HDTV help

[88spl]

A chum of mine was over the other day and asked what the hell was that thing I called TV was…. Well it’s a 19in foreign made POS that makes everyone look like cone heads. Its about 9 yrs old, and yes it needs to be trashed and replaced. Easy enough got Gods (wifeepoo) permit ion to get a new one. Question is, does anyone have any good suggestions. I figured I could spend 800. I went to Wallyworld and looked at the hdtv’s. I asked for some help, but no one knew what hdtv was. I left from there to Fry’s electronics. If you have never been to one they are huge, have a large selection of tv’s. I asked the sales person, what was the difference between hdtv ready, and hdtv monitor, and what was avi, or what was pip. Well the guy was from India, and said he didn’t know the difference. I then asked for a different sales person, yehaw…an American…. he said he didn’t have any hdtv’s, that all were ready for hd. And took me to the 5000.00 plasma tv’s. I thanked him and left the store feeling as though old age has set in, and technology has past me way by………..<br />Now, Wallyworld has 2 hdtv’s one for 747, and 797.00. They are 36 in tv’s.<br />I want to be able to hook up that surround sound, later. <br />Also hook up DVD, and VCR, both I have.<br />Any suggestions? How about ordering one from the Internet?<br />E-bay perhaps?<br />And what is pip?<br />And should I just get a regular tv. Is this hdtv stuff worth it?<br />I cant afford the plasma tv……and with my luck it would leak all over the place.

 

[bubbakat]

Re: HDTV help

I have hdtv from wally world 36 inch That is high definition tv very clear picture and the pip is picture in a picture.<br />Gives you a little screen in your big screen so you can watch two things at once.

 

[88spl]

Re: HDTV help

bub, did you have to get a reciever to get the hd signal? Does it come in the tv? Now I have figured that when they say hd ready, they meen I have to get a receiver, from the cable guy?

 

[JasonJ]

Re: HDTV help

Considering there is not very much programming right now that has HDTV, I would just buy a TV that is HDTV ready, and get the reciever down the road. They have a Phillips down at Wal-Mart for under $800 that looks like it would get it done. Don't be fooled by all the plasma hype. The best picture is still the good 'ol CRT television (like the one you have). Projection, rear projection, LCD, Plasma, they all have deficient pictures in comparison to a well made HDTV CRT television. Plasma does not achieve pure black, but is getting better. LCD blurs moving objects, but is getting better. Rear projection just sucks, regardless of price unless you just love having to sit in one spot. I am just waiting for my 35 incher to die, then I'll buy an HDTV ready CRT television...<br /><br />The wally TVs require seperate recievers for HDTV, but are otherwise decent sets. All a plasma TV is is a panel of seperate plasma filled tubes for each color pixel. An electrical signal excites the plasma in the tube, causing it to light up. A CRT television is one big tube with all the color pixels (red green blue) on its surface. An electron beam is guided over each pixel by the magnetic yoke, and its intensity is timed for each pixel. The different degrees of brighness of the red green blue pixels gives you your picture. Just look real close at the TV, you'll see what I mean. The plasma screen does the same thing, it just has all those little colored blocks with their own tiny plasma filled tubes. Thats what makes them expensive, and why they are thin and flat. So no, nothing will leak out and kill you in your sleep. Yet.

 

[88spl]

Re: HDTV help

Thanks u guys, I think I'm makeing a big deal outta nothing. I did see the Phillips, I guess what bothers me most is not getting any help with questions befor buying. (Wallyworld)

 

[JB]

Re: HDTV help

I think this goes in non-boating technical.

 

[CoachHolland]

Re: HDTV help

If you're going to go HD, then definitely spend the extra money and go widescreen as well.<br /><br />I have a 52" widescreen high definition TV and the picture quality, even on programs that aren't HD is much clearer than on my old TV or any of my friend's projection TV's. You'll need to get the componet cables (red/green/blue) for the best picture quality.<br /><br />While it is true that there are not a whole lot of programs that are broadcast in HD at the moment, more and more are being done so. However, what you'll be impressed the most with are DVD's. Now a normal DVD player will give you a very nice picture with your new HDTV, however I highly recommend buying a DVD player that takes advantage of the HDTV capabilities. These are called "progressive scan" DVD players and the difference is amazing.<br /><br />Then as far as sound, use a good quality pair of audio RCA cables, or better yet, if your TV has the option, use digital optical.<br /><br />As far as the receiver, that will either come from your cable or dish company... Some TV's come with them built in, but I have yet to see one that was worth the cost.<br /><br />As far as types of TV's to buy, your regular CRT tubes are going to give you the best picture, followed by plasma and then projection. Plasma is still too over-priced IMHO and you can get a projection and CRT within a couple or few hundred dollars of each other. If your room doesn't have a lot of glare, I would say go with the projection screen and get a bigger TV.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: HDTV help

pip= picture in picture. no new technology here. let's you watch one channel and open up a smaller box with a second channel. it seemed so cool to people a few years ago until they figured out it didn't do much for you. almost all tv's have the option now.<br /><br />dvd's with progressive scan are pretty cheap. again, most have this option, unless you skimp for the $30 model. if you want to watch great dvd's, ensure your dvd has this. you will also need the component cables. and you will also need to ensure your tv has the component inputs. this is not about hdtv- my tv is not hdtv ready and yet i still have component inputs. in reality, i watch hd quality movies from my dvd. my regular picture and vhs tapes just look like crap.<br /><br />go ahead and get yourself an hdtv ready unit. i assume you already get digital tv. if so, for an extra $5 a month, they will provide you a different digital box that receives the hd channels. the number of channels are really growing. most network channels, movie channels, and select "cable" channels (espn for example) offer hd feeds.<br /><br />good luck-

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: HDTV help

Hey Jason, no offnese, but have you looked at the rear projection TV's lately? I have a 51" sony in my little 13X15 living room and it is viewable from anywhere you sit. I have it set up with the TV in one corner, and couches all along both opposing walls. Now my first rear projector was a used 60" Hitachi Ultravision I got in the classifieds, and that one you had to be at least 10 feet away from and right in front of to really watch, but the newer ones have much better lenses and projectors. <br /><br />CRT is definitely the clearest option though. I had a panasonic 36" HDTV-ready set for a few weeks and it was the clearest TV I have ever had. Unfortunately the wife and I were both spoiled by the 60" we had before that so the 36", though really big, just looked small considering you could fit almost 4 of them in our last TV. Looked around a lot and thanks to circuit city's no questions return poilcy was able to upgrade to the 51" wide screen sony for not much more, talked down a good price on the display model. <br /><br />The best thing right now about getting a HDTV even if you don't watch HDTV programming (which is available on most cable and satellite providers already) is that most HDTV's will take the standard interlaced 480-line picture from a standard broadcast and up-convert it to a progresive scan mode. Basically means that you won't see the 'lines' that you usually see watching TV, it will be a nice solid picture. When you're out looking, take notice in that difference, look at the same picture on a regular TV and an HD tv. Same signal will typically look much better on the HDTV. Of course when you start piping in true HD signals (like from a DVD player, xbox, HDTV cable, etc) you'll be stunned by the clarity. <br /><br />Also definitely look for a TV with DVI inputs (I think you called them AVI). DVI = Digital Video Input. Better signal than RGB componenet, it essentially allows the signal to remain purely digital from the source to the monitor, whereas component cables take a digital signal, convert it to analog, then convert it back to digital at the TV.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: HDTV help

I just paid 1600 bucks for a 51" inch Sony HD Ready Rear Projection. It looks great for that price, from all angles. 57" was only 200 bucks more.<br /><br />Ken

 

[88spl]

Re: HDTV help

Fantastic, and cool, thanks guys, for my money I think wallyworld just sold a hdtv.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: HDTV help

Yeah, I have looked at the new rigs. They get it done, but I still prefer CRT. Its just my opinion. I really don't care what the format is as long as I can get a good picture. If rear projection ever surpases CRT, I am there. I also know that a rear projection TV really really benefits from having the primary tubes tweaked for alignment and output. Out of the box doesn't cut it, a rear projection TV is capable of more than what it provides out of the box. Hey, I have plenty of friends with rear projection that love it, more power to them. As long as people are happy with what they have I am happy. <br /><br />Good luck with whatever you buy 88spl, just remember, it's adictive. Gotta have the DVD player, gotta have the surround sound, gotta have the intestine-rattling subwoofer, etc. I could never, ever live in an apartment building....