HDTV, big difference in TV viewing/clarity?

[Rogue]

I am thinking of buying an HDTV in the next year or so. Does anyone currently have one and is it worth it? I have yet to see a demo of the technology, so it's hard to tell if I should even jump yet. Anyone have experience w/ one yet?

 

[Rogue]

You mean to tell me that out of all the tech-heads on this board, no one has any experience with HDTV?

 

[jamarno]

Regular TV gives roughly as much resolution as a Super 8mm movie, while HDTV is supposed to be almost as good as 35mm, and because its signal isn't limited the way the conventional color TV signal is, fast movement should look a lot better, and you won't see rainbows around vertical stripes. But the 3 HDTVs I've seen, Philips, Mitsubishi, and Panasonic, were so disappointing that I thought they were receiving conventional TV signals. So I came back when I knew there was a broadcast of an HDTV program (Raymond), but the picture was no better, only about as good as 16mm film.

I'd wait until the price comes down to the level of a Sony WEGA, and HDTV VCRs become common.

 

[aUt0eXebat]

you must of seen some crappy hdtvs then, ive seen a few in action, and they look awesome, specially the widescreen HDTVs, id wait a yr or so till the price drops, and they improve them even more, and more stations start to transmit HDTV signals (2002)

 

[odog]

the only way to truely appreciate HDTV is to see a pure HDTV off a satellite feed.(via directv and the funky dual arm big ass oval dish thing)

one thing i can tell you..... my new sony WEGA SMOKES my old sanyo tv. to tell you the truth.... i didn't know tv could look this good


ohh yeah... somebody email Leo V... i'm sure he'll more then happy to fill you in on why you shouldn't get HDTV.

 

[erub]

My uncle has two HDTVs - he's a rich single mofo . One is a Mitsubishi 45". I don't like it that much to justify the $4000 he paid for it 2 years ago. However, he has a 65" Mitsubishi that is awesome. I don't know how much it cost. It is more rectangular shaped (or appears so to me, I thought all HDTVs are suppoed to be 16:9???) Anyway, DVDs and his sattelite feed look awesome! Espically the DVDs. So I would say, unless you have $ to blow, don't buy one now, but if you do, you will definitely appreciate it, but I don't know if its $4000+ worth of appreciation It depends on how much you value your cash

 

[Erasmus-X]

Like that Wega, e-phex?

Those are awesome TVs......definitely among the best of the conventionals. But they are tad bit overpriced. Right now I'm trying to find a store that carries the 20" model with s-video input (my store only carries the one with RCA input) I don't have a lot of space in this bedroom and the 25" RCA currently sitting in here is awfully big.

 

[Yoshi]

HDTV is really sweet looking, but I would not jump on board yet. If you are up on tech you know that there has recently been a lot of grumbling over the details of the HDTV standard. Some major manufacturers, including Sony, have gone as far as temporarily halting production of HDTV's until things are settled.

Also a Sony WEGA is not an HDTV, it is a flat Trinitron tube. A Sony WEGA XBR is a HDTV ready monitor, meaning it is capable of displaying HDTV signals.

IMO, WEGA is the way to go right now. I looked at the regular WEGA and the WEGA XBR side by side playing from the same source (DVD over component output) and went with the standard WEGA (32" to be delivered next monday!!). There is a $1500 price difference, but there was not $1500 worth of difference between the two images.

 

[Erasmus-X]

The only time an HDTV really makes the thousands of dollars worth of difference is when you actually have HDTV broadcast going into it. And then there's another hidden cost, being the HDTV decoder box (usually runs about $500). Not worth the expensive yet.

 

[dkozloski]

Keep in mind that for the next several years network TV will be broadcasting a TOTAL of four to five hours of actual HDTV programming per week. Network executives and movie producers just cannot get beyond the thought of losing control over high quality program content such as movies. They got bit harder than they want to admit by Napster and they don't want it to happen to the TV/movie industry.

 

[Mday]

current high end televisions have very good visual quality due to better tubes and actual "filtering" of and "enhancements" to the television signal.

BUT

it pales in comparison to HDTV screens. the signal digital and high definition.

 

[tboo]

Arent DVDs limited to a max resolution they can display-like 800X600. I thought true HDTV resolutions was in the thousands of lines of resolution

 

[shiznut123]

my friend has a mitsubishi hdtv with satellite.
its so freakin clear!!!
its awesome.
i would get oen if i had the money

 

[hkctr]

Everyone would be much better off waiting for a year or two before buying a new TV. While improving, HDTV content is not there yet to justify such a high cost purchase. In a year, the current top of the line HDTV's will drop in price by probably half. LCD/plasma HDTV's will be coming into the market and everyone will want to hang a TV on there wall. Sharp has already stopped making CRT TV's and Matsushita (Panasonic) will stop producing CRT's this year. The quality of these TV's are very good and getting better and cheaper (relatively speaking). Get your wireless keyboards and mice ready because you will be playing your games on a 45", or larger TV hanging on your wall because they also double as very good PC monitors. It's coming, and the makers are convinced that we want/need it.

 

[RossMAN]

I agree with the consensus, until almost all major network/cable channels are broadcasting in HDTV 24/7 it's not worth it. Also wait for prices to drop, they are ridiculously high right now.

I'd buy a Sony WEGA over an HDTV right now. Supposedly you can get a 36" Sony WEGA for $1099

 

[Shazam]

<< The only time an HDTV really makes the thousands of dollars worth of difference is when you actually have HDTV broadcast going into it. And then there's another hidden cost, being the HDTV decoder box (usually runs about $500). Not worth the expensive yet. >>

You obviously have never seen DVD on an HDTV. Anamorphic DVDs are astounding. Getting a progressive scan DVD player with an HDTV is incredible.

HDTV is astounding. A properly calibrated HDTV is unlike anything you've ever seen. You have been trained since birth to accept a crappy TV picture. You can't even imagine how good HDTV is.

 

[Shazam]

Oh yeah. Forget the Sonys. Get a Toshiba 40H80 instead (or one of the other sizes). My TW40X81 (last year's model) b!tch slaps the Sony's picture so hard it ain't even funny.

 

[Zucchini]

tboo,

Yes, something like that. I thought it was ~700x400 or something Hdtv is like 740p or 1040i?? These are general guesses from memory, but its about right By the way, p means progressive scan and i is interlaced. P is good, like monitors, i is like current tv.. ick

 

[nickburns]

hmmm, well i dont really agree with waiting for the plasma screens cuz they are way more money that a HDTV, and the quality difference is not that much. The only think plasma has over HDTV is its slim, wall hanging design. As far as it doubling as a PC monitor, you wont be able to tell the differece between the two. The only problem is you wont get the greatest benefits of HDTV until there is a high definition broadcast through cable (well there is satellite), probably not to far off though.

 

[firehawk2]

i have a 36in Sony Wega and its awesome.. i dunno WHY do people need HDTV?? just wear contacts if u want to see clear..i think that HDTV is all hype.. i also think that reg flat screen tv are just as good as a HDTV... do you think of how the picture looks or you look at the story plot while ure watching a movie??? lol i think you should just get a really nice XBR Sony Tv and jst enjoy it...

Happy New Year yall

 

[Zucchini]

hdtv isn't hype.. with a good signal the picture is amazing Its just overpriced right now. As for plasma, i hope the picture is good. So far the flat panel screens i've seen look washed out....very ugly.

 

[hkctr]

To repeat what Zuchini and others say, HDTV, when done properly, takes TV viewing to another level. The difference is like watching DVD on a 21&quot; PC monitor and watching the same DVD on your TV. Few people, I'm sure there will be a few stubborn ones, will prefer the TV picture over the PC monitor picture. The difference is that great. I have seen many demonstrations of current and future HDTV and LCD/plasma technologies and believe me, its coming whether you like it or not. You will not have a choice because that is all the major manufacturers will be making. Flat panel sales will drive these manufacturers for the next X number years. The stubborn ones will be stuck with very cheap (price, not necessarily quality) CRT TV's made by smaller SE Asian manufacturers you have never heard of. Unless you're Sony and can charge a premium for your name, there is no money left in the &quot;regular&quot; TV market.

 

[Shazam]

<< i have a 36in Sony Wega and its awesome.. i dunno WHY do people need HDTV?? just wear contacts if u want to see clear..i think that HDTV is all hype.. i also think that reg flat screen tv are just as good as a HDTV... do you think of how the picture looks or you look at the story plot while ure watching a movie??? lol i think you should just get a really nice XBR Sony Tv and jst enjoy it... >>

Pfft, whatever.

 

[firehawk2]

oh be quiet shazam. dont make me start.. i think i am one of those stubborn ones. lol i guess hkctr is right about the future but i like the world to be as is i am not liking the future