HDTV

[hokiefromky]

I'll offer some research I've been doing over the past year or so.

 

The primary reason I subscribe to cable and not satellite is that no satellite company currently offers local Louisville stations in HD. Over the past year, DirecTV has said that Louisville would receive locals in HD by October 2007. In October, they changed that date to December 2007. This date was then changed to January 2008. Last I heard, they are now promising it by March / April 2008.

 

DirecTV will try to tell you that you can pick up locals in HD over the air. While this is 100% true, it is a major annoyance to me to not only have two antenna (satellite and bunny ears), but to also have to switch between cable and over the air inputs on the TV. If I want to go from NBCHD to TLCHD, I want to press channel up, not switch inputs on the TV and stereo receiver.

 

As for the Louisville area, no local station is broadcasting local programming in HD. Local stations have the capability of passing an HD signal from New York to here, but they can only do it in real time (live). Local news / commercials are not in HD as the local station does not have the proper equipment. The best example of this is Jeopardy. Jeopardy is broadcast in HD from New York. Local programming "records" the feed from New York and replays it at it's particular time in the lineup. Since they do not broadcast Jeopardy live while receiving the signal, it is recorded and later shown locally not in HD.

 

Also, when tickers of any kind (news, weather info, school closing, etc.) come across the screen, the programming behind the ticker will not be in HD. Example - Say you are watching CSI in HD, but a severe thunderstorm watch is put out for your area. The local station cannot place a ticker over HD programming, as it does not have the proper equipment. Instead, it reduces the feed to non-HD and places the ticker over the non-HD programming. This gets incredibly frustrating and annoying. If local weather updates require interuptions in the HD programming, the local station will record the shows and broadcast them at a later time. However, the recorded shows will not be in HD.

[Pete W]

I have 2 Vizio's a 37" 720p and a 42" 1080p, I have Insight DVR boxes hooked to both and don't really notice a difference between the 1080/720 but the best source I have is 1080i from the boxes or over the air HD.

The Vizio's have QAM tuner that gets the local HD channels over the cable feed for free (FCC requires that the cable companies not encrypt local HD's) I can hook up a coax striaght to the TV and get all local HD's as well as other unencrypted digital channels and all the music channels.

 

The Vizio's also have the ATSC tuner for over the air broadcasts I hooked up an old set of rabbit ears and got the local HD's as well as other digital channels.

 

I use the digital tuners/dvr to watch 2 games at once using PIP or POP a nice feature during football season.

 

If you look at Vizio's the Sam's / Costco / Sears / Circuit City models are similar priced to the Walmart / K-Mart models but have PIP and POP while the Walmart and K-mart don't.

[TSFan20]

As for the type of HDTV to purchase...I can only tell you this. I purchased a $2900.00 Samsung about 3 years ago, 720p/1080i. It is amazing, have had no trouble with it at all. Since then, I have purchased 2 Vizios...a 32($549.00) and a 42($899.00). The 32 is 720p/1080i and the 42 is 1080p. My almost 3K purchase several years ago did not come with a built in HD tuner, both Vizios did. Side by side...you cannot tell me that any HDTV on the market has a better picture than these Vizios...EXCEPT ONE! The Sony XBR has the best picture of any HDTV on the market by far...but you are going to be paying in that 3K range again if you want anything bigger than a computer monitor!

 

Also on the HD over the air deal...I have a cheap little antenna that I bought from Radio Shack to get those local channels. I also have Insight HD package. Unless you are into having 8 PBS and 8 other useless channels dont bank on using that as your HD access. Insights package is not bad as far as price goes, and they have all the local channels (greater cincy area).

[Birdsfan]

Unless you are into having 8 PBS and 8 other useless channels dont bank on using that as your HD access.

Are you saying you can't pick up the local network stations' HD signals with it?

[TSFan20]

Are you saying you can't pick up the local network stations' HD signals with it?

 

Yes I can get the local HD signals with the antenna...but Insight also has the local channels in HD, so I just use those. I was duped into thinking that I was going to get a lot of different channels via the antenna when in reality its the locals, about 8 PBS and other useless channels to me. The only positive thing about it...you can still see Bob Ross and his little happy trees!

[HHSDad]

My son bought the 52" Sony LCD TV. Its great for video games.

[Birdsfan]

Yes I can get the local HD signals with the antenna...but Insight also has the local channels in HD, so I just use those.

But to get those local stations through Insight, don't you have to buy the monthly digital package?

[HHSDad]

But to get those local stations through Insight, don't you have to buy the monthly digital package?

From the Insight website: When available, Basic Service includes local digital broadcast signals and HD signals. Additional digital and/or HDTV equipment may be required to receive those signals. Programming is subject to change and is not available in all areas.

[Birdsfan]

From the Insight website: When available, Basic Service includes local digital broadcast signals and HD signals. Additional digital and/or HDTV equipment may be required to receive those signals. Programming is subject to change and is not available in all areas.

So really, if you have an HD ready TV (which we do) all you would have to do is get an HD tuner?

[TSFan20]

So really, if you have an HD ready TV (which we do) all you would have to do is get an HD tuner?

 

Correct....I think. The reason I say I think...is because the last time I tried it, I still could not get the HD local access from Insight on my TVs that have built in tuners. I had to be hooked up to their HD/DVR box to get them at all. (Unless I use the antenna that is...) I do not believe the standard digital box even shows the HD channels in the guide. Could be wrong there but I dont think they do.

[PutMeInCoach]

My friend just got a HD TV and half of the channels come in fuzzy and some of them, including ESPN :madman:, have a black box that comes up and covers half of the screen.

 

What the heck is wrong with it?

 

Should they call the cable company or the place where they purchased the tv?

[NHS BIG DADDY]

My friend just got a HD TV and half of the channels come in fuzzy and some of them, including ESPN :madman:, have a black box that comes up and covers half of the screen.

 

What the heck is wrong with it?

 

Should they call the cable company or the place where they purchased the tv?

 

If watching a Non-HD broadcast on a HD Channel, you will get the black bars on the side, since HD is widescreen, and non-HD isn't so they put those bars there. Thats also the reason why some channels look fuzzy when watching a non-HD broadcast on a non-HD channel, because it has to stretch the picture out to fill up the widescreen, which the program isnt filmed in wide screen.

[Xtiger69]

95% of HD broadcasts are in 720, the only ones who broadcast in 1080 that I know of is HDNET and CBS sports.

[Jim Schue]

My friend just got a HD TV and half of the channels come in fuzzy and some of them, including ESPN :madman:, have a black box that comes up and covers half of the screen.

 

What the heck is wrong with it?

 

Should they call the cable company or the place where they purchased the tv?

 

They've accidently turned on their closed captioning.

[h.s.footballfan]

Got the 42" Vizio lcd and im pretty happy with it(the price was the cheapest out of all the tvs i researched also.)

 

Hdnet is my new favorite channel, watched a two hour Foo Fighters concert last night.:ylsuper: