Upgrading to an HDTV, what do I need to know?

[godfire]

I want to finally make the leap to HD, so I'm considering getting the Samsung HLT6187S and wanted to make sure I had all my bases covered before going forward with it. I know I should get a new DVD player (which I'll be doing), and I'll also probably be getting Tivo HD. What else do I need to know? Do I need to set up something special with my cable company (Cox), or get special cables etc?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Getting a sound system?

Don't spend too much on cables, Monoprice has affordable ones.

Get a calibration disc to help you dial in the settings on the TV once you get it home.

 

[godfire]

I will probably get a sound system, but not until later - want to make sure the TV works out first. Is a calibration disc enough, or should I try and get it professionally done?

Also, any recommendations on a stand for this TV? I was going to go with the Samsung one designed for it just to simplify things but it got terrible reviews. I don't need an extensive stand, just a simple one that raises the TV to the appropriate level, looks decent, and has room for the Tivo/DVD player/game systems etc (DVDs are stored somewhere else).

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I just used Digital Video Essentials which got me much better results than out-of-the-box on my projector.
http://www.deepdiscount.com/vi....htm?productId=5785851

I have not seen a comparison between a DVE/AVIA calibrated display vs. Professionally done, so I don't know what kind of difference is there (especially when you throw in the specific display), but I know that DVE was absolutely worth it to me. Based on my own display, the limitations in quality are ones that cannot be improved by any of the settings in the regular or hidden menus as far as I can tell based on personally testing them, so I don't think there is much more a professional calibration could do besides some minor tweaking to the color maybe. I think it's safe to say that external influences have a greater impact on my display's appearance vs. what gains could be made with better settings now that I have them dialed in closely to the correct settings.

As for a TV stand, I don't have anything to suggest really.

 

[spidey07]

There's not a whole lot to know. It's a TV. It's just like every TV you've ever had, just a WHOLE LOT more powerful.

1) RTFM, this is very important and will answer most of your questions
2) As a high quality TV, how you connect your source will be important - there are currently 6+ common ways to connect your TV to a video source. Google around for these or RTFM.
3) The power of your TV is with HD. You can get HD programming a number of ways - over the air (think rabbit ears or antenna), cable or satellite or depending on your area via your telco.
4) Calibration - not necessary for most TV owners, absolutely necessary to get the quality you paid for. They're accustomed to putting a TV on the shelf and be done with it. However, if you want to get the most from your new TV a calibration disc will do wonders. A professional calibration is the very last 15% of getting the most from your new TV...while nice not many people will benefit from it unless they are really into video and know what to look for.

 

[Gusty987]

Originally posted by: godfire
I know I should get a new DVD player (which I'll be doing)

Make it an HD-DVD or Blu-ray player...you won't regret it.

 

[godfire]

Yeah, I was going to wait for the format wars to subside a bit before buying one, but I just took the plunge and got an HD-DVD player.

Thanks for all the advice in this thread.