If you may or may not have heard...HDTV will be the new thing for televisions mandatory in the industry by 2007!

Thsoe who buy an analog tv until then  will not really be wasting money BUT will have to buy a converter box at ???price when the conversion is made as stations will all change their program signals!

Saved me money because I almost bought a headset to workout with in the gym that cost $20 extra to pick up tv channels to listen to..when the conversion is made, it will be useless!!!

Buy HDTV or plasma people!   

Ah! I've heard about HDTV (High Definition Television). The resolution is supposed to brilliant on the television but very expensive so I've heard.

I will wait and see what happens . . .  :)

I heard about this... tragic, no?

I heard about this... tragic, no?


Tragic? In what way?  ???

What does HDTV have that normal televisions don't have?



Howard

May get one in the near future.

What does HDTV have that normal televisions don't have?



Howard
HDTV stands for High Definition TV. Hi-Def has more pixels per square inch, which allows for a much sharper and clearer picture. The best way you can see the difference between HD and analog is to go to Best Buy (or any other appliance store that carries televisions) when a major sporting event is being televised. Look at the crowd in the background and that's where you can really see the difference.
    I bought an HDTV about 2 months ago and I really like it. :)

HDTV stands for High Definition TV. Hi-Def has more pixels per square inch, which allows for a much sharper and clearer picture. The best way you can see the difference between HD and analog is to go to Best Buy (or any other appliance store that carries televisions) when a major sporting event is being televised. Look at the crowd in the background and that's where you can really see the difference.
    I bought an HDTV about 2 months ago and I really like it. :)



I think I might want to get one in the future.



Howard

I think I might want to get one in the future.



Howard
It's just like any other new technology...remember how expensive CD and DVD players were when they first came out? And then after a while, once the "I gotta have it first!" factor wears off, the price goes down drastically. I bought my HDTV for the exact same reason that saver mentioned--I left my old TV in Nebraska when I moved and needed a new one, and I didn't want to buy a TV that would be obsolete in 2 years. (I wound up paying $950 for a 30" Sony widescreen.) Hopefully by 2007 the price of HDTV's will continue to go down and they won't be too much more expensive than analog TV's.
        If you have a regular TV that is working just fine, I'd almost suggest holding off for a couple more years until the price of HDTV's goes down even more.

The technology has been around since the 80s, I remember reading about it back then and how Japan had it.  In 1992 I went around stores asking for HDTV but no one had it and they told me it would take a while before the USA converted to that style of TV.  They were right.  It has just taken years for America to FINALLY catch up.

you can't see HDTV on a regular TV. you can't even see DVD's at their best on a regular TV. The broadcast(antenna) channels like fox, upn, cbs, etc..all have separate channels that broadcast the HD shows(if HD is available in your area, which it is in all the major markets).  What it means when it says "in HD where availabe" is that they have is a simulcast, on the channel that you've seen it on for 50 years they still only broadcast in the low-resolution that we're used to, but they have a different channel that's signal can't be picked up right without an HDTV decoder(which isn't in an HD-ready TV, only in a REAL HDTV). That's why you'll need a converter(or real HDTV) in the future, because theyre going to stop broadcasting the low-resolution signal eventually.

If you have digital cable/satellite, then you can get an HD-box and get HD channels, but on a regular TV they won't be correct unless your company uses a box that can down-convert the HD signal(ie-make it into a low-res signal). An HD-Ready tv will show them in high-resolution.

Does anybody know if there is a site where i can find out where HDTV is currently available?

You won't need a converter. Currently, there are a few channels that are broadcast in HDTV & you can see them just fine on a regular set.  I've seen on multiple shows on multiple channels "in HDTV where available".  So, just as you can now see those shows, you will be able to see them when everyone converts.  We have an HDTV ready TV but our cable company currently does broadcast it in our area, but they DO in my MIL's and they can watch everything.  It's a heck of a lot clearer on their newest TV (which has HDTV) but you can only tell if you watch them side by side.


True not all stations are broadcasting in HD however, it will be the norm -thanks to the FCC for mandating theyALL ARE...enjoy the analog until then, then get a converter.(or new one)

It's just like any other new technology...remember how expensive CD and DVD players were when they first came out? And then after a while, once the "I gotta have it first!" factor wears off, the price goes down drastically. I bought my HDTV for the exact same reason that saver mentioned--I left my old TV in Nebraska when I moved and needed a new one, and I didn't want to buy a TV that would be obsolete in 2 years. (I wound up paying $950 for a 30" Sony widescreen.) Hopefully by 2007 the price of HDTV's will continue to go down and they won't be too much more expensive than analog TV's.
         If you have a regular TV that is working just fine, I'd almost suggest holding off for a couple more years until the price of HDTV's goes down even more.



Yes.That is a good idea.I might want to save up a few hundred dollars and then eventually buy one. :)



Howard

Sh*t in High Definition is still sh*t!  What's the point of watching "Desperate Housewives" in HD?  Sorta like putting a silk hat on a pig!

Sh*t in High Definition is still sh*t!  What's the point of watching "Desperate Housewives" in HD?  Sorta like putting a silk hat on a pig!


You can't polish a turd.  ;D

I'll bet there was more than one person back in the 1960's who thought, "Sh*t in color is still sh*t! What's the point of watching 'My Mother The Car' in color? Sorta like trying to polish a turd!"    ;D


Yes, kind of what I said above.

Yes, kind of what I said above.
We must've came up with it at the same time, because I didn't notice your post until I put mine up...sorry about that!

We must've came up with it at the same time, because I didn't notice your post until I put mine up...sorry about that!


Lol. No worries, AL-B. You know what they say about great minds . . .  ;D

Maybe that's what I read...that my local cable company is going to convert it for us.  I know I read something about not needing a converter somewhere ???


some of the real HDTV's have this thing called a cablecard slot, instead of using a cable box you can just insert that card into the TV and it will receive all the channels. But of course, the real HDTV's cost the most money, and right now the cablecards are only one-way, they can only receive the channels, so you can't use on-demand, and you can't order ppv movies w/o calling the cable company, and i dont think you can use the interactive guide either.

Conspiracy to get more $$ from people...Some people LOVE their OLD items..there are still phones out there with DIALS!!! Live and let live!!!

Conspiracy to get more $$ from people...Some people LOVE their OLD items..there are still phones out there with DIALS!!! Live and let live!!!



you mean the rotary dials,Saver? ???




Howard

I wonder when they'll start working on 3-D TV?

Does this mean that the liquid chrystal television I bought for my car at Radio Shack will be useless in a few years??

I wonder when they'll start working on 3-D TV?



I'm hoping within the next 10 years or so Al.



Howard

Hi Howard..

Yeah, rotary dials still out there and even some retro shops are selling the old looking but newly made stem phone that they kinda used on Mayberry Show you hold the ear piece and talk into the mouthpiece separately.

ALSO FOR 3-d TV....in Japan at a prototype show(or England) they had a type of movie /tv screen projector that when you look straight ahead, it looked like the person was right in front of you to touch..they wanted to use this technique for a lot of things like showing off a new car and when you look straight ahead you see it..Problem with it was if you didn't look right ahead it would warp or fade..also a problem with usung it to make your house look like it had great furniture with nothing at all in the room..but people would mistake an object as reall being there and walking around it and hitting something that actually WAS there..just a few little glitches for now so 3-D TV is not all that far off..

you mean the rotary dials,Saver? ???




Howard


Hey, I still use a rotary phone.  :-[

LB

I seriously doubt that HDTV will actually be manfatory by 2007 in the USA.  If that really happened there would be an insurrection, as hundreds of millions of people would be without TV.

But it is a wise move to NOY buy an old-style NTSC TV though, if possible.

Last year I was bummed out... My old GE Television had been working fine for 22 years... the only TV I ever owned.  No confusing buttons, just rotary tuning knobs.  I was hoping it would last until HDTV prices came down to a reasonable level.  But it broke down and I had to buy a new TV set anyway.  :-\\

Now I gotta live with this one for probably 20 years then I'll have the opportunity to move to HDTV.  >:(

Hey, I still use a rotary phone.  :-[

LB


Doesn't that still hurt your fingers? :o



Howard

I seriously doubt that HDTV will actually be manfatory by 2007 in the USA.  If that really happened there would be an insurrection, as hundreds of millions of people would be without TV.

But it is a wise move to NOY buy an old-style NTSC TV though, if possible.

Last year I was bummed out... My old GE Television had been working fine for 22 years... the only TV I ever owned.  No confusing buttons, just rotary tuning knobs.  I was hoping it would last until HDTV prices came down to a reasonable level.  But it broke down and I had to buy a new TV set anyway.  :-\\

Now I gotta live with this one for probably 20 years then I'll have the opportunity to move to HDTV.  >:(


Hi LB.I threw out my 1983 Panasonic TV months ago and bought from the internet a Sylvania Television.



Howard

anyone remember in the 1980's when TV with stereo sound was the big thing in TV technology?