HDTV help

I spent several months at avsforum.com before buying my 50" Samsung DLP TV.

Since it did not have an integrated HDTV tuner, I had to purchase an HD box separately.

After spending the past month watching nothing but HD programming, trust me, you will never leave your apartment again.

Hell, I now watch PBS just for the HD programming!

 

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

Short version:

(1) Yes, you are looking at a rear-projection TV. Tubes only go up to 35/36 inches.

(2) Yes, you will probably need a separate receiver. I believe the TWC box also does over-the-air, but am uncertain.

(3) The difference is amazing. The only thing that annoys some people is that on a screen of sufficient size, regular satellite and digital cable look like the overcompressed garbage they actually are.

 

I spent last week on price grabber.com. They have product reviews,company reviews, and good prices. You could get a plasma off that web site for about 2,500 and it would be damn good. I think the one I was going to purchase was

http://www.visualapex.com/plasma/Pl...plasma&chPartNumber=TH-42PWD6UY&MFR=Panasonic

Panasonic: TH-42PWD6UY (42 inches)


I decided to let my TV crap out first. It's hanging on by a thread.

 

Also, during my brief introduction, I was clued into the fact that "weight" is something you need to look into. Some of those bastards are really heavy. So double check the weight. It could crush your entertainment Center.

 

If you've got the right conditions for it, an LCD projector makes for a great HDTV/Home Entertainment platform. Bulbs and projection logistics are the main drawbacks. But I think they look better and are much cheaper than rear projectors.

 

Here is a really good forum with lots of information ...

They have a section called "Newbie Nook" which should have just about everything you need.

http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/index.php

I recently got a 50" Toshiba HD-Ready TV and it is extremely simple to set the HD up with TW Digital Cable. If you want to go cheap then you'll have to go with a rear projection TV like I did. It looks great, but its just big. If you can spend a little extra cash, I'd go with a Sony DLP Rear Projection TV ... Those have great picture and they are quite thin.

 

We just installed one of the panasonic 42 inch flatscreen this past weekend. It cost $2300.

Trying to find one for $1200 could be a problem. It'll probably be a year or so before they are that price.

Quick aside: We decided to go with one of those wall mounts that was adjustable. That, itself, cost $250! (with a list price of $600!) AND it took us three hours to put it up. Had we had "professional" installation, it would've been another $500!!!!!!

Those prices are ridiculous.

 

CBS has not done any Texans games in HD. Being an expansion/second year franchise, they have been "low man on the totem pole." I don't expect that to change this season (CBS has announced they will be doing 3-4 HD games per week), but youneverknow.

 

No you'll find that only the primetime stuff is in HD(and not stuff like reality or news)

The Texans will definitely have some games in HD this year. CBS usually gets about 6-7 games a week, so if they do 3-4 games per week in HD, the odds are good that they should at least get some games. Fox is doing 6 games per week so they should be doing almost all games in HD.

Last year CBS only did one game per week in HD so that is why the Texans didn't have much hope of it last year. I guess we'll have to wait and see though .. Not that it matters to me since I am not in Houston and have to watch them on NFL Sunday Ticket at a sports bar

 

Try to go for a Toshiba rear projection if you can find the right price.

 

Nope. Whatever is not HD is "upconverted" standard definition. However, it should be noted that SD on the digital channel probably looks better than any other form of reception. The schedule of "what's in HD" for the week can be found here:

http://www.hdtvgalaxy.com/broad.html

The November 21 game against the Packers (7:30 pm) is ESPN, and will definitely be HD.
ABC-13 should simulcast both the SD and HD versions in town.

Fox and CBS have promised "100 HD games" for League pass this year. That's where the ~3 per network, per week figure comes from. The Texans have one Fox game (Oct 10 against the Vikings), thirteen noon starts, and one late start.

The competition during the 3:15 start week is NE v. StL. I would expect them to get that HD spot. Of the noon starts, the Texans must be judged one of the two best games (of the four kicking off at the same time on each network) to get the HD treatment.

 

(1) Yes, you should probably ask Tim that question in GARM.

(2) Both Toyota Center and MMP have the facilities to do their productions in HD.

(3) The problem is not in the production end, but in carriage. Even if the "Astros/Rockets Channel" launched in HD, would Time Warner (and DirecTV/DISH) be willing to carry it? There are enough questions with the SD channel, how much is paid per customer, and which "tier" it goes into without dealing with the issue of HD and the extra bandwidth that requires...

 

I wouldn't be so certain. Time/Warner is in a major fight over the Mets right this minute.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/today/frontpage/stories/fr080404s1.shtml

then there is the YES/CABLEVISION fiasco of a few years back.

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/1004861

For a number of business reasons, satellite is MORE likely to carry R/Achannel from day one than cable.