High Definition TV question

[jbmagic]

do i need a HDTV tuner for it?

any difference between HDTV ready and HDTV built in? what better?

if i have directv, will i need anything for it? or will my regular receiver for my directv work?


thanks

[ISiddiqui]

HD ready means you need a seperate source for HD programming, such as a cable box.
I'd imagine that DirectTV has a seperate HD reciever (as Comcast does, which required me to switch recievers).

HD built in means you don't need seperate source for HD. You can get the HD signals from an antenna attached to your roof (or so they say) or without a special cable box.

Personally, since I'm all about digital cable, I'd not mind saving a few hundred for an "HD ready" TV, knowing I'm going to be using a cable box anyway.

[Terps]

You need the DirecTV HD receiver to pick up the HD channels, and subscribe to the HD package. The receiver should have the decoders built-in so it shouldn't matter if you have HD ready or HD built-in.

[Toddzilla]

Hmmmm...I purchased a Mitsubishi HD1080 widescreen - high definition ready - back in 2001 in anticipation of the plethora of High Def programming right around the corner. I have Dish Network and as of today they have a total of FIVE HD channels (ESPN, Discovery, and three other worthless stations). If I were so inclined, would I only need the HD Receiver from Dish in order to display HD on my television or would I need a seperate decoder in addition to my receiver?

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

Hmmmm...I purchased a Mitsubishi HD1080 widescreen - high definition ready - back in 2001 in anticipation of the plethora of High Def programming right around the corner. I have Dish Network and as of today they have a total of FIVE HD channels (ESPN, Discovery, and three other worthless stations). If I were so inclined, would I only need the HD Receiver from Dish in order to display HD on my television or would I need a seperate decoder in addition to my receiver?

Well, until such time as Dish adds more HD channels (don't they also have TNT-HD?) your only choice to get more is to add your local stations in HD. Your Dish Reciever probably has an ATSC decoder which means it could decode them if you plug an antenna (that can pick them up) into the antenna port on it.

Right now, Dish has not announced any plans to add the HD locals.

[ISiddiqui]

HD locals are great stuff! I'd dump Dish if they wouldn't provide that!

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Well, until such time as Dish adds more HD channels (don't they also have TNT-HD?) your only choice to get more is to add your local stations in HD. Your Dish Reciever probably has an ATSC decoder which means it could decode them if you plug an antenna (that can pick them up) into the antenna port on it.

Right now, Dish has not announced any plans to add the HD locals.

There are some legal reasons behind the lack of HD locals on sattelite providers. I don't know the details, but it may be a long time or never before local hd becomes available over Dish.

[Bee]

I wish I got the Sci-Fi channel in HD.

Other than that, I'm satisfied with my HD choices. (HBO, Cinemax, Starz, Universal, FOX, PBS, CBS, ABC, NBC, ESPN, Discovery, a couple other channels).

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

There are some legal reasons behind the lack of HD locals on sattelite providers. I don't know the details, but it may be a long time or never before local hd becomes available over Dish.

No there aren't. Satellite providers are allowed to provide HD LiL's as soon as they reach carriage agreements with the stations and find the capacity to transmit them. DirecTV has been offering them in Detroit for a month, recently started in Atlanta and a few other cities and will supposedly offer them in the top 12 markets by the end of the year. The reasons Dish does not offer them are technical, not legal (and it will be quite some time).

[rafini]

Depending on where you live, you might be able to pick up your local HD channels by an antenna. I'm able to get my local ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, UPN and PBS channels with just a little $30 indoor antenna. Check out this site to see if you'll be able to get reception and what size antenna you'd need:
hxxp://www.antennaweb.org

As for Direct TV, they just launched their second new satellite this year for use with their new HD package, which includes HD locals. Right now they're rolling it out in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and San Francisco; in December they're supposed to in Tampa, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York. They say by early 2006 it will be in 36 top markets, but all this comes after being delayed already this year.

Another good place to get your local HD info is the AVS Forums:
hxxp://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by rafini

They say by early 2006 it will be in 36 top markets, but all this comes after being delayed already this year.

That delay was caused by an issue with their second satellite launch: the other satellite on the launch vehicle (not the DirecTV satellite) had an issue, so they had to take it out and change to a different launch which took forever. Not saying there couldn't be other delays, but right now those 36 markets are all in DirecTV's hands rather than being dependent on a satellite launch. I believe the markets after those 36 may be depending on sat launches in 2006, but I'm not sure.

As for the situation right now:

You need an HD receiver from DirecTV, along with a possible dish upgrade, to get HD from them. If you're in one of the markets mentioned earlier, you'll be getting newer MPEG-4 receivers, while other markets are getting the older MPEG-2 receivers. All of these receivers can use an antenna for receiving local HD programming, which is nice if you can do it as the signals are uncompressed (and serve as a nice backup to the satellite). These will feed your TV without requiring any support in the TV other than a component, DVI, or HDMI port on the TV.

The rest of DirecTV's HD lineup currently includes ESPN-HD, ESPN2-HD, UHD, HDNet, HDNet movies, DiscoveryHD, HBO-HD (if you also subscribe to HBO), and ShowtimeHD (if you also subscribe to Showtime). Plus HD PPV, and HD sports programming if you get Sunday Ticket or one of the other packages.

This lineup is expected to expand as the MPEG-4 sats come on line and receivers proliferate. They expect to have full national local coverage plus around 150 HD channels as they finish this upgrade.

[JasonC23]

So if I got the DirecTV HD box, I would only need an HD-ready TV? I agree with ISiddiqui, that makes a big difference in price...cool.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by JasonC23

So if I got the DirecTV HD box, I would only need an HD-ready TV?

Correct. The tuner is in the DirecTV box.

[stevew]

Basically, there is no point in buying the TV with the Tuner in, correct(as in to specifically go out of your way to get it)? Unless you want to get over the air channells? I have digital cable already, and i believe we can get several HD channels for a bit more.

[panerd]

Unless I am wrong here isn't a HD directv box a real expensive undertaking? They practically give away their regular boxes and DVR's which is why I am a member. But it seems to me like their HD boxes are a couple hundred a shot. Which would be a great deal if you really owned them like their commericials say. But that way I look at it is you still have to pay the monthly fee (which is usually equivalent to the local cable boxes) and the access card issues make them next to impossible to resell. I would go with cable if it is an option.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by panerd

Unless I am wrong here isn't a HD directv box a real expensive undertaking? They practically give away their regular boxes and DVR's which is why I am a member. But it seems to me like their HD boxes are a couple hundred a shot. Which would be a great deal if you really owned them like their commericials say. But that way I look at it is you still have to pay the monthly fee (which is usually equivalent to the local cable boxes) and the access card issues make them next to impossible to resell. I would go with cable if it is an option.

Depends on how long you've been a customer as they have been offering good HD upgrade deals to those who've been around a while. Right now it's $49 for an HD upgrade for any current customer (after a $200 rebate), or $99 if you want an antenna as well. That's the standard deal if you log in to your DirecTV account and try to order an HD upgrade. I just bought an HD-DVR from them for $249 ($349 longtime customer deal - $100 rebate) which, if compared to getting my same service from my local cable company (Time Warner) will take me 12 months to make up.

Look, cable loves to make all of these outrageous claims, but the fact remains that:

1) My DirecTV goes out often when it is a torrential downpour outside. When I had cable, it went out once a week in perfect weather.

2) DirecTV does charge me $5 for every extra box. Time Warner wants to charge me $6 for EVERY digital cable box in my house. They only don't charge extra per outlet if you stay analog.

By the time I add up the prices for digital cable from Time Warner vs. DirecTV, I spend about $30/month extra for the same service through Time Warner. Even adding in the $10/month discount for the IP phone and cablemodem I've got, it's still about $20/month extra for me to get cable TV. It doesn't take long to pay off the receiver and start banking the extra.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by JasonC23

So if I got the DirecTV HD box, I would only need an HD-ready TV? I agree with ISiddiqui, that makes a big difference in price...cool.

Are you getting Chicago locals? If so, make sure you get the MPEG 4 HD reciever. It would suck to buy the old HD reciever and find out you got the old one and will never be able to decode the MPEG-4 stream.

[RPI-Fan]

My dad just recently bought a 15" LCD TV that up in the corner says "HD-ready" -- this means that if he added the Timewarner Cable HD subscription for $5/mo (or whatever it is) all he'd have to do would be tune to those channels and he'd have HD?

[JasonC23]

Originally Posted by Samdari

Are you getting Chicago locals? If so, make sure you get the MPEG 4 HD reciever. It would suck to buy the old HD reciever and find out you got the old one and will never be able to decode the MPEG-4 stream.

Well, this is all theoretical for me at this point (meaning I'm researching HDTVs and such, but probably not for purchase until next year's holiday season at the earliest), so hopefully all DirecTV boxes will be MPEG-4 by then. But thanks for the tip! I'm printing this thread out to add to my information, and will be sure to highlight your point, so I don't screw it up and then feel like an idiot.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Depends on how long you've been a customer as they have been offering good HD upgrade deals to those who've been around a while. Right now it's $49 for an HD upgrade for any current customer (after a $200 rebate), or $99 if you want an antenna as well. That's the standard deal if you log in to your DirecTV account and try to order an HD upgrade. I just bought an HD-DVR from them for $249 ($349 longtime customer deal - $100 rebate) which, if compared to getting my same service from my local cable company (Time Warner) will take me 12 months to make up.

Look, cable loves to make all of these outrageous claims, but the fact remains that:

1) My DirecTV goes out often when it is a torrential downpour outside. When I had cable, it went out once a week in perfect weather.

2) DirecTV does charge me $5 for every extra box. Time Warner wants to charge me $6 for EVERY digital cable box in my house. They only don't charge extra per outlet if you stay analog.

By the time I add up the prices for digital cable from Time Warner vs. DirecTV, I spend about $30/month extra for the same service through Time Warner. Even adding in the $10/month discount for the IP phone and cablemodem I've got, it's still about $20/month extra for me to get cable TV. It doesn't take long to pay off the receiver and start banking the extra.

Hey you don't need to convince me, I am a Directv customer. But the commericials for both services are stupid. Directv claims that you own the equipment. OK, then they charge me a access charge using my own boxes. Cable talks about how often Directv goes out, like you said cable is out as often or more. I think it is good that they have competition or we would be getting royally screwed by either one.

Directv has Sunday Ticket. I need this to watch Bengal games! But in the offseason I switch back to cable. I can put cable in the basement, computer room, bedroom, and kitchen and just pay for the one DVR box in the living room. During the NFL season only two of those boxes are active on Directv. The thing that really pisses me off about Directv is that my local cable has like 6 HBO channels and like 5 Max as one pay cluster(taking out the West repeat channels) Directv has 2 Max and 4 HBO as separate clusters. With the services so similar everywhere else this difference has always boggled me. Directv needs to make some changes in this area if they want me as a customer the other 8 months of the year.

[ISiddiqui]

My dad just recently bought a 15" LCD TV that up in the corner says "HD-ready" -- this means that if he added the Timewarner Cable HD subscription for $5/mo (or whatever it is) all he'd have to do would be tune to those channels and he'd have HD?

Well, actually what happens is you have to have an HD connection from the HD cable box to the TV (either through DVI, HDMI, or Component cables) and you have extra HD versions of the regular channels.

I have Comcast, and my TV is connected to the cable box with a HDMI to DVI cable (TV has HDMI and cable box has DVI-D, but both are digital formats). I have the regular local channels (channels 2-9) and then I have the HD version of the local channels (channels 802-809).

Basically you need an HD cable box if you have an HD-ready and you will have seperate HD versions of the regular channels.

[Mr. Wednesday]

From my point of view, really, what you get by owning the equipment is if and when you end your service, you don't need to return it to DirecTV.

[WrongWay]

Question: What is the differnce between HDTV and S-Video?


If you have an S-Video hookup on your TV does that make it an HDTV?

[stevew]

Originally Posted by WrongWay

Question: What is the differnce between HDTV and S-Video?


If you have an S-Video hookup on your TV does that make it an HDTV?

S video is just another type of connector for video, but supposedly a bit more high tech than coaxial or RCA. At least thats what i can gather about it. Its not HDTV. I think HDTV is the yellow/green/blue for staters, or those more high tech looking plug ins.

[WrongWay]

I thought the yellow/red/white were your RCA hookups?


Like on my TV I have all the regular channels and then I have an S-Video channel and an Aux channell.

[dervack]

Originally Posted by WrongWay

I thought the yellow/red/white were your RCA hookups?


Like on my TV I have all the regular channels and then I have an S-Video channel and an Aux channell.

Composite, the yellow, is all the colors combined together into one stream. S-Video takes 4 different signals down one line, and cleans up the picture better than composite.
Component, RGB, takes the 3 colors and has a seperate input for each. Then their is DVI and HDMI, which are completely digital signals, and allow for a faster data transfer. Typically, HDTV is RGB, HDMI, and DVI.

[Easy Mac]

RCA's are red white yellow. Yellow blue green is composite I believe (or component, i get those mixed up).

Anyone know if I can get HD channels through the cable with just an HDTV card in my computer? I've heard that you can get the local affiliates over the cable line, and since I don't know if I have a line of sight for an antenna, it would be great to get them OTA channels for free (FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC). I know I can't get ESPNHD and such w/o a cable box, but I only care about the primetime shows anyway.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

RCA's are red white yellow. Yellow blue green is composite I believe (or component, i get those mixed up).

Anyone know if I can get HD channels through the cable with just an HDTV card in my computer? I've heard that you can get the local affiliates over the cable line, and since I don't know if I have a line of sight for an antenna, it would be great to get them OTA channels for free (FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC). I know I can't get ESPNHD and such w/o a cable box, but I only care about the primetime shows anyway.

Which HDTV card do you have? I would like to possibly buy one.

[dervack]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

RCA's are red white yellow. Yellow blue green is composite I believe (or component, i get those mixed up).

Anyone know if I can get HD channels through the cable with just an HDTV card in my computer? I've heard that you can get the local affiliates over the cable line, and since I don't know if I have a line of sight for an antenna, it would be great to get them OTA channels for free (FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC). I know I can't get ESPNHD and such w/o a cable box, but I only care about the primetime shows anyway.

RCA and composite are the same. Red, Green, Blue is Component.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by stevew

Which HDTV card do you have? I would like to possibly buy one.

DVico Fusion HDTV 5 Gold.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by dervack

Composite, the yellow, is all the colors combined together into one stream. S-Video takes 4 different signals down one line, and cleans up the picture better than composite.
Component, RGB, takes the 3 colors and has a seperate input for each. Then their is DVI and HDMI, which are completely digital signals, and allow for a faster data transfer. Typically, HDTV is RGB, HDMI, and DVI.

Yep, and just about all HDTVs these days have one HDMI or DVI port, which I highly recommend. Usually the HD cable boxes have one of those ports as well. Component connections work pretty good as well.

[Grammaticus]

Originally Posted by WrongWay

Question: What is the differnce between HDTV and S-Video?


If you have an S-Video hookup on your TV does that make it an HDTV?

My understanding is that component connections offer a higher degree of quality thatn S-video. If you have component cables and the other device supports that, then you would typically go that route.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by dervack

RCA and composite are the same. Red, Green, Blue is Component.

But component jacks are RCA jacks too. Better to just call them what they are, composite (one yellow jeck) or component (three jacks, red blue and green).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

My understanding is that component connections offer a higher degree of quality thatn S-video. If you have component cables and the other device supports that, then you would typically go that route.

Well, and component cables allow HDTV, but S-video does not.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

My understanding is that component connections offer a higher degree of quality thatn S-video. If you have component cables and the other device supports that, then you would typically go that route.

You also have to consider the native format of your source material. e.g. Laserdiscs are IIRC composite, so the only thing you gain with an S-video hookup would be use of filtering equipment in your player vs. in your TV. S-VHS AFAIK is natively S-video, DVD and HD are natively component.

That's probably too much detail... in general, it will make sense to use the most advanced connection possible, composite < S-video < component.

[dervack]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wednesday

But component jacks are RCA jacks too. Better to just call them what they are, composite (one yellow jeck) or component (three jacks, red blue and green).

Oh I know that. But when someone who doesn't know alot about video connections asks if something comes with RCA cables, they are typically talking about composite, and not component.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wednesday

That's probably too much detail... in general, it will make sense to use the most advanced connection possible, composite < S-video < component.

Yep... it is a good rule of thumb, but I'd add one.

composite < S-video < component < DVI & HDMI (though HDMI is the more recent standard)

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Well, actually what happens is you have to have an HD connection from the HD cable box to the TV (either through DVI, HDMI, or Component cables) and you have extra HD versions of the regular channels.

I have Comcast, and my TV is connected to the cable box with a HDMI to DVI cable (TV has HDMI and cable box has DVI-D, but both are digital formats). I have the regular local channels (channels 2-9) and then I have the HD version of the local channels (channels 802-809).

Basically you need an HD cable box if you have an HD-ready and you will have seperate HD versions of the regular channels.

Is it possible that the default cable box is an HD one?

Thanks!
~rpi-fan

[jbmagic]

is there increase in the monthly program package if you get directv HD?

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Is it possible that the default cable box is an HD one?

Thanks!
~rpi-fan

Dunno. Gotta ask your cable/sat company. Comcast, for one, has two different boxes. One for normal digital cable and another for HD and DVR (both come together for me).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

is there increase in the monthly program package if you get directv HD?

Usually it does, so I'd be surprised if it doesn't for Direct TV.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Dunno. Gotta ask your cable/sat company. Comcast, for one, has two different boxes. One for normal digital cable and another for HD and DVR (both come together for me).

Hmm... I do have the DVR... is there a connection on the back that would indicate whether or not it is HD-ready? (The cable box, that is)

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

is there increase in the monthly program package if you get directv HD?

I think its like 5-10 a month, my mom is getting it this month.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Hmm... I do have the DVR... is there a connection on the back that would indicate whether or not it is HD-ready? (The cable box, that is)

Well on my Comcast box it says HD/DVR on the front. I'm sure that not all DVR boxes have HD included.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

Hmm... I do have the DVR... is there a connection on the back that would indicate whether or not it is HD-ready? (The cable box, that is)

regular tivo is not hd-ready

you will need to get the hd tivo to get channels in hdtv

[lighthousekeeper]

I wonder how many people buy an HD TV and then don't know that they need to switch to the HD cable box and never realize that they're not really watching HD?

I'm thinking this is something my parents would be guilty of.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

I wonder how many people buy an HD TV and then don't know that they need to switch to the HD cable box and never realize that they're not really watching HD?

I'm thinking this is something my parents would be guilty of.

also i think people get confuse when the tv they buy says hdtv built in and they have cable, dish or directv.

not knowing they need to change there cable or satallitte receiver to HD

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

is there increase in the monthly program package if you get directv HD?

The HD package is 10.99 a month. It currently includes ESPN, ESPN2, Universal HD (shows syndicated/cancelled NBC HD shows and movies), HDNet, HDNet movies, and Discovery HD theater.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

I wonder how many people buy an HD TV and then don't know that they need to switch to the HD cable box and never realize that they're not really watching HD?

I'm thinking this is something my parents would be guilty of.

Well I'd imagine that even your parents would walk into a Best Buy or Circuit City one of these days and realize their picture isn't CLOSE to what is on the TV's there .

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Samdari

The HD package is 10.99 a month. It currently includes ESPN, ESPN2, Universal HD (shows syndicated/cancelled NBC HD shows and movies), HDNet, HDNet movies, and Discovery HD theater.

i guess it not worth getting hdtv yet, if you have directv. not many channels yet.


plus if i wait, price will drop on hdtv sets.