I'm ready to jump to HD and i need a tuner for my HD-ready 4 year old Sony tv.

I checked this site and immediately i am swayed to buy the DTBH260F. More than 1,000 posts for this tuner??? Dang! It almost like there is no competition.


Now, i know it's a good tuner but. i want take a step back and try to understand if there really is no other better option at this price range. So, i am hoping if any of you guys think there is a better one.

I only need a tuner at this point for i'm holding off an a recorder, I guess i'll just wait for the prices to go down a little bit and just buy a 500GB when the prices go down.

I'd appreciate any suggestion.

I assume you've read the "STB Sticky" at the top of this forum. Other than the Samsung, the only other viable one I've seen is in this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=638769

I believe that prices may drop somewhat once the DVD recorders arrive (April, May) with built in tuners, but, in general, it seems like alot of manufacturers are focusing on new sets rather than STBs(cable STBs excepted). All new TVs and VCR/DVD recorders are required this year to have ATSC tuners. I'm sure manufacturers have been busy re-vamping model lines, so a small market like STBs for HD-ready TVs isn't the highest priority.

But in 2009 there will be a huge demand for STBs to allow old TVs to still get reception. 2009, as you may know, is when the FCC cuts off NTSC broadcasts. I'm sure there will be $50-$100 STBs at that time, but who wants to wait! I've yet to see a real HDTV signal on my TV, and am tired of waiting. But if the Sammy is ATSC tuner is $179, and a DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner is approximately $200, I may wait until after March, when the first of the new DVD recorders arrive.

Lower tier DVDrs with the same 5th gen ATSC chip as in the Sammy STB should be available for $100-$150 in a couple of months.

Samsung should have 2 new DVD/ recorder with ATSC and NTSC tuners I would wait one should be out in March and the other in April. I have seen the pictures of them but got no specs on them yet. Samsung will still make the D260-F as same. I am still trying to fine one localy but I just might wait and see what the new products will be like. Bear in mind it will have HDTV tuners but it will only record in SD not HD few more years away. I think there will be a combine Blue-Ray and HD DVD player will be out so they should have a ATSC HDTV tuners build in then.