hdtv

raggie33

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i was thinking is it smarter to get one with the hdtv tuner?or the ones who ya need to get box from cable company or satelite company its confuseing a tad.my dads has to use the tuner from cable company gets confusing
 

raggie33

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i guess what i mean if ya have a hdtv tv with tuner instaled a hdtv tuner i mean so the hdtv tuner is in tv ya dont have to use box from ya cable provider or satlite
 

PhotonWrangler

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The sets without the built-in ATSC (HD) tuners are a little less expensive, so if you already have cable or satellite service it's a good deal and there's a decent amount of HD programming available there.

However the built-in tuners can receive the ancillary stuff in the broadcast such as NBC's Weather-Plus service, which is unlikely to be available via cable or satellite. The downside of the built-in tuner, though, is that you might need a rooftop antenna to get it to work anywhere near decently.

For off-air antenna requirements in your area, check out the excellent antennaweb.org site.
 
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BobVA

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Hi Raggs:

The answer is "it depends". If you have an off-the-air tuner (usually called an ATSC or VSB8 tuner) it won't make any difference if you use cable. You'll still have to use their box to get their HD signals, which are broadcast in a different format, called "QAM".

If your TV has only an ATSC tuner, you'll be all set for off-the-air reception, but you'll have to put up an antenna. What you'll get depends on where you live and the antenna, but you can get a rough idea at:
www.checkhd.com Just put in your zip code and it will show you what over-the-air signals you might receive.

The Panasonic I got a couple of months ago had both ATSC and QAM tuners in it. When I hooked it to the cable (without the box) I got all the local stations twice. Once in regular def then, on a higher channel, in HD.

As PW pointed out, I only got a couple of the sub channels (mostly PBS). The ABC station has a continuous weather radar subchannel that you can see over the air, but I don't get on the cable. (No big deal since the cable has a radar channel.)

I got the HD box anyway for two reasons:
- I wanted the HD digital video recorder (like a Tivo)
- The box allowed reception of cable-only HD programming (Discovery HD, InHD1 & 2, etc.)

Since you're going use cable, just get a set you like. If it comes with a tuner, great. If not, no big deal - you can always buy an external one if you really need it later (down to about $160 now). (I really like the set I got and would have bought it without the tuner.)



Cheers,
Bob
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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All I can tell you which isn't even worth 2 cents...

We were in Sears yesterday getting a room AC for my Dad. They had some 8 or so TVs on the wall (small town store - Livingston, TX). 3 of them were HD models getting HD signal... they were AWESOME! I commented on it and the guy said "you need the TV then the HD box then the programming". I said I like my 32" TV just fine and he said he just upgraded to 32" from 27" and is quite happy.

When it's inevitable, I'll go HD. But for now I can't afford it!
 

Saaby

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Right now you can get HD, with all cable programming, through Cable Card, but I don't recommend it for the following reasons:

• Limited training: Right now very few cable techs have the training and equipment to handle a CableCard, so if you need service you could be SOL for awhile.
• One way -- CableCard might seem more convienent, but you can't use the OnDemand, Pay Per View, or (The only one that matters to me): on screen guide.
• Upgradability -- when new technology comes out, it's a lot easier to swap out a box than a TV.
• Price -- it costs the same to rent a Cable Card as it does a HD box.

However, that said, I'm sure the technology will progress. Right now CableCard is a descrambler on a card, maybe it will progress to the point that it's an entire cable box on a card, and to upgrade to the latest technologies you'd just swap the card. Who knows. With component video inputs you can get great video quality out of a HD box though, and if you hook it up all right it doesn't have to be any harder than using just the TV.

(I don't work for the cable company any more, BTY)
 

raggie33

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with my dads hdtv some how he always gets the apect wrong cause ya can adjust it on cable box and tv.and some shows seem to do it .all by there selfso u will be missing part of the screen.i just figure it will be eaiser if ya just have 1 place to adjust it .
 

IlluminatingBikr

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I have heard that a two-way cable card is in the works. Additionally, having a small card in the back of your tv is a lot nicer than a stand-alone box that takes up much more space elsewhere.

Saaby,

I'm not sure what new technologies will come out that will require the replacement of a cable card. The tv itself has pretty fixed capabilities (1080i, 5.1 Dolby Digital, etc.).
 

Saaby

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I'm pretty sure that once 2-way CableCard comes out, all the TVs with 1 way CableCard will be stuck with what they've got.

As far as new technologies, I'm talking more about incremental upgrades. My grandparents have a 5 year old cable box and some brand new ones. Even though the TV technology is identical, the newer boxes can go through the guide faster, graphics look nicer, there's PIP in the guide, just little things like that. Nothing major.

and like I said, it is nice to have choices, and I think CableCard is GREAT for things like HD-DVR or to let the tuner in your TV get cable, it's just not my favorite technology in it's current form.
 

PhotonWrangler

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CableCard is a PCMCIA-sized card that contains the decryption algorithms and other stuff needed to turn a DCR (Digital Cable Ready) TV into a device that can receive scrambled cable channels as well as the basic ones. It slides into a slot in the back of DCR TV sets.

The technology works but it's a little cranky in it's early iterations. Some TV sets have firmware issues that prevent the cards from working properly. The current crop of cards (and TV sets, I believe) are one-way only which means that while they can receive scrambled channels, they cannot work with any of cable's interactive services such as video-on-demand or interactive program guides, both of which require the ability to transmit your remote control's keystrokes back to the cable company in order to navigate those services.

It's a cool technology but they're still working out the kinks. And when CableCard-2 comes out (two-way) there will undoubtedly be more kinks. If you don't mind being on the bleeding edge of technology, it might be worth it to you, but if you don't have a lot of patience, I'd hold off for now.
 

IlluminatingBikr

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Raggie,

My set up at home is I have a HD television (with a built-in tuner), which has a cable card in it. I subscribe to some analog channels (NTSC format) but I also subscribe to a few digital channels as well, some of which are high-definition.

If I remember correctly, when the cable guy installed our card, it was his second time doing so. Although cablecards might be considered technology on the bleeding edge, I have not had any problems with mine.

Now I realize cable cards are not perfect, and some of the other members have brought up valid points about how cable cards are lacking. I just thought people should be aware that in my case a cable card is an excellent thing, and is working just fine for me.
 

PhotonWrangler

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Thanks, IlluminatingBiker. I didn't mean to imply that all CableCard setups are flaky; some of them work just fine. It's just that the failure rate is still considerably worse than what most consumer markets would consider acceptable. It IS getting better as time goes by though.
 

PhotonWrangler

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It is difficult to keep up with the steady stream of new acronyms and features. Some of the I/O panels on the backs of modern sets look like something out of a space shuttle. And there are literally a half-dozen ways to view a picture on those sets: NTSC, CVBS, SVHS, YPrPb, DVI, HDMI, IEEE-1394. And there's yet ANOTHER format coming out, a successor to HDMI (which was touted only last year as the end-all format).
:shakehead
 

raggie33

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i just noticed my dads sony hdtv widescree 57 inch looks amazeing on dvd it will blow you awy but on his satlite its lookawefull he dont have hdtv service and its hooked up to his coaxil on tv. id think thats the worst place.so am i corect its cause not being a hdtv satlite box?
 

Saaby

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That's part of it, but DVD isn't high definition either.

Hooking up the Sat to the TV via something other than Coaxial cable will help greatly!
 

raggie33

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ok cool ty darn installed did it.the reciver he has controls to tv even though the recvier is in one room the remotes are rf i guess.but for some reason the put the reciver with the analog hhook up and compoistes etc etc on the old 99 buck 25 inch tv.i asked dad why they did that ,they told him they needed phone line.i thought they only needed phone to get pay per view my dad wont ever order payper view.wierd set up they have here.when he first got tv last yer it was on cable tv hdtv box and station like hdtv disocery id watch em just to see the graphics evn if show was boreing.im so confused ty for all ya help everyone
 

BobVA

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raggie33 said:
when he first got tv last yer it was on cable tv hdtv box and station like hdtv disocery id watch em just to see the graphics evn if show was boreing

LOL!

I was talking to somebody at the office and said I was watching some junk program or another and they asked "why were you watching THAT?!!" After I thought about for a second I said "Hey, it was in HD" :)

Bob
 

PhotonWrangler

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BobVA said:
LOL!

I was talking to somebody at the office and said I was watching some junk program or another and they asked "why were you watching THAT?!!" After I thought about for a second I said "Hey, it was in HD" :)

Bob

I used to watch Bonanza occasionally because it was in COLOR. And I don't even like westerns! :laughing:
 
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