HDTV Questions and Answers Thread

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Hey, do any of you have a DVD player with the upconversion through the DVI? I've been searching for a quality one under $500 for a couple months now, but every one seems to have something wrong with them. Best Buy sells a Sammy HD841, but this thing is crappy according to all its reviews. The new wave of them are HDMI players now, I'm hoping they will be better than the straight DVI ones. I don't have a HDMI input on my TV, but they make the HDMI to DVI cables. You just gotta have a optical or coaxical digital audio cable, which I already have on my setup now, so that's no big deal. Anyway, I'm trying to find a good one. I recently bought the Denon 1910 DVD player that has the upconversion through the DVI, but I didn't like it too much. For some reason it has some conflicts with some TVs, my Sammy is one of them, so it reacts a little flakey. So I had to send it back.

Right now I'm waiting on the new Sony DVP-NS975V DVD Player to become available. And I've seen the new Toshiba SD-5970 DVD Player but I've heard mixed reviews on it as well. Although I've heard more good things than bad things about it. And it is $100 cheaper than the Sony.

I was also interested in the new Sammy HD941 expected out by the end of the year. But it keeps getting delayed and now isn't even at samsung.com anymore. That's not good!

So basically, I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good upconversion player that is less than $500 that you have had some contact with. Thanks.

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Hey, do any of you have a DVD player with the upconversion through the DVI? I've been searching for a quality one under $500 for a couple months now, but every one seems to have something wrong with them. Best Buy sells a Sammy HD841, but this thing is crappy according to all its reviews. The new wave of them are HDMI players now, I'm hoping they will be better than the straight DVI ones. I don't have a HDMI input on my TV, but they make the HDMI to DVI cables. You just gotta have a optical or coaxical digital audio cable, which I already have on my setup now, so that's no big deal. Anyway, I'm trying to find a good one. I recently bought the Denon 1910 DVD player that has the upconversion through the DVI, but I didn't like it too much. For some reason it has some conflicts with some TVs, my Sammy is one of them, so it reacts a little flakey. So I had to send it back.

Right now I'm waiting on the new Sony DVP-NS975V DVD Player to become available. And I've seen the new Toshiba SD-5970 DVD Player but I've heard mixed reviews on it as well. Although I've heard more good things than bad things about it. And it is $100 cheaper than the Sony.

I was also interested in the new Sammy HD941 expected out by the end of the year. But it keeps getting delayed and now isn't even at samsung.com anymore. That's not good!

So basically, I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good upconversion player that is less than $500 that you have had some contact with. Thanks.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Hey, do any of you have a DVD player with the upconversion through the DVI? I've been searching for a quality one under $500 for a couple months now, but every one seems to have something wrong with them. Best Buy sells a Sammy HD841, but this thing is crappy according to all its reviews. The new wave of them are HDMI players now, I'm hoping they will be better than the straight DVI ones. I don't have a HDMI input on my TV, but they make the HDMI to DVI cables. You just gotta have a optical or coaxical digital audio cable, which I already have on my setup now, so that's no big deal. Anyway, I'm trying to find a good one. I recently bought the Denon 1910 DVD player that has the upconversion through the DVI, but I didn't like it too much. For some reason it has some conflicts with some TVs, my Sammy is one of them, so it reacts a little flakey. So I had to send it back.

Right now I'm waiting on the new Sony DVP-NS975V DVD Player to become available. And I've seen the new Toshiba SD-5970 DVD Player but I've heard mixed reviews on it as well. Although I've heard more good things than bad things about it. And it is $100 cheaper than the Sony.

I was also interested in the new Sammy HD941 expected out by the end of the year. But it keeps getting delayed and now isn't even at samsung.com anymore. That's not good!

So basically, I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good upconversion player that is less than $500 that you have had some contact with. Thanks.

yeah i have the Samsung Progressive-Scan DVD Player with HD Upconversion via DVI DVD-HD841 Silver, you can get it at best buy. its awesome, its priced at $188. The problem i had was that i have a hdmi connection my lcd panasonic, luckily monster had a cable that went from dvi to hdmi, but that cost a $100! but all together it was under $500. I had the dvd connected both component and through dvi. Its a criper, clearer picture, and better than component. Its not super better, but it is better.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Hey, do any of you have a DVD player with the upconversion through the DVI? I've been searching for a quality one under $500 for a couple months now, but every one seems to have something wrong with them. Best Buy sells a Sammy HD841, but this thing is crappy according to all its reviews. The new wave of them are HDMI players now, I'm hoping they will be better than the straight DVI ones. I don't have a HDMI input on my TV, but they make the HDMI to DVI cables. You just gotta have a optical or coaxical digital audio cable, which I already have on my setup now, so that's no big deal. Anyway, I'm trying to find a good one. I recently bought the Denon 1910 DVD player that has the upconversion through the DVI, but I didn't like it too much. For some reason it has some conflicts with some TVs, my Sammy is one of them, so it reacts a little flakey. So I had to send it back.

Right now I'm waiting on the new Sony DVP-NS975V DVD Player to become available. And I've seen the new Toshiba SD-5970 DVD Player but I've heard mixed reviews on it as well. Although I've heard more good things than bad things about it. And it is $100 cheaper than the Sony.

I was also interested in the new Sammy HD941 expected out by the end of the year. But it keeps getting delayed and now isn't even at samsung.com anymore. That's not good!

So basically, I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good upconversion player that is less than $500 that you have had some contact with. Thanks.

yeah i have the Samsung Progressive-Scan DVD Player with HD Upconversion via DVI DVD-HD841 Silver, you can get it at best buy. its awesome, its priced at $188. The problem i had was that i have a hdmi connection my lcd panasonic, luckily monster had a cable that went from dvi to hdmi, but that cost a $100! but all together it was under $500. I had the dvd connected both component and through dvi. Its a criper, clearer picture, and better than component. Its not super better, but it is better.

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Well, I just bought me something last week for my HT that about just killed me. I bought a $130 remote control. The one I really wanted was $200, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a remote. The one I got actually costs $200 at Best Buy, but they overcharge for it. I got it at www.surfremotecontrol.com for $123 before shipping, and they are an authorized dealer in case it messes up I can still send it back into Harmony. The remote control is a Harmony H659 (SST-659). If you have a HT, you know how annoying it is having 6 or 7 remotes. I've been using this remote for a week and a half now and I haven't touched my other remotes. It automatically switches my inputs on my TV and receiver to the correct ones, turns on all the devices I need, and everything. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't do all my cable boxes functions since I have a built in DVR, but it handles all that too. It brings up all the menus for everything also. I have it controlling my TV, receiver, DVD player, CD player, VCR, Cable box/DVR, and my XBox and Gamecube (it doesn't turn them on for me, but it does put my TV and receiver on the correct inputs).

I was concerned at first that it wouldn't do everything. I said that if it didn't do everything just how I wanted (if I still had to use my other remotes for just one thing) then I wouldn't keep it. But I don't have to use any other ones. They are all in a drawer now and I have gotten space back on the end tables.

Anyway, I was letting anyone who ever considered buying a true universal remote but didn't because of the price, to me, the Harmony series are well worth it. The are real easy to set up. You hook the remote up through a USB to your computer, and it is all configured over the Internet by you putting in your component's model numbers. It was a real good buy.

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Well, I just bought me something last week for my HT that about just killed me. I bought a $130 remote control. The one I really wanted was $200, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a remote. The one I got actually costs $200 at Best Buy, but they overcharge for it. I got it at www.surfremotecontrol.com for $123 before shipping, and they are an authorized dealer in case it messes up I can still send it back into Harmony. The remote control is a Harmony H659 (SST-659). If you have a HT, you know how annoying it is having 6 or 7 remotes. I've been using this remote for a week and a half now and I haven't touched my other remotes. It automatically switches my inputs on my TV and receiver to the correct ones, turns on all the devices I need, and everything. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't do all my cable boxes functions since I have a built in DVR, but it handles all that too. It brings up all the menus for everything also. I have it controlling my TV, receiver, DVD player, CD player, VCR, Cable box/DVR, and my XBox and Gamecube (it doesn't turn them on for me, but it does put my TV and receiver on the correct inputs).

I was concerned at first that it wouldn't do everything. I said that if it didn't do everything just how I wanted (if I still had to use my other remotes for just one thing) then I wouldn't keep it. But I don't have to use any other ones. They are all in a drawer now and I have gotten space back on the end tables.

Anyway, I was letting anyone who ever considered buying a true universal remote but didn't because of the price, to me, the Harmony series are well worth it. The are real easy to set up. You hook the remote up through a USB to your computer, and it is all configured over the Internet by you putting in your component's model numbers. It was a real good buy.

[caseyd]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

That sounds really cool. When I get some extra cash, I might have to look into that. I am getting tired of dealing with 6 remotes.

[caseyd]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

That sounds really cool. When I get some extra cash, I might have to look into that. I am getting tired of dealing with 6 remotes.

[mgoblue]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Well, I just bought me something last week for my HT that about just killed me. I bought a $130 remote control. The one I really wanted was $200, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a remote. The one I got actually costs $200 at Best Buy, but they overcharge for it. I got it at www.surfremotecontrol.com for $123 before shipping, and they are an authorized dealer in case it messes up I can still send it back into Harmony. The remote control is a Harmony H659 (SST-659). If you have a HT, you know how annoying it is having 6 or 7 remotes. I've been using this remote for a week and a half now and I haven't touched my other remotes. It automatically switches my inputs on my TV and receiver to the correct ones, turns on all the devices I need, and everything. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't do all my cable boxes functions since I have a built in DVR, but it handles all that too. It brings up all the menus for everything also. I have it controlling my TV, receiver, DVD player, CD player, VCR, Cable box/DVR, and my XBox and Gamecube (it doesn't turn them on for me, but it does put my TV and receiver on the correct inputs).

I was concerned at first that it wouldn't do everything. I said that if it didn't do everything just how I wanted (if I still had to use my other remotes for just one thing) then I wouldn't keep it. But I don't have to use any other ones. They are all in a drawer now and I have gotten space back on the end tables.

Anyway, I was letting anyone who ever considered buying a true universal remote but didn't because of the price, to me, the Harmony series are well worth it. The are real easy to set up. You hook the remote up through a USB to your computer, and it is all configured over the Internet by you putting in your component's model numbers. It was a real good buy.

can you have multiple tv's and vcr's on there? I have my main setup, but then a smaller tv and VCR (my old tv, nice to have 2 sports games on, or be playing a video game and still keep the game on)...

I'll have to consider this...my home theater in a box system was done by Sonicblue (the people who used to do the Rio MP3 players) and most universal remotes don't even see that reciever/vcr/dvd player, but i went to the harmony website and it appears that it'd work with that.

[mgoblue]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

Well, I just bought me something last week for my HT that about just killed me. I bought a $130 remote control. The one I really wanted was $200, but I couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a remote. The one I got actually costs $200 at Best Buy, but they overcharge for it. I got it at www.surfremotecontrol.com for $123 before shipping, and they are an authorized dealer in case it messes up I can still send it back into Harmony. The remote control is a Harmony H659 (SST-659). If you have a HT, you know how annoying it is having 6 or 7 remotes. I've been using this remote for a week and a half now and I haven't touched my other remotes. It automatically switches my inputs on my TV and receiver to the correct ones, turns on all the devices I need, and everything. I was a little concerned that it wouldn't do all my cable boxes functions since I have a built in DVR, but it handles all that too. It brings up all the menus for everything also. I have it controlling my TV, receiver, DVD player, CD player, VCR, Cable box/DVR, and my XBox and Gamecube (it doesn't turn them on for me, but it does put my TV and receiver on the correct inputs).

I was concerned at first that it wouldn't do everything. I said that if it didn't do everything just how I wanted (if I still had to use my other remotes for just one thing) then I wouldn't keep it. But I don't have to use any other ones. They are all in a drawer now and I have gotten space back on the end tables.

Anyway, I was letting anyone who ever considered buying a true universal remote but didn't because of the price, to me, the Harmony series are well worth it. The are real easy to set up. You hook the remote up through a USB to your computer, and it is all configured over the Internet by you putting in your component's model numbers. It was a real good buy.

can you have multiple tv's and vcr's on there? I have my main setup, but then a smaller tv and VCR (my old tv, nice to have 2 sports games on, or be playing a video game and still keep the game on)...

I'll have to consider this...my home theater in a box system was done by Sonicblue (the people who used to do the Rio MP3 players) and most universal remotes don't even see that reciever/vcr/dvd player, but i went to the harmony website and it appears that it'd work with that.

[Heelfan71]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

here is my remote:







It has an editing program on my computer, I plug the remote into my computer and desingn all the different pages. Took me a while to get set up , but it is very nice.

I press the "Watch TV ICon" and it turns on my TV, and Satellite receiver. One buttone turns everything off too. I also have little icons for each channel, so I just press one button to go to a channel.

[Heelfan71]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

here is my remote:







It has an editing program on my computer, I plug the remote into my computer and desingn all the different pages. Took me a while to get set up , but it is very nice.

I press the "Watch TV ICon" and it turns on my TV, and Satellite receiver. One buttone turns everything off too. I also have little icons for each channel, so I just press one button to go to a channel.

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

can you have multiple tv's and vcr's on there? I have my main setup, but then a smaller tv and VCR (my old tv, nice to have 2 sports games on, or be playing a video game and still keep the game on)...

I'll have to consider this...my home theater in a box system was done by Sonicblue (the people who used to do the Rio MP3 players) and most universal remotes don't even see that reciever/vcr/dvd player, but i went to the harmony website and it appears that it'd work with that.

yeah I think you can. I've seen when I am adding things that I could add multiple TVs and stuff. When you first hook up the Harmony remote through the USB to your computer, it loads Harmony's website. You enter all your devices serial numbers. It will then go ahead and load all of those functions into your remote. Then you go through and set up "activities" like Watch a Movie or Watch TV, etc. When you are setting up "Watch TV" it will ask you, what controls the volume, so you say the receiver. Then it asks what do you change channels on, you say the cable box (if you have one). So then, when you press the Watch TV button the volume will control the receiver and the channel buttons control the cable box. Also on the remote there is a "Devices" button. When you press it, you see all your devices. For me, I see Television (you can label what you want to call them), DVD player, VCR,... So if you have more than one TV, you would call them TV 1 and TV 2.

The way the activity buttons work, you have three of them on the remote. Watch TV, Watch a Movie, and Listen to Music. I have my Listen to Music reprogammed to watch VHS. Then you can set up a lot more actvities like, Play XBox, Watch TV 2, and they are located on the Display screen when you hit the More Activities button. The program on the Internet will walk you through the process of what happens when you press an activity button. So you can set them up to do whatever. I'm not sure how many activities or components you can have.

If you look at the pic below of the remote I have, you can see the display screen. This is where all the obscur buttons from your original remotes will be located if you ever need to use them. For instance, my TV has a Picture Mode button on its remote. There is no need to have that button on the front of the Harmony remote because it is hardly used. So you press the "Devices" button, then press like "Television", and then on the display screen, it cycles through all the buttons on your original remote that aren't accessible on the preset buttons on the Harmony remote.

One thing you might need to work out with activities. If I am watching a DVD, then I'm done and I press Watch TV, it will change my inputs on my TV and receiver, and turn my cable box on. But also, it turns my DVD player off because it thinks I done with it. Which I usually am done with it. You mentioned you might want more than one TV on. You might have to press the "Devices" button and turn the second TV on that way. I'm not sure, but I bet you can get it to work the way you want it to.

It also has a learning ability. This remote out of the box doesn't have a preset button that will bring up my DVR menu. It has a button menu and guide button that brings up my cable box tv guide and menu, but my DVR built into the cable also has a menu. What you do is make the Harmony remote learn the infared signal to make the DVR menu come up. You do this by taking the original remote and direct it to the Harmony one. The Harmony one learns the infrared signal and then you assign it to a button. So that is what I did so that my DVR menu would pop up from a button on the remote.

There are lots of remotes out there that do this stuff, Sony, Pronto, Harmony, ... I like the Harmony one I got because of the ease of setting it up. And it handles all my components. I didn't feel the need to buy a more expensive one, when this one does everything I need.

From the research I've done on Harmony remotes, I believe the best ones are the H659 (also called the SST-659) and the H676 and H680. The H676 and H680 (especially) are geared towards operating a multi media PC as well as your other devices. I didn't need that, so I went with the H659 that works great with all my devices.

mgoblue, if you aren't sure if the Harmony remote will work for you, you can do what I do. I go and buy one from Circuit City or Best Buy and try it out. If it doesn't work return it. For this remote, it cost $80 more at those places, so I bought it from them, tried it out to make sure it would work, then returned it and bought it somewhere else for cheaper. I don't know how ethical that is, but they shouldn't charge that much more. If it was within $20 then I would just go with Best Buy, but $80 is way too much a difference. That's almost 2 video games!!

[aukevin]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

can you have multiple tv's and vcr's on there? I have my main setup, but then a smaller tv and VCR (my old tv, nice to have 2 sports games on, or be playing a video game and still keep the game on)...

I'll have to consider this...my home theater in a box system was done by Sonicblue (the people who used to do the Rio MP3 players) and most universal remotes don't even see that reciever/vcr/dvd player, but i went to the harmony website and it appears that it'd work with that.

yeah I think you can. I've seen when I am adding things that I could add multiple TVs and stuff. When you first hook up the Harmony remote through the USB to your computer, it loads Harmony's website. You enter all your devices serial numbers. It will then go ahead and load all of those functions into your remote. Then you go through and set up "activities" like Watch a Movie or Watch TV, etc. When you are setting up "Watch TV" it will ask you, what controls the volume, so you say the receiver. Then it asks what do you change channels on, you say the cable box (if you have one). So then, when you press the Watch TV button the volume will control the receiver and the channel buttons control the cable box. Also on the remote there is a "Devices" button. When you press it, you see all your devices. For me, I see Television (you can label what you want to call them), DVD player, VCR,... So if you have more than one TV, you would call them TV 1 and TV 2.

The way the activity buttons work, you have three of them on the remote. Watch TV, Watch a Movie, and Listen to Music. I have my Listen to Music reprogammed to watch VHS. Then you can set up a lot more actvities like, Play XBox, Watch TV 2, and they are located on the Display screen when you hit the More Activities button. The program on the Internet will walk you through the process of what happens when you press an activity button. So you can set them up to do whatever. I'm not sure how many activities or components you can have.

If you look at the pic below of the remote I have, you can see the display screen. This is where all the obscur buttons from your original remotes will be located if you ever need to use them. For instance, my TV has a Picture Mode button on its remote. There is no need to have that button on the front of the Harmony remote because it is hardly used. So you press the "Devices" button, then press like "Television", and then on the display screen, it cycles through all the buttons on your original remote that aren't accessible on the preset buttons on the Harmony remote.

One thing you might need to work out with activities. If I am watching a DVD, then I'm done and I press Watch TV, it will change my inputs on my TV and receiver, and turn my cable box on. But also, it turns my DVD player off because it thinks I done with it. Which I usually am done with it. You mentioned you might want more than one TV on. You might have to press the "Devices" button and turn the second TV on that way. I'm not sure, but I bet you can get it to work the way you want it to.

It also has a learning ability. This remote out of the box doesn't have a preset button that will bring up my DVR menu. It has a button menu and guide button that brings up my cable box tv guide and menu, but my DVR built into the cable also has a menu. What you do is make the Harmony remote learn the infared signal to make the DVR menu come up. You do this by taking the original remote and direct it to the Harmony one. The Harmony one learns the infrared signal and then you assign it to a button. So that is what I did so that my DVR menu would pop up from a button on the remote.

There are lots of remotes out there that do this stuff, Sony, Pronto, Harmony, ... I like the Harmony one I got because of the ease of setting it up. And it handles all my components. I didn't feel the need to buy a more expensive one, when this one does everything I need.

From the research I've done on Harmony remotes, I believe the best ones are the H659 (also called the SST-659) and the H676 and H680. The H676 and H680 (especially) are geared towards operating a multi media PC as well as your other devices. I didn't need that, so I went with the H659 that works great with all my devices.

mgoblue, if you aren't sure if the Harmony remote will work for you, you can do what I do. I go and buy one from Circuit City or Best Buy and try it out. If it doesn't work return it. For this remote, it cost $80 more at those places, so I bought it from them, tried it out to make sure it would work, then returned it and bought it somewhere else for cheaper. I don't know how ethical that is, but they shouldn't charge that much more. If it was within $20 then I would just go with Best Buy, but $80 is way too much a difference. That's almost 2 video games!!

[caseyd]

Re: Another HDTV questions info thread

here is my remote:







It has an editing program on my computer, I plug the remote into my computer and desingn all the different pages. Took me a while to get set up , but it is very nice.

I press the "Watch TV ICon" and it turns on my TV, and Satellite receiver. One buttone turns everything off too. I also have little icons for each channel, so I just press one button to go to a channel.

Heel, where did you get that one and how much was it?