This is an excerpt from John C. Dvoraks article in PC Magazine..
You can read the complete article at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1642653,00.asp
I recently got hold of a remarkable Dish Network 921 set-top box and DVR; it's the size of a PC and loaded to the gills with electronics. It's actually a Linux box; when it boots you can see all the Linux drivers being set up. This is the kind of dedicated computer I like. It's priced at just under $1,000, and it records HDTV! HDTV takes up eight times more disk space than regular video, but the 921 does record it, and it also has both an OTA (over the air) HDTV receiver built in and an analog OTA tuner, as well as two satellite decoders for satellite HDTV. It's a killer box.
A lot of people have been reading about HDTV in PC Magazine, since we see it as part of the digital scene. I'll have more thoughts on HDTV in future columns, especially online at www.pcmag.com/dvorak. Over the past year, I've changed from an HDTV skeptic to a fan, and I can assure you that you won't regret moving to HD sooner rather than later. And the 921, as well as Samsung's line of HD gear, will drive your old TV set and downconvert the HD signal for you. Even with your old TV, the picture is much better. You can buy an HD tube or projector later.
Ironically, most people who bought pricey plasma screens or big boxes run them without the HDTV feed. At one time, 75 percent of the HD-ready displays were being used not with an HD tuner but to watch DVDs. This is exactly the backward way to go about this. Get the tuner first. It's cheaper and gets you a real HD signal. One incredible aspect of HD that you can appreciate with your old tube is the sound. The sound over the air is true Dolby 5.1, and it's stunning.
Here's the real plug for the Dish Network. I was a DirecTV user for 5 or 6 years, and the programming on the Dish Network is superior. Until you switch over, you can't imagine it. They have all the obscure HBO channels, for example. The Latin stuff (including HBO-Latin) is astonishing. They have the entire Sirius digital radio feed and a lot of other digital audio feeds. And they include crazy networks like RFD-TV, which will play shows that are nothing more than tractors plowing fields—for hours! If you haven't hooked up to satellite TV and have to make a choice, then this system is the one to get. Highly recommended.
You can read the complete article at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1642653,00.asp
I recently got hold of a remarkable Dish Network 921 set-top box and DVR; it's the size of a PC and loaded to the gills with electronics. It's actually a Linux box; when it boots you can see all the Linux drivers being set up. This is the kind of dedicated computer I like. It's priced at just under $1,000, and it records HDTV! HDTV takes up eight times more disk space than regular video, but the 921 does record it, and it also has both an OTA (over the air) HDTV receiver built in and an analog OTA tuner, as well as two satellite decoders for satellite HDTV. It's a killer box.
A lot of people have been reading about HDTV in PC Magazine, since we see it as part of the digital scene. I'll have more thoughts on HDTV in future columns, especially online at www.pcmag.com/dvorak. Over the past year, I've changed from an HDTV skeptic to a fan, and I can assure you that you won't regret moving to HD sooner rather than later. And the 921, as well as Samsung's line of HD gear, will drive your old TV set and downconvert the HD signal for you. Even with your old TV, the picture is much better. You can buy an HD tube or projector later.
Ironically, most people who bought pricey plasma screens or big boxes run them without the HDTV feed. At one time, 75 percent of the HD-ready displays were being used not with an HD tuner but to watch DVDs. This is exactly the backward way to go about this. Get the tuner first. It's cheaper and gets you a real HD signal. One incredible aspect of HD that you can appreciate with your old tube is the sound. The sound over the air is true Dolby 5.1, and it's stunning.
Here's the real plug for the Dish Network. I was a DirecTV user for 5 or 6 years, and the programming on the Dish Network is superior. Until you switch over, you can't imagine it. They have all the obscure HBO channels, for example. The Latin stuff (including HBO-Latin) is astonishing. They have the entire Sirius digital radio feed and a lot of other digital audio feeds. And they include crazy networks like RFD-TV, which will play shows that are nothing more than tractors plowing fields—for hours! If you haven't hooked up to satellite TV and have to make a choice, then this system is the one to get. Highly recommended.
