HD newbie getting started guide?

[papaschtroumpf]

My audio/video system is pretty old, the TV is a 23" (not flat panel) and every component if still connected with RCA cables. I do have everything switched through a Sony receiver, so with the push of a single button both audio and video signals get switched at the same time.

Time to step in the 21st century, but I'm pretty clueless about HDTV and need to get educated. anyone can point me to a "getting started" site or document?

For example:

- More than exactly "which TV", I'd like to find good value on a system, or multiple components to build a system, so that I retain the ability to switch sound+video from a single button/remote, etc...
- I currently have a TiVO, do I need to switch to a different HD model?
- will I need to upgrade my Comcast Digital cable to a new service?
- can I still switch between HD (I'm guessing HDMI) and RCA connections, for example, will I be able to switch between my HD media player and my RCA connected VCR?
- I'm not even sure about what questions to ask....

I want good value rather than top of the line or gigantic, or stuff that's easy to upgrade later.

Maybe you guys can help...

 

[mmntech]

1. Your current A/V receiver should be fine if you hook HDMI components directly to the TV. Otherwise you want one with HDMI built in.
2. If you have a TiVO, there's need to get an HD model unless you want to. SD content will look fine.
3. No, unless you want HD television content. You'll need to buy/rent an HD box and get an HD package. It's not expensive anymore.
4. Yes. Almost all HDTVs have HDMI, composite, component, and RCA audio inputs.

 

[Shadowknight]

My audio/video system is pretty old, the TV is a 23" (not flat panel) and every component if still connected with RCA cables. I do have everything switched through a Sony receiver, so with the push of a single button both audio and video signals get switched at the same time.

Time to step in the 21st century, but I'm pretty clueless about HDTV and need to get educated. anyone can point me to a "getting started" site or document?

For example:

- More than exactly "which TV", I'd like to find good value on a system, or multiple components to build a system, so that I retain the ability to switch sound+video from a single button/remote, etc...
- I currently have a TiVO, do I need to switch to a different HD model?
- will I need to upgrade my Comcast Digital cable to a new service?
- can I still switch between HD (I'm guessing HDMI) and RCA connections, for example, will I be able to switch between my HD media player and my RCA connected VCR?
- I'm not even sure about what questions to ask....

I want good value rather than top of the line or gigantic, or stuff that's easy to upgrade later.

Maybe you guys can help...

1. If you're upgrading your system, I'd recommend a Harmony 880 or Harmony One remote; a true Universal remote will turn on all components for an activity and switch to the correct input for the tv and/or receiver
2. You'll only need to change TIVOs if you want to watch and record HD content
3. For the last few years HDTVs have had QAM tuners built in; by law, cable providers cannot encrypt local channels, so if you pay for even basic service, you'll get local channels in HD. Otherwise, you can just use a pair of rabbit ears or a roof antenna and get the over-the-air. If you have surround sound speakers, most network shows now should be using DD 5.1.
4. If you're willing to spend a little more money, the higher-end receivers can upconvert all signals to a single HDMI cable. So you can plug RCA, component, S-video, and hdmi sources to the receiver, then have a single HDMI cable running to the tv. If you're interested in the higher-end sound codecs for blue-ray discs, you'll also want a receiver that can decode sound for HDMI (not just an HDMI switch, which would require running a separate audio connection from the device to the receiver).

 

[s44]

I assume you already have speakers and such, so all you need is an AVR. These days even a basic $300 model will convert analog signals to HDMI so everything goes through HDMI to the TV.

An HD cable box will be the exact same price as the SD cable box.

You can keep the old Tivo, but I can tell you that after a month of so of HD, you'll never want to watch SD again. Still, I'll let you get to that point before thinking about the upgrade. 😉

edit -- Wait, you have a VCR!? Too bad you didn't upgrade 6 months ago when the Panasonic BD70 (Blu-Ray/upscaled VHS combo!) was $150.

 

[papaschtroumpf]

thanks all

 

[vshah]

note that if the sony receiver you currently have doesn't do HDMI, and you plug hdmi straight from your new sources to your TV, you'll lose the convenient "one-button" switch between sources. you'll have to change audio on the receiver and the video input on the TV. If you want the one-button back, you either have to get a new receiver with HDMI, so everything once again goes through the receiver, or a harmony type remote that will automate the process with one touch.

 

[kornphlake]

If you get a television with multiple hdmi inputs and a digital output for audio you can just use the television to switch sources, the receiver always receives the signal from the television, the television switches between the cable box, tivo, etc.

 

[s44]

If you get a television with multiple hdmi inputs and a digital output for audio you can just use the television to switch sources, the receiver always receives the signal from the television, the television switches between the cable box, tivo, etc.

No you can't.

TV digital outs basically never have more than a stereo signal except for stuff picked up on the set's own tuner. Everything else will be downmixed.

Also note that SPDIF can't carry lossless surround the way HDMI can.

 

[0roo0roo]

1. Your current A/V receiver should be fine if you hook HDMI components directly to the TV. Otherwise you want one with HDMI built in.
2. If you have a TiVO, there's need to get an HD model unless you want to. SD content will look fine.
3. No, unless you want HD television content. You'll need to buy/rent an HD box and get an HD package. It's not expensive anymore.
4. Yes. Almost all HDTVs have HDMI, composite, component, and RCA audio inputs.

Depends entirely on his budget, hd tivo looks far far better. Sure you can get by with old tivo but its not optimal

as for vcr, yes, you can switch to the rca in for that... 250line resolution will be ugh..interesting to look at though.

 

[kornphlake]

No you can't.

TV digital outs basically never have more than a stereo signal except for stuff picked up on the set's own tuner. Everything else will be downmixed.

Also note that SPDIF can't carry lossless surround the way HDMI can.

Oh, right. I forget that modern tech doesn't play nicely with legacy tech like it should. Still if you can life with "inferior" sound using your existing receiver would serve as an intermediate solution and possibly let you put a little more money into a better TV or blue ray player now then upgrade the receiver down the road for full HDMI connectivity.