement that simply confirms that there have been delivery delays.

The one-two punch of the statement and the refusal to talk to the media smells of a monopoly mentality, according to Clark. What would Verizon's "Customer Care Czar" Tom Maguire -- a former guest on the show -- have to say about this debacle? And will it result in a proposed class-action suit years from now, in which case nobody wins??

Clark would like to extend an offer to be the personal shopper for Verizon's CEO, helping him find the best deals on HDTVs. That way Verizon can honor its word to all FiOS customers. After all, Clark assumes Verizon wasn't actually trying to scam people -- they just don't have their act together, right?

Electronics retailers love to set up Blu-ray DVD players with HDTVs to spotlight the amazingly life-like picture that you can get. Clark's family was recently transfixed when they saw Night at the Museum showing in this manner at one retailer. But then the average consumer is crestfallen when trying to duplicate the results at home using the same equipment with a cable or satellite signal. What's going on?

Comcast is being blasted by techies who tested its HD broadcasts and found the signal was seriously compressed and degraded. The use of compression is not unique to Comcast -- they're just having a lot of trouble with it. Clark is not suggesting there's any conspiracy on Comcast's part; he just thinks they don't have their act together yet. They went from 2:1 compression to 3:1 compression to squeeze more HD channels through the pipeline into your home. That was a business decision they made to compete with Dish Network and DirecTV, which both offer huge numbers of HD channels. But in doing so, Comcast comprised the integrity of its HD signal.

Even under optimal settings, the best you can hope for at home is 720p, which is the minimal HD standard. Compare that to the 1080p image you see at your electronics retailer. The difference in those numbers may not sound great, but it's actually like magnitudes going up on the Richter scale!

To maximize your best picture, you'll want to buy a $30 or $40 over-the-air HD antenna. That way, at least your local broadcast channels will get the true HD representation that you can't get through cable or satellite. Don't fall for the ploy of spending hundreds extra on that new HD set to improve your picture!

At the end of last year, Clark proclaimed that HDTVs would be getting cheaper in January; more expensive closer to the Super Bowl; and cheaper once again as spring came. But that hasn't been the case. One disgruntled listener wrote in to say prices aren't getting cheaper, and Clark doesn't know what he's talking about.

The reality is that the prices of bigger screens are falling, while the prices on smaller screens are hanging out where they've been the past few months. Here's why: The early adopters got the biggest sets they could. Then the next wave of buyers bought in the 23-36 inch range. So demand remains strong in the smaller sizes and prices have stagnated. Meanwhile, the larger sets are dropping steadily in price.

Plasmas and rear projection HDTVs are the real deals, now that LCDs have emerged victorious in the format war. But over time, the prices of all HDTVs will decline and the picture will improve. Today it's not uncommon to get a 42-inch LCD in the $800 range, while you might find comparable plasmas in the $700 range. On a related note, did you know that you can get the best hi-def picture for free? Just buy an HDTV antenna for around $20, hook it up to your HDTV and you'll get a superior picture on regular broadcast channels than you would with satellite or cable.

Remember the format war between Betamax and VHS? Sony's Betamax offered a superior picture and technology, but lost out to VHS in the home marketplace. Today Betamax is only used in TV newsrooms across the country. Now Sony's Blu Ray hi-def DVD format is competing with Toshiba's HD DVD format. Sony is trying to lock up the film studios for their format, so Toshiba has countered by lowering prices on its player. The new street price is $149, but you can probably find it for about $110-$130.

The picture with either Blu Ray or HD DVD is shockingly good. We're talking about better resolution than broadcast HDTV. But here's the problem: Nobody knows which format will be the winner, so some early adopters will end up with a player that becomes a dinosaur down the road. Clark has a couple of strategies to help you win this war. The cheapest option is for you to take your traditional DVDs and buy an up-convert DVD player ($60 and up) with an HDMI cable ($5-$50). This setup will use digital voodoo to take the picture from your existing DVDs and simulate what hi-def will look like. The second option is sure to please gamers: Get a Sony PlayStation 3 ($399) that plays Blu Ray. Or you can simply buy the Toshiba player for $149. No matter which choice you make, remember to rent your DVDs for the next several years. Do not own -- that way you lower your risk while the format war rages on. The big risk comes when you develop a library of movies in a format that becomes obsolete.

There's been a lot of misinformation out there about the February 2009 switch from analog to digital broadcasts in the TV world. Digital signals take up a much smaller chunk of spectrum than analog ones. So this change will allow the government to reclaim wireless real estate from TV stations and then sell it off at auction. You might think that your old, non-digital TV will be useless when the change is made. But that's not entirely correct. First, let's clarify who this coming change will affect. The more than 80 percent of people who use cable or satellite to get TV won't have to worry about anything. It's the less than 20 percent who watch TV for free with rabbit ears who will have to make a change.

Here's what you need to know if you fall into the latter category: Your old TV will not be trash in 2009. It just needs a converter box that allows it to accept digital signals. The feds are subsidizing two $40 vouchers for each person with an old TV. But don't run out to get them just yet; the coupons are only good for 90 days and the boxes are still fairly expensive. By the fall, Clark expects that they'll be at a price point where the vouchers should cover most of the cost. The neat thing is that the picture on your old TV will improve once you get a digital signal.

Last year, Clark stated that women would rather buy and receive jewelry than electronics. Boy, did he get an earful from that! A poll on Clarkhoward.com proved that Clark's statement was a chauvinistic one. Now when he's in stores, more women than men ask him for advice on buying HDTVs. Women have their heads spinning like Linda Blair in The Exorcist with all the choices out there. With that in mind, Clark wants to offer a primer on the three types of HDTVs that dominate the market: LCDs (liquid crystal display); DLPs (digital light processing); and Plasma TVs.

Get an LCD if you're looking to reduce energy consumption and want something with a small cabinet. LCDs are also good if there's a lot of natural sunlight available. DLPs are great if you have space for footlong cabinets and huge screens. They may look huge, but they are actually very light. One drawback with DLPs is that you have to look straight at your TV to see the image. They're not good if your room has lots of side viewing angles. In that instance, you probably want a Plasma because the picture is rich and true from any angle. But Plasmas are bad in rooms with natural sunlight, which washes out the picture. For his money, Clark prefers Plasmas over LCDs for picture quality. But keep in mind that Plasmas use more energy though than LCDs.

A lot of shoppers also get confused by the 1080p vs. 720p resolution issue. The manufacturing industry is moving toward 1080p, but all the programming is in 720p. Clark's advice is to buy a cheaper 720p set for now. By the time all the programming switches over, 1080p sets will be more affordable than they are now. Don't overbuy at today's prices for something that is steadily dropping in price. Finally, here are some target price points to keep in mind. For 32-inch LCDs, look for deals in the $400s. Don't pay more than $600. 42-inch Plasmas should go for around $700, while 50-inch ones will go up to $900. If you're going to spend around $900 for a DLP, make sure you get a 60-inch set. DLPs tend to have more repair issues than the other two, but they're all basically reliable. Do not under any circumstance buy an extended warranty!

Electronics are some of the hottest items for both men and women this holiday season. Clark's been looking at several Black Friday websites and has the scoop on deals you'll be seeing at retailers on the day after Thanksgiving. Let's get started with digital cameras. First off, Clark says this is one of the most difficult areas to comparison shop because it seems like every retailer sells about 25 types! Try going to CNET.com and reading customer reviews to get a handle on the model you want. That said, this is the first Christmas that SLR (single-lens reflex) digital cameras are coming in under $500. The advantage of SLRs is that they offer better picture quality even though they're a bit bulky. When it comes to GPS units, look for prices around $100-$149 on Black Friday. Best Buy is listing the popular TomTom One for $119. Staples will have some GPS deals for $124; Office Depot for $129; and Circuit City will be selling the discount Mio Walker GPS for $99. Meanwhile, portable DVD players won't be much cheaper ($79-89) than they were last year, but you'll find the average screen size has gotten larger. If you're in the market for a laptop computer, you'll find some deals in the $299-349 range at Circuit City and Staples, respectively. Finally, look for a variety of HDTV deals. Some retailers are offering 32-inch screens for around $399. If you want to check out a Black Friday website for yourself, try logging on to BlackFriday.info. Clark told you several weeks ago how Wal-Mart was trying to put the kibosh on such websites leaking its deals. So somebody leaked the sales info to CNN and Wal-Mart got way more exposure than they expected!

Have you been hearing all about the coming switch to high-definition TV? There's some misinformation floating around that Clark wants to clear up. If you still get your reception via rabbit ears or a roof-based antenna, your old TV will not be obsolete when the switch is made from analog to digital signals in early 2009. That's because you'll be able to get a converter box for around $50 -- and the feds will even subsidize around $40 of it. So there's no need to buy a new HDTV -- unless you really want one! Meanwhile, how you watch TV is going to be changing. Hulu.com is a new website that will make network TV shows available via your high-speed internet connection. But the really big news that Clark's excited about is that 32-inch LCDs are being designed to hook up to your computer. You can even split the signal so that you don't have to check your e-mail on the boob tube. Clark loves all the changes and choices that are coming -- even though he doesn't really watch TV! We're moving into era where you'll be able to be anywhere in the world and watch the shows you love if you have a high-speed Internet connection.

Clark recently had the odd experience of a salesperson at an electronics store coming up to him and thanking him for telling people to get warranties on HDTVs. Mind you, Clark is known for his opposition to extended warranties on electronics and computers. So what gives? The only think Clark can think is that people got confused about four or five years ago when he stated that Consumer Reports was neutral on the question of extended warranties for some electronics. But now the December '07 issue of Consumer Reports says that HDTVs are extraordinarily reliable and you can forego the warranty. In fact, the article is even titled "More reasons to skip an extended warranty." The latest finding is that there's only a 3 percent chance that an HDTV will need any repair during the first three years.

Consumer Reports also discovered that the most reliable LCD and Plasma TV brand is Panasonic. Dell, meanwhile, is 6 times more likely to break down. But even Dells are still reliable when compared with old-fashioned TVs. The No. 1 selling brand of HDTVs is now California-based manufacturer Vizio. Yet Vizio is not in the reliability ratings because they weren't around just a few years ago! The same thing holds true for newcomer Olevia. Together Vizio and Olevia hold three of the top five spots in the 32-inch and 37-inch categories. The best 46-inch buy is a Sony Bravia at $1,800, while the best 42-inch is a Toshiba for $1,100. But you can get a smaller, much cheaper set and still get good picture and sound. Finally, Clark has some words of advice for you when you're facing those high-pressure extended warranty sales pitches: NO, NO, NO! You'll probably need to give three objections before they leave you alone. One disgruntled salesperson even told Clark that if customers are too emphatic about not wanting the warranty, the salespeople are told by management to lie and say the product is out of stock. That way they'll have the inventory to sell to someone else who will buy the warranty. That stinks!

This is going to be a great year for high definition on your TV set. According to new statistics from the electronics industry, 25 percent of households are now hi-def. Just 18 months ago, that number was probably seven or eight percent. There's more hi-def programming being churned out, too. The Discovery Channel made a big ratings comeback thanks to Discovery HD, which features incredible photography that renders beautifully in hi-def and has really captivated viewers. Now, Direct TV's goal is to have 100 HD channels before the end of the year. What's happening there is that they're scared of the triple-play packages from the cable companies -- where you get cable, Internet and phone -- so they're fighting back with this promise to offer more hi-def programming.

Clark's approach to hi-def is to let the early adopters get in the game and drive the price down as the quality of programming up. That's already happening. Many of the major TV networks now put out hi-def transmissions in addition to regular broadcast signals. Meanwhile, a plasma TV today costs a quarter of what it did 36 months ago. And this Christmas, you can get a hi-def set for under $500 bucks. Still too expensive for your taste? The irony here is that you get a better picture from a hi-def transmission if you use conventional rabbit ears on your old TV set than if you actually pay for the hi-def programming and equipment. On the retail front, the way people purchase hi-def equipment is changing as well. Electronics retailers like Circuit City and Tweeter are in trouble because people buy their equipment at Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam's Club. In fact, the only electronics retailer doing well in hi-def sales is Best Buy.

If you have a traditional television, don’t think that it will be obsolete when the HD deadline hits in 2009. The only people affected are the ones that pick up signals with rabbit ears. Even then, you can buy converter boxes for little to nothing because the government will be subsidizing them. The television industry is trying to get people to panic buy so that they can increase their sales. If you don’t care about a huge new flat screen or getting a high definition picture, then don’t even worry about it. Your television will be able to work for a long time to come. Look out though, if it turns out you want a new TV with a better picture when the HD deadline comes around, the prices are dropping rapidly. You can get a nice TV for cheap.

High-def TVs are selling like hotcakes, and – for the first time in history – women are the driving force behind the purchases. Women don’t like the way TVs dominate rooms and take up so much space, so it’s more of a décor decision. If you’re a woman (or a man) looking for an HDTV, Clark has the latest report from Consumer Reports for you. In the 42-inch and 32-inch size, the Olevia LCD is CR’s No. 1 pick. They’re also really affordable. In the plasma and DLP categories, more affordable choices are also okay nowadays. You can buy a 32-inch LCD HDTV for under $500. You can get a 42-inch HDTV plasma for $899. So, higher price no longer equals higher quality. And, don’t buy an extended warranty because HDTVs have ended up being remarkably reliable.

Did you know that you can get HDTV for free? That’s right. There is an assumption that when something is free that others are paying for, it’s either being stolen or it can’t really be a deal. But this deal is for real. In fact, Clark is proof. At his vacation home in Florida, Clark has a high-def television but he didn’t pay for program because he gets it for free. How? The modern equivalent of rabbit ears makes it possible. Here’s how it works. Clark signed up for the poverty cable package with the local provider. It’s called “Broadcast Basic” or something similar, and it costs about $10 a month. The package includes the broadcast channels, Bravo, Home & Garden and a few more specialty channels that are in standard definition. Then, Clark purchased a high-definition antenna and the picture on those channels is amazing. It’s possible through something called digital compression, which Clark doesn’t really understand. But the free picture on the HDTV set at his vacation home is much better than the picture at his regular home, where he pays the cable company for high-def programming. In the old days, you got kind of a snowy, grainy picture with rabbit ears. But now, if you have high def and the antenna, the picture is great. Your TV must have a high def tuner, and about three-quarters do. You can figure out if you get the good signal by checking antennaweb.org.

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In other TV news, HDTV prices will go up around Superbowl time. You don’t want to buy one now. Wait until about two weeks after to buy. Also, standard-sized models continue to drop in price. Those include 42-inch plasma models (under $1,000), 37-inch and 32-inch LCDs ($under $500) and 50-inch DLPs (under $1,000). Salespeople are going to try and steer you into much larger models, but don’t feed into the hype. The smaller models are the sweet spots in the market, so look for them.

Going back three or four years ago, Clark got calls about HDTVs every couple months. Then, around Halloween 2005, the calls became more frequent and they haven’t stopped since. Last year alone, 50 million flat panel HDTVs were sold. That’s just that model. There are tons more on the market. The Wall Street Journal did some research on this topic to see which TVs are the most popular models. By far, the 42-inch high-def plasma is on top. About two years ago, those were more than $4,000. Today, a common price point is $999 and you can find them for even less. Large-sized LCDs are also popular. Ones that cost $2,100 a year or two ago are now $1,200. In general, prices have dropped by about 40 percent and it’s only going to go lower. Looking forward, competition at the wholesale and retail level is going to drive prices down even more. This Christmas, it’s possible that an HDTV will cost $500. What you need to remember is to never buy an extended warranty on these televisions. You never want to ensure a rapidly depreciating asset and that is what these TVs are. In fact, it’s a good idea to buy the entry-level model, if you’re thinking of purchasing. The higher the price, the more it will drop in value. When the HDTV market stabilizes in three or four years, then it’s okay to overpay for a fancy brand name. But until then, just get the standard product.

Organic foods are a fairly new phenomenon, but they seem to be sweeping the nation. Last year, 17,000 new products were introduced into the market and about 4,000 of them claim to be “organic” or “all natural.” So, how do you know if a product is truly organic? Well, just because a product says it’s organic doesn’t mean it is. And, just because a product is organic doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Lay’s new “organic” potato chips have sea salt and special oil, for instance. But the price is higher and the amount of fat and calories is exactly the same. The good news is that prices on organic food in general are going down. Organic products used to cost a ton more than regular products. But now they are available in all kinds of grocery stores, so the price is going down. Kim, one of our producers, challenged Clark to a yogurt taste test. He agreed to test organic low-fat yogurt versus regular low-fat yogurt, and we’ll let you know the results.

Clark watched a pre-season football game on HDTV this weekend and he is officially sold. The clarity of the game made it almost as good as being there. This holiday season, you will be able to buy an HDTV for less than $1,000, and a 32-inch LCD will be as low as $500. DLP or "digital light processing" TVs and plasma screens have broken the $1,000 mark, as well. Just remember that some plasmas are not true HDTVs. They are ED or “enhanced definition” televisions, so the picture quality is not as good.

Clark likes to monitor ads and the prices in them. Recently, he’s been keeping an eye on LCD televisions. He saw them recently for $699, which is a fraction of what they’ve been. And, according to the Asian edition of Business Week, the industry is in some difficulty. There is too much inventory coming into the market, so prices are going to drop even more. The LCDs will be available in 32-inch screens and larger sizes for much lower prices. On Black Friday especially, prices will be amazing. You can get a 20-inch for $299 and 32-inch screens for $499. The larger sizes will be in the same range as DLP, which is considered to have the best picture. As for HDT, this will be the last year on breakthrough pricing. This fall, HDTV will be affordable in Clark’s opinion. Now, you don’t want to buy one unless you’ve figured out how to get the programming. And, if you’re looking for a cheap regular television, people are having trouble giving them away.

It's still not time to splurge on that HDTV. Hear from Clark as to why and - better yet - when you should buy. Remember to disable your pop-up clocker (by holding down your control button) in order to listen.

If you have a HDTV like many people, you may be wondering how to actually watch shows on that television. A lot of people are watching DVDs on their HDTVs because there simply aren’t enough regular programs that can be seen in that format. As a result, studios have been fighting about formats. It’s much like the fight of the 1980s when it was BETA v. VHS. Well, fast forward to 2006. The industry didn’t learn what happened then, and they haven’t learned now. Blue Ray and HD-DVD are the two formats now in competition. The Blue Rays are about $1,100 and the HD-DVDs are about $499. Then, there are the disks you must buy. So, it’s frustrating to figure out because the industry hasn’t gotten its act together. As a result, you have two options in Clark’s opinion. If price is no object, you buy one or both formats. If price is an object, sit this one out for now. Another note to consider, HDTV prices go up in the period leading up to the Super Bowl. Manufacturers use the Super Bowl as a beacon to get people to take the plunge. So, if you’re thinking about buying a TV now, don’t do it. Prices are way too high and they’ll go back down again in March. Just go to a friend’s house to watch if you must see the game in HDTV.

Are you still itching to buy that HDTV? Many people have opened their wallets to buy high def TVs already. But if you haven’t, there is a great opportunity coming your way. Over the past 12 months, HDTV prices have dropped by half. The drops coming forward are even better. Why? First of all, tons of companies have jumped into making HDTVs. That includes companies that traditionally make cell phones and computers. As a result, the supply is going to exceed demand and the deals are going through the roof. HDTVs have routinely sold for about $3,000 and really good shoppers have paid about $1,200 to $1,500. Looking forward to the end of this year, quality HDTVs will be just $800 or $900. In addition, the amount of programming and content will be better by the fall or the end of the year. So, there is an advantage to waiting.

Clark is a football nut. He even enjoys a bad football game. Apparently, he’s not the only one. People are suddenly buying up HDTVs just as football season starts. The good news is that they are sometimes half the cost of what they were last year. Prices are in a free fall. But if you can wait one more football season, the cost of HDTV will be affordable for most people. There are a lot of formats of HDTV, including DLP, plasma and LCD. It can get confusing. But prices on all of them will drop. In addition, the cheapest and most reliable format is a CRT television in HDTV. They are very inexpensive and are the only proven technology that works with HDTV. It will cost you between $300 and $700, which is a lot less than the other formats. Also, most plasma televisions are not HDTV, even though they’re marketed that way. Usually plasma televisions are EDTV, and there is a big difference. It’s just another reason to wait until next year when the program availability will get better.

Clark predicted that this Christmas would be time to buy an HDTV. Maybe he’s right, but the jury is still out. One factor that may alter what happens is the influx of “certified calibrators” coming into the workforce. What is a certified calibrator? It’s someone who helps people set up their HDTVs to display programs to look like they do in the store. It can cost up to $1,000 to get the picture just right. And these people are going to make big bucks, with an estimated 7 million HDTVs being sold this year. Clark can't believe that people need a technician to do that much work this far alon gin the game. We’ll see what happens!