Is HD TV really needed?

[mastermesh]

I've been seeing a lot of SD tvs on the market at Wal-Mart, etc. for about 200.00. I also see downcoverters that convert hd to analogue for about 200.00. I also see dvd recorders around the same price that have digital tv tuners in them. Do you need a downconverter in addition to a new digital tv with a tuner in it or will the sd tv work fine... and will the sd tv pick up hd if, eventually in a few years all channels start coming in as hd?

Basically, what I'm asking is will the 200.00 price ranged tvs work ok for local ota channel reception... if not, why... if maybe due to hd eventually being everything across the board, would it make more sense to get a converter to get the hd instead of paying thousands for a real hd tv?

 

[navychop]

A digital converter box will pick up HD signals just fine, and output in analog SD format.

Keep in mind, in January 2008 the government will start distributing 2 coupons worth $40 each to each household that applies for them, for digital to analog converter boxes. We'll likely see boxes on sale for maybe $60 and up. So, with patience, you can get a box for much cheaper than the $200. Of course, they'll be very basic boxes.

If your new TV has a digital tuner in it, it will pick up all digital signals, including HD. No need for another box. All devices since March are required to have digital tuners in them, if they have an analog tuner. If you see something with an analog tuner and no digital tuner, it is quite old and has been on a shelf somewhere for quite some time. Also, analog only devices are supposed to have a warning sign near them.

Don't buy an SD TV that does not have a digital tuner.

 

[digiblur]

Real HDTV's are continuing to come down in price. Watch the deals at Wal-Mart and such for Christmas.

An HDTV by far has been the best piece of equipment I've bought in a long time. After being spoiled by beautiful HD, we just can't stand to watch SD anymore.

 

[mastermesh]

If your new TV has a digital tuner in it, it will pick up all digital signals, including HD. No need for another box.

Cool. That was the answer I was looking for... I wasn't sure if SD TVs could do that or if it make the signal so that it'd be like sitting on a computer monitor with setup for dual monitors when you only have one little 15" monitor and have can only see one small portion of the hd screen.

 

[BKP]

Real HDTV's are continuing to come down in price. Watch the deals at Wal-Mart and such for Christmas.

An HDTV by far has been the best piece of equipment I've bought in a long time. After being spoiled by beautiful HD, we just can't stand to watch SD anymore.

I agree, totally... I bought my Emerson LCD for a great price in June and I'll never go back to a SD TV.. After getting my antennas straightened out digital and HD channels are excellent..

If all you need is a bigger SD TV just find a used $50-$75 one and start saving for a real TV, you won't be sorry..

 

[zaxxon]

HD is the best thing that ever happened to TV the difference is like day an night.

I bought my wife a flat screen Magnavox 15" for the kitchen counter, around two hundred bucks and hooked it up to the antenna in the attic for regular TV. When I installed my CM4428 I ran another line and bought her a Hisense converter box. Now she won't watch anything but HD.

In my rec room I have a 57" Sony with HD and a 32" Sony HD in the bedroom.

My rec room gets kinda crowded during foot ball season.

Buy a HD TV in time for the Super Bowl, but no Janet will not be back.

 

[digiblur]

HD is the best thing that ever happened to TV the difference is like day an night.

I bought my wife a flat screen Magnavox 15" for the kitchen counter, around two hundred bucks and hooked it up to the antenna in the attic for regular TV. When I installed my CM4428 I ran another line and bought her a Hisense converter box. Now she won't watch anything but HD.

In my rec room I have a 57" Sony with HD and a 32" Sony HD in the bedroom.

My rec room gets kinda crowded during foot ball season.

Buy a HD TV in time for the Super Bowl, but no Janet will not be back.

Other than the colors and aspect ratio can you really tell the difference on a 16:9 15 inch screen?

I saw some HD material on a 27 inch HD screen and it really didn't look any different from a regular SDTV.

 

[mastermesh]

I'm sure colors and aspect ratio make a big difference.... but since I'm halfway red-green color blind, am not sure if it'd make a heck of a lot of difference to me anyways. Might to my wife though.

 

[bidger`]

I'm sure colors and aspect ratio make a big difference....but since I'm halfway red-green color blind, am not sure if it'd make a heck of a lot of difference to me anyways. Might to my wife though.

That's the crux of the matter and, yeah, in regards to you being color blind, HD probably won't make any difference for you.

 

[zaxxon]

Can you see the difference on a 15" screen??? Oh Yes!!!! big difference. You should see the smile on my wifes face when she is watching her soaps in HD. Makes a big difference to her.

Me I watch satellite TV on my BUD, the digital looks almost like HD but not quite there.

Yes ther is a BIG difference between HD and standard TV.

 

[digiblur]

Can you see the difference on a 15" screen??? Oh Yes!!!! big difference. You should see the smile on my wifes face when she is watching her soaps in HD. Makes a big difference to her.

Me I watch satellite TV on my BUD, the digital looks almost like HD but not quite there.

Yes ther is a BIG difference between HD and standard TV.

Are you 6 inches from the screen or something?

 

[roashru]

Other than the colors and aspect ratio can you really tell the difference on a 16:9 15 inch screen?

I saw some HD material on a 27 inch HD screen and it really didn't look any different from a regular SDTV.

Screen size dosnt mean anything for clarity. If the "native resolution" (pixels) is the common minimum of 1366x768 and a good video processor (MPEG-2, not same as ATSC demodulator) Yes you can tell the difference. I use cheap 14.1 and 15.4 widescreen computer monitors that are 1280x800 connected to any HDTV set top box with RGB or DVI out for cheaper high quality smaller HDTV. edited after a reply.

 

[digiblur]

Screen size dosnt mean anything for clarity. If the "native resolution" (pixels) is the common minimum of 1366x768 and a good video prossesor (MPEG-2) Yes you can tell the difference. I use cheap 14.1 and 15.4 widescreen computer monitors that are 1280x800 connected to any HDTV set top box with VGA or DVI out for cheaper high quality smaller HDTV.

A couple of you are missing my point.... it's like putting a 1920x1080i screen on a iPOD. Who's going to notice?

 

[roashru]

A couple of you are missing my point.... it's like putting a 1920x1080i screen on a iPOD. Who's going to notice?

True, but 1366x768 on a 60 inch screen dosnt look that good (at least to me) because the dots (pixels) are bigger.

 

[zaxxon]

Are you 6 inches from the screen or something?

Nahh the kitchen is 12'X10' and yes HD does make a difference.

No problem seeing anything, just had my eyes tested 20/15 not bad for 66 years old.

I guess regular TV is going the way of the CRT, simply obsolete technology.

Some thing like black and white TV.

I guess that is not a good example because I have a working Philco Predicta.

 

[Jim S.]

A lot of satellite and cable digital SD signals are compressed to the point that they look nothing like a clean analog signal used to. Watching even a downconverted HD signal on a small screen will make a huge difference in that case.

 

[haertig]

... and will the sd tv pick up hd if, eventually in a few years all channels start coming in as hd?

What you said above makes me question if you understand the difference between "HD" and "digital". Please take no offense if you already know this.

Come 2009, all OTA broadcast signals are required to be digital. That does NOT mean they are required to be HD. These are two different things. HD requires digital, but digital does not imply that things are HD. To see HD, you will need an HD set. Period. What will happen if you have an SD set with a digital tuner is that HD will be received and downconverted to SD. So you will see something on your digital tuner TV, but it will be SD not HD.

Digital SD will probably look better than analog SD. It will NOT be higher resolution (that's what HD gives you). But being digital, you will not experience the typical ghosting, snow, etc. like you might have with analog. Digital is either there, or it's not. If it's there, it's good. If it's not, you see nothing. Analog is a continuum - it goes from good to bad to terrible with everything else in between.

 

[jtn]

I've been seeing a lot of SD tvs on the market at Wal-Mart, etc. for about 200.00. I also see downcoverters that convert hd to analogue for about 200.00. I also see dvd recorders around the same price that have digital tv tuners in them. Do you need a downconverter in addition to a new digital tv with a tuner in it or will the sd tv work fine... and will the sd tv pick up hd if, eventually in a few years all channels start coming in as hd?

Basically, what I'm asking is will the 200.00 price ranged tvs work ok for local ota channel reception... if not, why... if maybe due to hd eventually being everything across the board, would it make more sense to get a converter to get the hd instead of paying thousands for a real hd tv?

It's all preference, and moving ahead with technology. NTSC has been around since the first TV signal. Over 50 years, it's time for change I think. When February 2009 roles around, the demand for HD sets will drive down the cost, it's hard to go back to analog once you get a taste of digital and HDTV.

 

[mastermesh]

Got another question ... is the coupon program JUST for converter boxes or can it be applied to new digital tvs with tuners built in too? I originally thought it was for both, but more reading is making me wonder if that is really the case... IBM Press room - 2007-08-15 IBM Awarded Commerce Department NTIA Contract for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program - United States
...edit....
I emailed the contacts at the feds on the press release as well as the attorney general since it's a consumer protection type of question... I'm hoping that the coupon program will work for purchase of a new tv with internal tuner and not just for external tuners, especially since current prices indicate that external boxes cost almost the same as a new tv with internal tuner... which means your choices are either
A. New TV with Internal Tuner
OR
B. An Old TV + a New External Tuner that cost just as much as A. by itself + cord(s) to connect the two, etc.

If a New TV + Internal Tuner = Same Price as External Tuner by itself AND if coupon is ONLY good for External Tuner --> Consumers are getting ripped off and Federal Government is robbing the poor to give to the rich again and are saying it's the other way around (not surprising)

 

[Peter Parker]

It is fora simple converter box only. The estimate is that at that time the boxes would retail for $70-$90 without the coupons. It would be hard to find a TV that inexpensive. you have to underatand that the STBs you see now can be used to output to an analog TV but generally also have outputs that are far more complex (Component, HDMI etc) than what these boxes will do . they will simply output analog signals oand perhaps the composite video with stereo audio. But the intent here is to not obsolete all the old TVs not give everyone a new TV.