My 9 year old 4K projection TV is obsolete! (1 Viewer)

[Bobby]

It has component video inputs so I assumed it would be HD compatible. Well I 've got an HD box now and it's not working.

I've got a flat screen in the bedroom bought earlier this year and it looks great.

But the 53 inch screen in the living room is going to have to go back to the regular box I guess.

It pretty much sucks because Bright House here is still broadcasting channels 0-99 in analog and it looks like turd.

They say it's 'digital' well sure channels 100 and above are , and the difference is obvious. Most of what I watch howver, is in the lower channels.

:-(

I 'm thinking about going with a satellite provider.

Any suggestions out there?
I can't see trashing a perfectly good 53 inch screen that cost that much money just 9 years ago.

 

[Larry]

Ive had Direct TV for years . Just got a new upgrade box gratis of course.
Also have a kingdome satalite tracking unit that also works fine.
Also have an older big screen that works good too.
Talk of Digital /analog and HD stuff is heating up with many broadcast stations switching to Digital next Feb.

HD radio right around the corner . OH Well.

I am hearing communications will be a thousand times faster in ten years.

If the Europeans don't create a black hole with that new 27 mile long supercolider they just built.

Congress cut off the funds for ours that was almost finished near Waxahatche Tx. back in 93 so now we suc hind end and the Europeans get to invent the new metals and write all those Quantom Physics Equasions while we turn food into fuel [ like idiots ].
OH well I'll get over it !

 

[Paul]

My 3 year old 40 inch LCD TV in my bedroom decided it wasn't going to turn on last night. I took it to a repair store tonight to see if they can save it, if not I will be heading to Best Buy for a new one. I can't believe I spent over $1,000 for this thing and it is already giving me problems. On the other hand, my 61 inch projection HD TV has had no problems and that is 6 years old. I am dying to upgrade this TV, but I refuse to do so until it dies. It figures,the one I don't want to die goes first. I love my HD with Dish Network, I can not imagine not having it.

 

[Mike]

I'm getting Verizon.com installed on the 13th. High speed internet, home phone with unlimited long distance, and fios tv with a picture thats just awesome(saw it at my neighbors house) for $155.00 per month.

 

[Bobby]

the thing that confused me and don't let it confuse you is that digital is not necessarily HD.

the switch mandated by the government only applies to over the air broadcasts.

and you don't need an hdtv to keep up with that change. Just a digital tuner, either built in to your tv or added on to one you already have.

Brighthouse here really ticks me off telling us we're getting 'digital ' tv when channels 0-99 are not digital at all, unless you go hd.

I'm dumping them. Then my big screen will look just fine - when it gets a real digital signal on all channels from a satellite provider.

 

[vegasnitro]

Brighthouse here really ticks me off telling us we're getting 'digital ' tv when channels 0-99 are not digital at all, unless you go hd.

As a former cable engineer in Las Vegas, our franchise agreement required us to carry analog channels so that anyone with any TV could have access to cable TV if they wanted it. Just because you have a didital box/tuner does not mean you are getting digital channels and there are very strict rules set down by the FCC on how cable operators can advertise. I am sure if you read your channel card or looked at a channel lineup online it would not show channels 1-99 as digital. And if you go HD I can guarantee you that the HD channels will not be in the 1-99 range. And trust me, as an engineer we would love to get rid of the analog channels, as they take up WAY more bandwidth than the digital channels.

The main problem is that there is 3 different formats and the average consumer has no way to differentiate them from one another, especially when 1 box is capable of receiving all 3. They all assume that if they have a "digital TV" and a "digital box" that they have all digital channels. Sorry, not the case.

ALSO ... component inputs does not necessarily mean HD capability. My DVD player has component outputs and my TV has component inputs, but my DVD player is not HD, so just because my TV is HD, I cannot expecct to wath DVDs in HD just because the DVD has component outputs ....

ALSO PART DEUX ... Just because the FCC is eliminating over the air analog broadcasts does not mean cable operators are. Your cable operator will handle the digital to analog conversion so if you only have basic cable, you will still have TV, you will NOT need to get a box from your cable operator. ALL OF THOSE FCC COMMERCIALS YOU SEE ABOUT THE DIGITAL SWITCH PERTAIN ONLY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL USING RABBIT EARS TO WATCH TV. IF YOU HAVE CABLE/SATELLITE THE SWITCH WILL NOT AFFECT YOU IN ANY WAY.

 

[Bobby]

here's what my digital cable quick reference guide says on page 1

* expands cable viewing to more than 200 channels

* crystal-clear digital picture and cd quality sound without tacky dishes or antennas


That's all it says about the channels and their quality.

They leave out some pretty important information . That being,


THE CHANNELS YOU WATCH 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME AREN'T DIGITAL SO GET A DISH.

Sorry Chris but they are lying. Flat out lying. The picture quality blows.


Are you telling me that they have to keep the first 99 channels analog ? Why?

You don't need a hi-def tv to watch digital cable. I don't understand.

 

[vegasnitro]

* expands cable viewing to more than 200 channels

If you combine Digital and Analog, this is true.

* crystal-clear digital picture and cd quality sound without tacky dishes or antennas

Also true, they just neglect to tell you which channels are digital and which are analog. I will agree that this is kinda shady, and only lends to further confusion for the consumer.

THE CHANNELS YOU WATCH 99 PERCENT OF THE TIME AREN'T DIGITAL SO GET A DISH.

If you have a digital cable box, they should also be showing your local channels in digital format, do not confuse this with HD. On your channel guide you should see something like "NBCD" for NBC digital. I understand that leaves out most channels like ESPN, Discovery, etc ... but those channels have contracts with cable operators to be on the basic (nee analog) lineup because that will reach the highest number of subscribers.

Are you telling me that they have to keep the first 99 channels analog ? Why?

If you look on the back of any TV there is a coaxial input and that is strictly analog without a digital box/converter. In Clark County/Las Vegas, our franchise agreement required us to keep the first 75 channels analog. The main reason is cable operators are required by law to provide channels that would be available free over-the-air without the purchase of addtional equipment. Obviously, most subscribers are going to either purchase the basic or expanded basic packages so they can watch most of their favorite channels without the need for additional equipment. That is why most channels like ESPN, MTV etc work it into their contracts with cable operators to be in this range of channels, True, it will not be the best picture or sound when compared to digital or HD, but they will reach the most subscribers, and thusly generate the most revenue.

Satellite operators do not have these requirements, and you have to have a converter to watch satellite, that is why all of their channels can be broadcast in a digital format.

You don't need a hi-def tv to watch digital cable. I don't understand.

Digital and HD are not the same thing. All digital means is that your cable operator receives the signal from the channel in a digital format, then is piped down the coaxial line to your box in a digital format, then the box in your home does the analog conversion so it is viewable on your standard TV. The picture and sound are better because it is not changed from origination until it reaches your home. HD occurs much the same way, except there is no analog conversion by your box, because all HD channel formats are true digital and all HD TVs are true digital ... that is why your HD box has HDMI and/or component outputs.

All HD channels are digital, but not all digital channels are HD.

 

[.]

I still can't get over how much crap there is on tv nowadays.
Time Warner is my cable company and I have approx 125 channels or so.
Now that I have more free time, I'll sit there and scroll thru the channels from top to bottom not finding anything to watch.
Basically, I only got it to watch ESPN2 broadcasts of NHRA.

So anyways, do you guys recommend getting a service plan with an LCD tv?

 

[vegasnitro]

So anyways, do you guys recommend getting a service plan with an LCD tv?

If it is a HD LCD ... then HELL YEAH!!!

If you have cable or satellite, it is not usually very much more money to upgrade to HD, usually in the $15/month range ... and in Vegas ... most of that is the HD box rental from the cable company.

 

[Paul]

If it is a HD LCD ... then HELL YEAH!!!

I wish you would have said that 3 years ago.

 

[Joker]

I just bought a 46" Sony Bravia for $1599 and a smaller one for my bedroom and I took the service plan on them incase something ever happens. It cost me another $230 but if something happens, your out big money and I just didnt want to take that risk and I'm not normally someone who purchases the extra ins. But I have known a few people who have had brand new tv's that they spent thousands on go out in a year and they didnt have any protection on them.

 

[HEMI6point1]

I just bought a 46" Sony Bravia for $1599 and a smaller one for my bedroom and I took the service plan on them incase something ever happens. It cost me another $230 but if something happens, your out big money and I just didnt want to take that risk and I'm not normally someone who purchases the extra ins. But I have known a few people who have had brand new tv's that they spent thousands on go out in a year and they didnt have any protection on them.

I usually don't buy service contracts but on a big-ticket item like a TV it makes sense.

BTW it seems like a ton of manufacturers make stuff to break after the 1 year warranty expires. For them it's called making money, for us it's called screwing the consumer.

 

[Mike]

Buy the biggest plasma you can afford. I cant believe I agree with Sam but yes, get the extend warranty.

 

[.]

Well, I picked up an LCD tv over the weekend.
After watching it for a couple days......I hate it.
You can only view it from certain angles.....namely head on, otherwise it's a lot of shadows.
Are they all like that?
I did get the 4 year extended warranty service plan.