Questions about HDtv

[RadioGaGa 162]

Here's my current TV situation. I have a 20" TV and regular old cable.

Question #1: If I buy an TV with a built in HD decoder...and I watch a program that they say is available in HD...do I see the HD broadcast? Or, do I have to upgrade to Digital Cable (Sat isn't an option because I'm in an apartment building) first.

Question #2: I read about an HD Antenna. They were talking about getting HD broadcasts for free...Is that for TV's that DON'T have the built in decoder or for TV's with decoders that don't have digital/sat service.

Question #3: I have seen a 30" Sanyo ($649) and a 26" Samsung ($599). My couch is 7-8 feet from the TV...would one or the other be better for the room?

I know a lot of this info could be found by searching the 'net, but opinions of MSH'er have always been good, so I figured I'd go with people I "know" first.

Cheers.

[donkey87 0]

Don't know about 2 or 3, but I can answer #1.

To see a program in HD you must recieve an HD channel. This usually requires having Digital Cable, and sometimes requires and extra fee.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Don't know about 2 or 3, but I can answer #1.

To see a program in HD you must recieve an HD channel. This usually requires having Digital Cable, and sometimes requires and extra fee.

Even regular cable is improved on an HDtv right?

[seanmccann 3]

Here's my current TV situation. I have a 20" TV and regular old cable.

Question #1: If I buy an TV with a built in HD decoder...and I watch a program that they say is available in HD...do I see the HD broadcast? Or, do I have to upgrade to Digital Cable (Sat isn't an option because I'm in an apartment building) first.

Question #2: I read about an HD Antenna. They were talking about getting HD broadcasts for free...Is that for TV's that DON'T have the built in decoder or for TV's with decoders that don't have digital/sat service.

Question #3: I have seen a 30" Sanyo ($649) and a 26" Samsung ($599). My couch is 7-8 feet from the TV...would one or the other be better for the room?

I know a lot of this info could be found by searching the 'net, but opinions of MSH'er have always been good, so I figured I'd go with people I "know" first.

Cheers.

Q 1 You have to have a digital signal to get true HDTV. Some US cities have free HD channels that are "in the air", free to grab with a HDTV receiver.

Q 2It is just like plugging a TV into the wall and putting "rabbit ears" on it. You can pick up some HDTV channels for free(if available in your area). But in this case you get HDTV channels not fuzzy channels.

Q 3 You are best off not to get an HD-Ready TV.

Hope this helps, you can read more below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdtv

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6223195-1.html

http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgb...rogramming.html

[donkey87 0]

No, Digital Cable will improve your normal cable stations, but HD will only have an impact on the special HD channels.

[seanmccann 3]

No, Digital Cable will improve your normal cable stations, but HD will only have an impact on the special HD channels.

Acutally only some shows are in HD, so when top shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Prison Break are on you will get a HD signal but when other shows are on you just get an enhanced digital signal.

Here is another link:

http://www.hdtvmagazine.com/

[Jason Harris 31]

I just visited my friend in NH last week, and he had treated himself to a 51" HDTV since the last time I visited. Two things that were interesting:

1) The over-the-air signal is the best, because the satellite providers are compressing the signals to get more throughput. Conversely, the over-the-air signal is just floating out there, and it's a question of whether your antenna can pick it up. If it does, he says the picture is great.

2) A non-HD signal on the HDTV is WAY worse than watching the same signal on a regular TV.

[pldhockey4 0]

we have a tv that is not hdtv, but we have some hd channels for some reason. they look the same as regular tv for us because we dont have a tv capable for these channels.

[seanmccann 3]

we have a tv that is not hdtv, but we have some hd channels for some reason. they look the same as regular tv for us because we dont have a tv capable for these channels.

Of course they do, HDTV can only be viewed on an HD compatible TV. If you do not have HD then you will only see the regular picture.

[RadioGaGa 162]

we have a tv that is not hdtv, but we have some hd channels for some reason. they look the same as regular tv for us because we dont have a tv capable for these channels.

Of course they do, HDTV can only be viewed on an HD compatible TV. If you do not have HD then you will only see the regular picture.

But is "regular" tv clear on an HDtv or crappy as Salming suggests.

[Chadd 916]

we have a tv that is not hdtv, but we have some hd channels for some reason. they look the same as regular tv for us because we dont have a tv capable for these channels.

Of course they do, HDTV can only be viewed on an HD compatible TV. If you do not have HD then you will only see the regular picture.

But is "regular" tv clear on an HDtv or crappy as Salming suggests.

If you try to view a regular program in widescreen format it will look washed out. My TV allows me to watch normal programming in the normal aspect ratio and it looks better than any other TV I've owned.

[Jason Harris 31]

That makes more sense, Chadd, and leads me to think I misunderstood my friend. He did say he can switch between the ratios, and maybe he said normal programming in widescreen format looks terrible, but perhaps I didn't hear that.

[golfpuck 0]

regular non-hd programing will look the same on an HDtv.

since your in hamilton, i am in mississauga,

i have an over the air HDTV tuner + indoor antenna, I get about 7 channels from the 15th floor of my condo what faces south-east, ie to buffalo and the cn tower

i can get the cbc in HD and get to watch all the saturday night leaf games in HD, as well as the NFL for "free"

http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/

being in hamilton, you may have to get 2 antennas, one focus on toronto, one on buffalo or an outdoor or get up and point the antenna every time you switch from buffalo to toronto programming

radioshack in the usa has an hdtv tuner for $100us, dont know if it is any good.

hdtv ready is the way to go if you plant to subcribe to hdtv cable

if you are going to go over the air, get the tv with hdtv tuner built in to save on space etc...

[freq019 0]

1) if you have a built-in HD tuner you can access network programs over the air for free in HD. If you don't have a built in tuner then you need either digital cable or SAT to act as your HD tuner. You can still use an antenna to access the networks with a SAT tuner. In the US some cable companies are including local network HD programming, but check with your provider to see if that is the case.

2) You need an antenna to get the local channels if you don't want to upgrade to digital cable with HD. Like others have said they aren't too expensive and with a little work you can get the local channels pretty easily and your built-in decoder will provide you with the HD feed if one is provided.

3) go to the store and sit 5-8ft away from them and see which one looks best to you. Since you're the one watching it. Forums like avsforums and if you google HDTV forums, will be able to help you as well.

[zingbergeur 0]

My roommate has a nice TV with HD, and we live in an apartment where we must use some crappy satellite from our apartment complex. He bought an antenna that works magnificently. It is made up of 2 diamond shaped antennas and sits on top of the TV. We get Fox, CBS, and PBS in perfect HD, and those are the only channels broadcasted in HD in my area.

[seanmccann 3]

True HDTV is natively widescreen therefore the pixels are not square. That is why the ratio messes up sometimes.

[Rustybender 0]

Regarding regular TV on HDTVs, it really depends on the set. Typically, the bigger the screen, the worse it is going to look, even with the correct aspect ratio. On my HDTV (61") HDTV looks amazing, digital looks good, standard looks ok but worse than on our standard TV.

My brother has a 31" HDTV and standard tv looks pretty darn good on it.

If you can get a TV with a built in HDTV tuner, I would go for it. One less box to have sitting next to your TV.

And just a slight nitpick. The pixels are square. There are more pixels left to right than there are top to bottom, that is how widescreen is acheived. Not by stretching pixels.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Thanks for all the input...I guess until I'm ready to upgrade my services...I should hold off on the TV.

Prices keep coming down anyway...waiting will probably work out for the better.

[Fonya 0]

I have the Rogers Digital Cable and I can tell I difference on the HD channels...its great for watching sports. I suggest you get it (you live in Canada right?). The Video Recorder is great! I have tons and tons of recorded shows and movies. Its nice to pause, rewind etc. live tv too.

[asdfa 0]

3 i think the rule of thumb is sitting 3.5 times as far from your TV as the "size". i.e., 24" TV, sit 3.5 x 24" or 7" away from it. for HDTV, it drops down to 2 or 2.5 times as far away, so 24" would be either 4 feet away or 5 feet away. I think this is ideal so that you don't see the pixels but the picture is as big as possible. in otehrwords, use the 26" for your couch, unless you don't have another bigger space.

[Sid 3]

The industry is still working out standards in HDTV. Hold off on the TV.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

MSG is doing the first road-game HDTV broadcast for both the Rangers and Knicks.