Who has HDTV?

[jeffbrig]

Just curious how many people have made the switch. I don't mean just having an HD-capable TV, I mean who is really receiving and watching stuff in high-definition?

I finally pulled the trigger on an HD/TIVO box through DirecTV a few months ago. Since football season has started, I'm kicking myself for not having this last year. You can count the blades of grass the players are running on! And the widescreen 16x9 format shows you more of the field too. It's awesome...

[pwhitby]

its awesome isnt it. I have a 61 inch DLP from Samsung, the picture quality is incredible. Did you find your self watching all manner of odd programs because they are in HD ?

Paul.

[Muttling]

I've got it, but since I have a 4 year old and they don't do Barney in HDTV I don't get to use it that much.

But the Incredibles DVD ROCKs.

[Wilafur]

got i and love it! watching football is simply amazing. heck, even watching tv shows in hd is amazing.

i am currently pulling in hd signals via an off air antenna. just waiting for directv to fully roll out their hd channels before i upgrade to an hd package.

[qy7400]

Made the switch last year to a 104" theather (Infocus X1 DLP projector)...LOVE IT!! Using local cable for all local and HBO/Showtime/ESPN in HD.

Looking forward to what DirecTV will have HD wise with the new sat, I miss my Tivo downstairs.

[god_of_wolves]

Switched last year. Man what a difference.

[clavery]

Originally posted by jeffbrig
You can count the blades of grass the players are running on! And the widescreen 16x9 format shows you more of the field too. It's awesome...

Isn't it amazing? I love watching what everyone is doing in the stands. The clarity is incredible. Spectators better beware, though. We can actually see them picking their noses!!!!!

Cheryl

[clavery]

Originally posted by jeffbrig
You can count the blades of grass the players are running on! And the widescreen 16x9 format shows you more of the field too. It's awesome...

Isn't it amazing? I love watching what everyone is doing in the stands. The clarity is incredible. Spectators better beware, though. We can actually see them picking their noses!!!!!

Cheryl

[clavery]

sorry for the double post. the server was being weird!!!!

[chinaman4u]

Umm, I just have a 42"(small compared to some of you people out there. I live in the boonies, only 2 free HDTV channels.... HDNET and ESPN. Awesome clarity! I wish all my othe channels were like that. Imagine Barney in Hi-def... you'd be able to see the lint bunnies on his costume!

[dinoman]

We still have a regular ol' TV. Actually the only time I've seen HD is on the TV's at wallyworld. Maybe I'm just blind but I can't tell much of a difference? Maybe its one of those things you have to see in your house to see how much better it is.

[MichaelD]

well if wallyworld is like a circuit city/best buy type thing (I assume it is) You can't really see the full effect of it until your at home. Best way to try out HDTV is at a friends house. They'll already have the display settings tweaked and it'll be in a quite enviroment (normally). And you can really take in how much better HDTV is.

[zenguitar]

"But the Incredibles DVD ROCKs."

And guess what? DVD's are not high definition, they are limited to 720x480 resolution. There are upscaling DVD players currently which makes it better of course.

[dinoman]

Originally posted by MichaelD
well if wallyworld is like a circuit city/best buy type thing (I assume it is)

We call Wal Mart here Wallyworld. I don't think we'll be getting one any time soon, we wouldn't have anywhere to put it!

[Wilafur]

Originally posted by zenguitar
"But the Incredibles DVD ROCKs."

And guess what? DVD's are not high definition, they are limited to 720x480 resolution. There are upscaling DVD players currently which makes it better of course.

damn, you beat me to it. dvd's max out at 720 whereas hd is 1080.

however, hd dvd's are in the works and should be out soon.

[zenguitar]

Oh, my folks have HD on a 60" TV. When they first got it we watched Discovery HD and they had an ocean thing on with rays going by screen, they looked so incredibly real it was like looking into an aquarium through perfectly clear glass.

[zenguitar]

Yep, there's Blu-Ray and HDDVD I've read about. Means everyone will have to get new players...again.

[beerguy]

I've got a 42" Plasma. My HD content is limited to local channels from antenna. I'd like to upgrade my DirecTV to HD but I'm addicted to Tivo and it's a pricey jump to replace my dish and get the HD tivo box....maybe in a year or two.

[slipknottin]

Originally posted by Wilafur
damn, you beat me to it. dvd's max out at 720 whereas hd is 1080.

however, hd dvd's are in the works and should be out soon.

DVDs are 480p. Which isnt HD at all. Its Ehanced definition.

The HD broadcasts are 720p or 1080i. 1080p technically exists as well, but as far as I know, nobody is broadcasting that. There are some TVs that can display it though.

Ive got a 720p LCD projector, its decent, but I want a DLP projector. Ive got no real HD stuff to watch though, only DVDs played through the computer. (which are technically upconverted to 720p)

[chiliaddik]

Originally posted by beerguy
I've got a 42" Plasma. My HD content is limited to local channels from antenna. I'd like to upgrade my DirecTV to HD but I'm addicted to Tivo and it's a pricey jump to replace my dish and get the HD tivo box....maybe in a year or two.

Is the DTV HDTV pricey or is the HD tivo pricey? Paul called DTV and they are replacing the dish (to the HDTV) for free - on Wednesday!

[jeffbrig]

I'm also addicted to TIVO, so I wouldn't jump on HD until I could get the HD/TIVO for a halfway reasonable price. When it's all said and done, I spent about $600 on the HD/TIVO box. That included DirecTV coming out and installing a new dish (my old one was only a 2-sat dish), an over-the-air antenna for HD locals, and hooking everything up. The old standard-def TIVO box is now on the TV in our bedroom.

Now I'm just waiting for their new HD satellites to come online. They're putting 4 up there that should be capable of carrying 1500 HD channels. When I last spoke to someone in customer service, they said they may have them online by the end of the year.

In the meantime, I can't believe how many local HD channels are available in my area. The PBS stations run several time shifted digital equivalents. CBS, FOX, and ABC each run a digital, NBC has two. Other 'indepent' networks like UPN/WB even have digital. Heck, I even get Univision or Telemundo or whatever in HD (I can't speak Spanish, so what do I know).

[dmbrown]

I built a Media Center edition PC for a professor of mine instead of a TiVo, and that worked Really nice. And it's more fuctional than just a Tivo....but about $900 for a good one

[dmbrown]

I built a Media Center edition PC for a professor of mine instead of a TiVo, and that worked Really nice. And it's more fuctional than just a Tivo....but about $900 for a good one

[FuzzyLogic]

The future of HD at DirecTV. They are comming out with MPEG-4 receivers so hold off on purchasing equipment. Here's an article from TVWeek.com

DirecTV Pushing HD Options

Firm Rushes Wide Range of New Offerings to Meet Holidays
By James Hibberd TVWeek.com

With high-definition television set prices in a sudden free fall, DirecTV is scrambling to implement an unprecedented array of technology and programming options in time for the holiday season to attract new HD subscribers. The News Corp.-controlled satellite provider has been launching satellites to expand its HD offerings and plans to soon roll out a proprietary HD receiver capable of processing next-generation MPEG-4 compression streams, which will ease bandwidth constraints.

"Everything our retailers are telling us is that they expect this season to break all records for [sales of] high definition and flat screens, so it's important to have the local [channels] up and new receivers up and in the major markets prior to the holiday season-which we will do," said Bob Marsocci, VP of communications for DirecTV.

Trouble is, cable operators in most markets currently offer less expensive HD packages with more channels than DirecTV, which charges customers hundreds for an HD receiver-a competitiveness gap DirecTV CEO Chase Carey acknowledged during a recent second-quarter earnings conference call. Then there's satellite competitor EchoStar, which this summer gobbled up the HD Voom channels from Cablevision and cut its HD package prices.

"If you look at the comparative offerings today, cable has the better offering, plain and simple, and that's a dangerous place to be," said Bruce Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research Group. "DBS has been so successful getting the high-end subscriber, if they don't act quickly, they can lose them. What's working in DirecTV's favor is the cable operators have not been as aggressive at exploiting their advantages as they should be."

With subscriber growth slowing during the last quarter, DirecTV has recently dropped the price of its premium HD DVR receiver from $999 to $699 and then to $499. When its as-yet-unnamed MPEG-4 receiver debuts, DirecTV will lose a longstanding requirement that customers must own their equipment and offer a monthly rental option-just like cable operators, executives said.

DirecTV also plans to offer HD versions of local broadcast stations, a key programming service for attracting HD customers, available by the end of the year in its 12 top U.S. markets-New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa, Fla.

But implementation of the new services is coming down to the wire.

The MPEG-4 receivers were supposed to be released this fall, but were pushed back. The receivers will hit the first test market in October and the first 12 markets "by end of the year," said Eric Shanks, DirecTV's senior VP of advanced services and content.

ESPN2, a long-sought channel among DirecTV's core sports-fan contingent, is finally coming online Sept. 9. Another key channel, TNT HD, is still absent from the service.

The rollout also means converting about 500,000 existing HD subscribers to the new receivers, which are expected to cost subscribers between $250 and $275.

Mr. Shanks would not promise a free upgrade, but he said the transition would be "as painless as possible."

To support the addition of local HD signals and new receivers, DirecTV plans to launch marketing campaigns in key cities, though details are not yet available.

"The holidays are the busiest subscriber growth period in any given year, coupled with cable becoming more competitive," Mr. Marsocci said. "We're going to have pedal to the metal when it comes to marketing product and service."

Looking ahead, DirecTV plans to have 1,500 local HD channels and 150 national HD channels by 2007.

[Bayliner]

I just picked up a 50" LCD Projection and ordered the HD signal on the weekend...... all I can say is WOW !!!! what a difference.

Anyone know why some HD programs are broadcasted in 16:9 and others are still 4:3 ?

Thanks
Cam