TV Questions
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I've had HD for 8 years now - I have two HDTVs in my house, a 65" and a 32". I have Directv and an external antenna. I have noticed going to other people's houses that have HD cable through Adelphia (now they have Time Warner, but it is the same), the local HD channels are compressed somewhat. They do look better than standard definition, no question about that, but the uncompressed HD channels over the air look better. I noticed this when watching the Cowboys Thanksgiving day game at their house about a year ago. The field was not as crisp and clear as it is on my set because of the compression they do. My wife noticed this also, and she is not a technophile by any stretch of the imagination. Basically, if your set has an ATSC tuner, and you don't mind having an external antenna or some rabbit ears - you will get a better picture that way for the local channels in HD, than you will through your cable box. A good antenna resource is www.antennaweb.org if you live in the U.S. Also make absolutely sure that the TV you purchase has an HDMI input with HDCP (since the content companies are making this a requirement to watch the new high def DVDs in full resolution). Neither of mine do, since I got them before this stupid requirement, and now I am stuck having to shell out the bucks again for another TV! ARGH! David
David Knechtges wrote:
I noticed this when watching the Cowboys Thanksgiving day game at their house about a year ago.
do you have the same TV as the other people ? different TVs have different filters, decompression schemes, etc..
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I've had HD for 8 years now - I have two HDTVs in my house, a 65" and a 32". I have Directv and an external antenna. I have noticed going to other people's houses that have HD cable through Adelphia (now they have Time Warner, but it is the same), the local HD channels are compressed somewhat. They do look better than standard definition, no question about that, but the uncompressed HD channels over the air look better. I noticed this when watching the Cowboys Thanksgiving day game at their house about a year ago. The field was not as crisp and clear as it is on my set because of the compression they do. My wife noticed this also, and she is not a technophile by any stretch of the imagination. Basically, if your set has an ATSC tuner, and you don't mind having an external antenna or some rabbit ears - you will get a better picture that way for the local channels in HD, than you will through your cable box. A good antenna resource is www.antennaweb.org if you live in the U.S. Also make absolutely sure that the TV you purchase has an HDMI input with HDCP (since the content companies are making this a requirement to watch the new high def DVDs in full resolution). Neither of mine do, since I got them before this stupid requirement, and now I am stuck having to shell out the bucks again for another TV! ARGH! David
We don't have a HD DVD player. The TV we're looking at has two HDMI inputs. We were considering dumping cable for dish network.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
We don't have a HD DVD player. The TV we're looking at has two HDMI inputs. We were considering dumping cable for dish network.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
We were considering dumping cable for dish network
Either that or go with DirectTV. Not sure about Dish Network but DTV is supposed to have something like 150 HD channels (according to their marketing department;P) by the end of '07. That'll make it worth your money as even though it is DIGITAL it's not necessarily HD. -- modified at 14:44 Monday 8th January, 2007
------------------------------------- Do not do what has already been done. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.. but it ROCKS absolutely, too.
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We don't have a HD DVD player. The TV we're looking at has two HDMI inputs. We were considering dumping cable for dish network.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
We were considering dumping cable for dish network.
my parents have HDTV (LCD) using Dish Network and the picture is absolutely stunning...When it's not raining, that is.
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What considerations exist when hooking a big-screen TV (56-inch in our case) to a standard cable hookup? We're considering either a Samsung DLP or a JVC H56FN97 LCOS unit. 1) What do standard definition shows look like? Will the picture be stretched to fit the width of the screen, or will it simply make the picture as big as possible without distorting the aspect ratio? 2) Will we still be able to get HD content if we don't have a digital cable box? 3) Any other things I should know about? I'd appreciate people that respond qualify their comments with whether or not they've gone through the same ting or not.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001Went through the same thing until my HD Sattelite receiver was delivered. Most HD tv's have several settings to fill the screen with the sd picture. I've found the best setting is the one that doesn't cut anything off and sort of warps the edges on left and right so they are stretched a bit. You don't notice it after a while and it doesn't lose anything in that mode. There are also other settings, some cut off the top and bottom and zoom the whole thing. You won't get HD content without an HD receiver of some kind. I mean you will get it but it will be at sd resolution. Basically it's watchable but without an HD receiver it's not really worth it. My other purchase that I had to make to accompany my HD set was an amplifier / receiver that switches all the inputs to the tv, the old one didn't have the switchable component video (separate red green blue connectors) which is what I settled on as the most practical connection to use to the tv. Unfortunately my new reciever can't convert a standard baseband video (single video plug) into component video so my xbox has to be plugged directly into the tv. To be honest the messiest part of the whole thing is the multiple inputs being switched to the tv, if I had to do it over again I'd ensure all the equipment is component video or something that is hd compatible and for the items that aren't I'd want an audio amp / receiver that can convert standard video to component video so that I don't have to make any changes on the tv. That way you can work with one remote to switch to the different devices. Also if you are considering a plasma tv, contrary to what the manufacturers say they still do burn in so if you watch a lot of SD programming in the center of the screen you will get brigher bands on the left and right where it hasn't displayed as often so watch for that and wherever possible attempt to display on the whole screen area.
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Went through the same thing until my HD Sattelite receiver was delivered. Most HD tv's have several settings to fill the screen with the sd picture. I've found the best setting is the one that doesn't cut anything off and sort of warps the edges on left and right so they are stretched a bit. You don't notice it after a while and it doesn't lose anything in that mode. There are also other settings, some cut off the top and bottom and zoom the whole thing. You won't get HD content without an HD receiver of some kind. I mean you will get it but it will be at sd resolution. Basically it's watchable but without an HD receiver it's not really worth it. My other purchase that I had to make to accompany my HD set was an amplifier / receiver that switches all the inputs to the tv, the old one didn't have the switchable component video (separate red green blue connectors) which is what I settled on as the most practical connection to use to the tv. Unfortunately my new reciever can't convert a standard baseband video (single video plug) into component video so my xbox has to be plugged directly into the tv. To be honest the messiest part of the whole thing is the multiple inputs being switched to the tv, if I had to do it over again I'd ensure all the equipment is component video or something that is hd compatible and for the items that aren't I'd want an audio amp / receiver that can convert standard video to component video so that I don't have to make any changes on the tv. That way you can work with one remote to switch to the different devices. Also if you are considering a plasma tv, contrary to what the manufacturers say they still do burn in so if you watch a lot of SD programming in the center of the screen you will get brigher bands on the left and right where it hasn't displayed as often so watch for that and wherever possible attempt to display on the whole screen area.
The set I'm looking at has two component video inputs. I don't know yet, but I would expect the satellite receiver box to have component output (especially if I get the HD/DVR setup). After that, I have a 2-year old home theater system that pushes dvd and vcr input through the tv. I have to look, but I think it has component output as well. Is that what you're talking about?
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
The set I'm looking at has two component video inputs. I don't know yet, but I would expect the satellite receiver box to have component output (especially if I get the HD/DVR setup). After that, I have a 2-year old home theater system that pushes dvd and vcr input through the tv. I have to look, but I think it has component output as well. Is that what you're talking about?
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001AFAIK all the HD satellite and cable receivers have a component video output, the tricky part is the other equipment like DVD / gaming machine / vcr etc. For example let's say your vcr does not have component video output (the 3 separate red green and blue rca cables) but has only the composite video (one single rca cable for video). If you want to watch that on your tv you need to get the signal to it somehow. In my 1 year old sony home theater amplifier / receiver I can't plug that composite video cable into an input in it and switch it out to a component video output to the tv set. That means I can get the signal to the tv one of two ways: My tv has a composite video input so I could plug the vcr directly into the tv, but then I have to fart around with the tv remote and set up separate audio still through the main amp so I now have two remotes I have to play with just to get the vcr signal plus the vcr remote itself. I can plug the composite video from the vcr into the amp and run a second composite out from the receiver to the tv so that I now have two outputs going from the amp (composite and component video) to two separate inputs on the tv, but again same problem I have to switch the tv to the right input so still two remotes to futter around with. Ideally I'd like my amp to take any input signal it supports and output it as component video or hdmi or whatever it's capable of so that I can have one remote for the amp and select what I want to watch without ever having to mess with the TV remove. Problem is I don't know if they exist or not. The whole thing boils down to the single issue that I'd ideally like one remote control for whatever I want to watch with a single button to go from DVD to satellite etc. I can buy a high end programmable remote that can take much of that nonsense and automate it but sadly they have yet to make one that supports the UHF remote that my satellite receiver uses. Baically I just want to be able to hit DVD and watch a DVD or Sat and watch sat or cable and watch cable (we have both because it's the only high speed internet we can get here although I almost never watch it).
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AFAIK all the HD satellite and cable receivers have a component video output, the tricky part is the other equipment like DVD / gaming machine / vcr etc. For example let's say your vcr does not have component video output (the 3 separate red green and blue rca cables) but has only the composite video (one single rca cable for video). If you want to watch that on your tv you need to get the signal to it somehow. In my 1 year old sony home theater amplifier / receiver I can't plug that composite video cable into an input in it and switch it out to a component video output to the tv set. That means I can get the signal to the tv one of two ways: My tv has a composite video input so I could plug the vcr directly into the tv, but then I have to fart around with the tv remote and set up separate audio still through the main amp so I now have two remotes I have to play with just to get the vcr signal plus the vcr remote itself. I can plug the composite video from the vcr into the amp and run a second composite out from the receiver to the tv so that I now have two outputs going from the amp (composite and component video) to two separate inputs on the tv, but again same problem I have to switch the tv to the right input so still two remotes to futter around with. Ideally I'd like my amp to take any input signal it supports and output it as component video or hdmi or whatever it's capable of so that I can have one remote for the amp and select what I want to watch without ever having to mess with the TV remove. Problem is I don't know if they exist or not. The whole thing boils down to the single issue that I'd ideally like one remote control for whatever I want to watch with a single button to go from DVD to satellite etc. I can buy a high end programmable remote that can take much of that nonsense and automate it but sadly they have yet to make one that supports the UHF remote that my satellite receiver uses. Baically I just want to be able to hit DVD and watch a DVD or Sat and watch sat or cable and watch cable (we have both because it's the only high speed internet we can get here although I almost never watch it).
John Cardinal wrote:
Ideally I'd like my amp to take any input signal it supports and output it as component video or hdmi or whatever it's capable of so that I can have one remote for the amp and select what I want to watch without ever having to mess with the TV remove. Problem is I don't know if they exist or not.
Some of the mid to higher end systems will upconvert video. e.g. http://www.yamaha.ca/av/Receivers/HTR5990B.jsp[^] (on left click on 'Up-conversion with HDMI')
...cmk Save the whales - collect the whole set
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John Cardinal wrote:
Ideally I'd like my amp to take any input signal it supports and output it as component video or hdmi or whatever it's capable of so that I can have one remote for the amp and select what I want to watch without ever having to mess with the TV remove. Problem is I don't know if they exist or not.
Some of the mid to higher end systems will upconvert video. e.g. http://www.yamaha.ca/av/Receivers/HTR5990B.jsp[^] (on left click on 'Up-conversion with HDMI')
...cmk Save the whales - collect the whole set
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Interesting, although according to the chart they only go to 480 not 1080. I guess the real solution is to just chuck out everything down the road when the industry settles down and get all hdmi gear.
John Cardinal wrote:
Interesting, although according to the chart they only go to 480 not 1080.
I've seen other models that will upconvert to 1080 (not sure about 1080p, likely just 1080i).
John Cardinal wrote:
I guess the real solution is to just chuck out everything down the road when the industry settles down and get all hdmi gear.
Not only HDMI, but the HDCP certification as well. Personally i'm waiting for a 1080p camcorder to come out.
...cmk Save the whales - collect the whole set
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AFAIK all the HD satellite and cable receivers have a component video output, the tricky part is the other equipment like DVD / gaming machine / vcr etc. For example let's say your vcr does not have component video output (the 3 separate red green and blue rca cables) but has only the composite video (one single rca cable for video). If you want to watch that on your tv you need to get the signal to it somehow. In my 1 year old sony home theater amplifier / receiver I can't plug that composite video cable into an input in it and switch it out to a component video output to the tv set. That means I can get the signal to the tv one of two ways: My tv has a composite video input so I could plug the vcr directly into the tv, but then I have to fart around with the tv remote and set up separate audio still through the main amp so I now have two remotes I have to play with just to get the vcr signal plus the vcr remote itself. I can plug the composite video from the vcr into the amp and run a second composite out from the receiver to the tv so that I now have two outputs going from the amp (composite and component video) to two separate inputs on the tv, but again same problem I have to switch the tv to the right input so still two remotes to futter around with. Ideally I'd like my amp to take any input signal it supports and output it as component video or hdmi or whatever it's capable of so that I can have one remote for the amp and select what I want to watch without ever having to mess with the TV remove. Problem is I don't know if they exist or not. The whole thing boils down to the single issue that I'd ideally like one remote control for whatever I want to watch with a single button to go from DVD to satellite etc. I can buy a high end programmable remote that can take much of that nonsense and automate it but sadly they have yet to make one that supports the UHF remote that my satellite receiver uses. Baically I just want to be able to hit DVD and watch a DVD or Sat and watch sat or cable and watch cable (we have both because it's the only high speed internet we can get here although I almost never watch it).
Well, my DVR has component-out, as does my home theater system. I didn't bother looking to see if it up-converts to 1080i (I haven't seen anything that up-converts to 1080p, but those devices that do up-convert go to 1080i). I have one remote for each of the following: TV, DVR, Home Theater, and CD player (300-CD changer), and if I get either satellite or digital cable, I'll have another one. I will probably be buying one of those fancy all-in-one remotes. :)
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001
