Home audio & video forum: What's the point of HD TV?

In some areas there is very little HD content, others have quite a bit, then there is Satellite. Keep in mind, eventually everything will be broadcast in HD (one format or another) and all this was supposed to happen very soon, but as is the norm, deadlines have been moved. Last I read I believe it now is supposed to be 2009 for everything to go HD. I stopped worrying along time ago. Just know that it will happen. THis means that a TV you buy today will either be able to accept the HD signals, or require an add on box which will downconvert the signal, thus you will watch HD content, in regular TV format (525 lines). It's up to you.

HD is the future. You can't even buy a quality TV anymore that is not HD ready, all the old analog tvs are now made in China junk.

It is hard to see just how good HD can look if you are in a Best Buy or CC. They have the TV's misadjusted and have the time not even properly hooked up to true high definition content.

There are 3 ways to get high definition. Over the air (with an old fashioned antenna) cable, or satellite. Right now the majority of network prime time programming and sports are in HD (CBS NBC ABC Fox PBs) as well as TNT, Discovery, ESPN, and all the premium movie channels. Cable and satellite also have their own HD channels too. I have a calibrated rear proction TV and DVD movies and HD programming look BETTER than anything I have seen in a movie theater in years

I know HD TVs have a much better picture. Thats not my point.

I'm saying I think its crazy how many people have these TVs when its so hard to find what you want to watch in HD. Also, almost everything is still in 4:3, so if your TV is 16:9 you have those ugly bars on each side.

This is ALL the HD programming available from my cable provider (Time Warner)

Included in Digital Tier:

1010 10NBC
1011 WXXI in HD
1013 WHAM HD
1014 INHD1
1015 INHD2
1016 WB16 HD
1030 Discovery HD Theater
1033 TNT HD
1047 YES HD
1060 High Definition HBO
1061 High Definition Showtime

Included in HD Tier:

1050 HD Net
1051 HD Net Movies
1052 ESPN HD

Ok. I see 5 channels there that I like. NBC, WB, Discovery, HBO, And Showtime.

Dish Network has a little better selection, but I hear you can only hook up two TVs with a dish...and that's just not enough for us.

Is your satellite provider Dish Network?... Because I just check to see how much it would be with them and its $96 for HD silver, DVR, Local programming, and HBO + Showtime (On 2 TVs)

Also there is a $300.00 Lease fee for the DVR, and $50 commitment fee which I dont really get. And to top it all off there is a $240 cancelation fee (which lass for 18 months). Thats some scary stuff right there.

Right now im paying $90 a month for ~200 channels, (40 of them being movie channels), DVR, and all channels (-The movies) in all other rooms. Also they charge nothing for the upgrade to HD.

Dish network has more HD channels, but TW is much cheaper. This just further supports my opinion that its not worth it to have a HD TV now.

I have one of those TV's: a 60-inch 720p rear-projection set. However, I still do *not* have HDTV service. For me, it's not worth it yet.

As you mentioned, the selection of HD channels is still quite limited. I have basic cable, but to upgrade to HD service will cost me in the neighborhood of $15-20 extra per month. I don't watch that much regular TV anyway, and I don't need to see the news in HD, so I'm not jumping yet.

Eventually, all broadcasts will be digital and HD programming will be everywhere, so my TV is a good investment for the future. In the meantime, the main thing it buys me is a 60" screen size and a terrific sharp picture for DVDs.

Cheers!
Speleo.

P.S. Widescreen-format TVs have stretch modes, and a lot of 4:3 programming doesn't look too bad stretched to fill the screen, if you find those side bars annoying.

I know you know from my other posts that I'm not cheap when it comes to my entertainment, but this is simply a case of my watching so little programming that I don't think I'd get much value for my $15/month (which I think is more like $20 or $25 because of equipment rental costs or new gear to buy). If I'm not going to watch Discovery HD, then it's not worth paying for.

I also don't want to contribute to the escalating monthly costs of cable / satellite. If this were 2009, HD programming would be required and I wouldn't have to pay extra for digital service and extra again for HD. It's already hard for me to justify $40/month for basic cable--if it were up to me I'd drop that, too, but my wife has a few CATV shows she likes.

Anyway, I'm mainly a movie-watcher, so $15/month is an extra $180 a year I could use to buy DVDs or spend on Netflix or something. That would be a better value for me.

Cheers!
Speleo.

seen an HD picture? It is not just the resolution, it is the colors too. It is like the difference between a point and shoot camera and a Bronica or Hasselblad. They both take pictures, Right??

Duh.

...I've ever seen on an "A-V" Forum.

Like I said to this genius, his question is akin to asking why you need a BMW when you have a perfectly good skateboard to get you from place to place.

DUH!!!

;~)

I have to agree about the HDTV craze. My wife and I have been looking since the Den is done. And I am having the same problem. Spending $5,000.00 for a T.V. that has a worse picture than my 9 year old Sony. I just don't get it??? There just is no HD programing out there to make it worth it, at least not to me, not yet.

I have 28 channels of awsome hi-def channels. also 90% of my viewing is hi-def. I just dont know why someone would buy a hi-def t.v. then complain about spending $15.00 extra for hi-def programming. it makes no sense

1.) for the people that says there arent enough programming. what exactly do you watch? there are 200+ channels on most service providers. you dont watch 200 channels at the same time. prime time shows are hd. sports are hd. movie channels are hd. learning channels like discovery are in hd. late night talk shows are in hd. most news are in hd. a lot of sitcoms and soap opera's now are broadcasting in both hd, and DIGITAL.

the only thing thats not in hd are cartoons(the simpsons, bugs bunny), infomercials, foreign channels, and home shopping networks.

so what exactly do you watch?

2.) get a NICE non-$50 dvd player, hook it up with component cables, and it WILL look better on hd tv's then on old SD tubes.

3.) in the future, SD tv' with NTSC tuners will require some type of a box to downconvert the signals. Walmart actually has a RCA tv out right now...with that box built in. so save some money now, so you have to pay money in the future to downgrade a picture?

4.) biggiest non-hd tv out now are low end front projectors (which most people dont really want), 36 inch tubes (which are heavy, bulky, and kinda small if you're sitting 14+feet away), and really really old crt rear projections which will most likely break in a year because of its age. you can't buy a NEW in a box NON-HD tv that is bigger then 40 inches now.

5.) a 35mm slr will ALWAYS give you a better picture then a $600 8megapixel point and shoot digital camera. why do so many people use digital camera's then?

just my 2 cents.

All the points you quoted in your original message means nothing if cost is low enough for adoption. If a 40 inch HDTV can be had for $300, confusing spec, lack of programming and the next-gen DVD war don't mean jack to the average consumer!! Most people don't want to spend thousands on their TV even if there're tons of HD programming, a clearly defined HDTV spec and next generation DVD spec. Take a look at the cell phone industry, there're many conpeting cell phone technology from many carriers, and cell phone contracts are confusing as heck, but almost everyone has a cell phone these days because the cost is tolerable for most people. Simple economics!!

Just look back ten years, For $1000 you could buy an anolog t.v in a huge cabinit with a tiny 25" screen and a horrible picture with all those scanning lines the only thing watchable was the news Now for the same amount of money and shopping rite you can have a nice little home theater in your home And fact is right now its not going to get any cheaper If some of you dont think hi-def is a thing of the future your wrong sorry stewart