You’ve already seen the player hands-on; the final reveal for the Zune HD was how well it handled when docked on a high-def TV. As you can see in this video, it blows away anything else in its class.

I was trying to figure out what it was about the Zune HD’s TV interface that I was enjoying so much, and then I realized: Unlike every other device of its size and capacity, this thing is a true portable media center. It’s not as fast as a fully fledged PC running Windows Media Center, but it is zippy as hell for a pocketable, portable player.

Zune HD goes dark when it’s docked, like you see in the gallery. This isn’t like an iPod—once docked, it’s invisible, the power behind what you watch or listen to. The remote is the key. I bopped around, browsing music, scanning for radio stations (that HD has a few meanings, including an HD radio receiver, so you can see the “what’s playing” data and everything) and even watching a short full-screen video on this 60-inch Samsung. The demo Zune only had the one video—I can’t wait to see what it’s like to fill a 32GB one with great movies and TV episodes.

The only noticeable thing missing from the interface was any online connectivity—you can’t download movies to a Zune without a PC anyway, but docked, I am not even sure you can stream music (as you can when carrying a Zune in a Wi-Fi environment). More on that when we review it, naturally.

As we showed you months ago, the player itself takes the PMP user interface to a new level. When you select something, all the screen elements move at different vectors, creating at times a 3D effect, as you can catch up close in the video below. (Pardon the glare, but that’s one hazard—for better or worse, it’s a shiny shiny screen.)

I don’t want to say more—this is not a review, and I won’t be the reviewer when we do pass judgment—but let me say that, as someone who’s never been terribly excited by past Zunes, this one took me pleasantly by surprise.

[Full Zune HD Coverage on Gizmodo]

These days, many people are buying HDTV televisions, and for some, this fact alone is a good reason to save up for one. Before you swipe your card or take the cash out of your wallet, though, it’s best to learn more about HD televisions first, starting with their pros and cons.

One of the main pros of HDTV televisions is the fact that they provide better picture quality, particularly because they offer better screen resolution. In fact, the resolution of HDTVs is ten times better than regular TV sets. Because they are widescreen, HDTV televisions have a better aspect ratio, too, which simulates watching movies in a theatre.

High definition televisions are also equipped with progressive scanning, which results in a sharper picture. They eliminate ghost images or double images, as well, and even provide a better viewing angle so that you can see the images clearly no matter where you are seated in your living room.

The other main advantage of HDTV televisions is the superior sound quality. This is because HDTVs do not just have digital audio signals. They come with 5.1 channels of Dolby Digital surround sound. Because of this, HDTVs usually come with six speakers which you can distribute throughout the room to help you recreate the theatre experience.

Indeed, HDTV televisions sound awesome. They have drawbacks, too, though, one of which is the fact that you have to buy other equipment to complement your HDTV. You’ll need an HDTV tuner, for example, as well as a Blu-Ray player so you can watch High Definition DVDs.

Finding High Definition content can be a problem, too, since not all TV shows or movies are broadcasted in HD. After all, the mandate of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to make everyone use digital TV signals, not necessarily HDTV televisions. To get HD content then, you’ll need to subscribe to HD programming or buy Blu-Ray discs. Even then, you’ll only get limited HD content.

Finally, HDTVs come at a high cost, which is the biggest obstacle for most people who want to get one. Indeed, just the HDTV alone can be priced at as high as $3000, depending on the brand, the type and the size, while the accessories can add up to a few hundred dollars, too. A Blu-Ray player can cost as much as $1000, too.

Now that you know the pros and cons of HDTV televisions, you should be able to make a better decision about buying one. If you do decide to go ahead with the purchase, make sure you choose carefully so you can get your money’s worth and enjoy the ultimate TV viewing experience.

Edward McKellen is an HDTV expert who writes HDTV reviews for HDTVreviewlab.com. To check out the latest Panasonic HDTV reviews or learn more about HDTV television visit HDTVreviewlab.com