I went to Wal-Mart today and saw this 27" RCA HD-ready TV for only $297. The price seems too good to be true. I'm thinking it must be something with the TV being "HD-ready" instead of an HDTV. Exactly what is the difference, if any? If there is a difference, what do I need to do to view HD programming on my HD-ready TV and will it be expensive? Thanks
Either a TV is HD or not, it can't be HD ready. The only thing I can think of that they mean by "ready" is you have to pick up HD broadcast which is true for all HDTV's
No, I think a TV can be HD ready. If I remember correctly, if your T.V. is HD ready, then you must buy some sort of add-on that plugs in the back... anyone know the details?
I believe HD ready means the picture tube can deliver HD but it needs a HD tuner. I bought my 50" TV a couple of years ago and it was HD ready, back then the ones that were "HD" were $400-$500 more.
HD ready probably means that it can recieve digital signals but not display it at higher resolutions. That's important only if the FCC forces broadcasters to shut down analog (standard definition) transmissions by 2006 which might not happen as plannet. If it doesn't say that it can view in 720p, 720i, or 1080i, then it's not a HDTV. There's another gimmick called EDTV, which isn't as good as HDTV because it can only show 720i resolutions. EDTVs might be a good 5 year TV if the price is right. Checking out Walmart's site, I found a description of a RCA 32" HD-Ready TV http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2630441 It doesn't specify higher resolutions so it's a standard 32" boob tube with a digital converter that's overpriced by 300 dollars.
If i'm not mistaken, HD-Ready TV's can display HD broadcasts but only with an external HD Tuner. HDTV's have built in HD tuners so you dont need the extra cable box i think. if i am wrong, can some verify this, I'm in confusion myself since my projector is HD-Ready itself
HD-ready means you need a tuner/HD set top box and subscription with Comcast, Turner, Cablevision, DTV, Dish, etc to see HD broadcast. Regular HDTV means you can pick up the free over the air HD broadcast from local stations with an antenna or card. So you'll pick up ABC-HD but not TNT-HD.
So...is it worth it to buy an HDTV over HD-ready? I'm looking to buy a new plasma sometime this summer, and this kind of info really helps. Thanks to all those knowledgable ppl out there in advance.
Here's the deal. Some HDTVs have built in HD tuners, which means you can connect an antenna to the television and receive digital off-the-air HD channels without the use of an external receiver. This means you will be able to get ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, WB, UPN, etc. If you want ESPN-HD, HBO-HD, or other cable channels in Hi Def, you will need your cable or satellite provider's digital HD receiver. Buying a TV with a built in tuner is only good if you don't plan on getting cable or satellite and just want to watch network television in HD. Also, when buying an HD Ready TV, make sure it can display 1080i, 720p, and 480p signals. So, HD Ready means the television is capable of displaying in high definition. You just need to connect an HD cable/satellite receiver to get a true HD picture.
Here's the deal. HDTV means that you are stuck with the level of technology built into the TV. HD-Ready plus the HD receiver that you will likely get from TWC or Dish or whatever can be changed, upgraded to the latest technology. At least that was the advise given to me by a TWC cable on site installation guy, I suspect one of the few that knew what he was doing.
If you are going to buy a PLASMA tv, it will definitely be an HDTV. It will also be ALOT more expensive than a regular tv or an LCD tv.
More expensive than an LCD? I could be wrong, but from what I've seen, almost all lcd's of the same size are much more expensive than plasmas and not the other way around. Also, I'm not sure what you meant by "it will definitely be an HDTV", as there are plasma EDTVs available that were mentioned earlier. I'm probably just missing something, but could you clarify?
I just assumed that since I thought Plasma TV's were more expensive than LCD's that they would be HDTV's... to be honest, I don't know... I have an LCD and am quite happy with it. I will shut up now.
the highly reviewed LCD's (in ~40 inch size) are about $4000 - $4600 (link) while the same-size plasmas are about $2000 - $3800 (link) (using info from cnet.com) generalizing, it looks like LCD is more expensive than plasma.
Does anyone have the 42 inch HD Plasma from Dell? If so what has been your feedback. Would you recommend it or would you have us look elsewhere? http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_plasma1?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs I went to the Dell Outlet and see that you can pick up a refurbished one for $2099. If you want to buy a brand new one it costs $2799. Seems like a good deal.
Also what are your thoughts on the following Plasma TV? I saw on it on Shopathometv.com Hisense 42" HD Ready Plasma Television $2,599.95 Stretch Pay Available: $866.65 x 3 Months FREE Shipping and Handling Quantity Enlarge Image E-mail a Friend Plasma TVs offer rich colors that make them perfect for widescreen formats, and this Hisense TV is great example of that. This Hisense plasma screen television is designed to display the brightest, sharpest and clearest pictures imaginable. With these pictures and at this price, high-end, high-definition television is a dream come true. Features: Latest generation plasma panel with 3000:1 contrast ratio (compare to last generation 2300:1 or lower) High 1000 CDM brightness for use in all lighting environments (compare to last generation at 420 or lower) 1024 x 768 native (actual pixels) means truly HD ready at 720p, compare to most plasma TV's in this price range with only 852 x 480 non HD 42" diagonal measurement Fanless design 3.3" thin Pixel shift Pixel orbit Widescreen 16:9 format Advanced circuitry to deinterlace old analog interlace signals to progressive digital Scaling circuitry that takes old 4:3 format and fills to 16:9 or widescreen PIP picture in picture feature POP picture on picture for side by side viewing of 2 sources with adjustable aspect ratio 10 watt per channel HSE stereo speaker system, with 20 watts of total power Detachable side mount speakers Table top stand included Multi-brand, multi-function remote control pre-programmed to work with most cable, satellite, VCR and DVD player/recorders User friendly advanced 3D 256 color on screen menu system Auto adjust feature on HDTV and computer inputs, automatically centers and fill screen with input image. Ttwo-tone cabinet, in silver and black Headphone jack Hisense max connect panel Composite (standard video input for VCRs, video cameras, etc.) S-video input Dimensions: Height (w/ stand): 28" Height (w/out stand): 25-1/4" Width (w/ speakers): 49-1/2" Width (w/out speakers): 41" Deep: 3.3" Net weight: 71.66 lbs This TV can not be shipped to Alaska or Hawaii.
MicroCenter has a 20% off sale on all of their LCDs and plasmas. http://www.microcenter.com/images/specials/0605a_page01_full.jpg
Dream34 Though I have never heard of Hisense, a quick Google indicates that they're one of the top-selling TV makers in China (link). Epinions.com has no info on them. There is a Hisense 42" model # TA42P40M available for less at Overstock.com, but it doesn't look like it's HDTV-ready. I'd be wary of the fact that shopathometv.com doesn't show the model number of the TV (assuming you're talking about this one)
