[nastasi500]

I am a rookie needing some help. Currently I have Adelphia Cable with channels 100 and above in digital quality and the rest being analog. I want to purchase an HDTV monitor but am concerned about how the analog quality channels will look on this type of tv. I have been told that analog reception will look worse on an HDTV monitor than a regular tv. Is this true and is the purchase worth it?

I know satellite is a better option since all channels are digital but I have a bundled package with the cable modem and dont want to switch.

Over the weekend I watched a football game on a RCA HDTV monitor with a digital picture through Directv and must say I was dissapointed with the quality. It seems that as the players were in motion the picture became distorted. Is this common?

Finally is there any difference in picture quality between digital cable and satellite?

Thanks,

 

[nastasi500]

help anyone

 

[thanh]

My friend has a Hitachi 51UWX20B and has analog cable through Charter. I saw it for the first time yesterday and I must say the quality is sub-par. The higher resolution of the TV reveals how grainy the picture really is. I wouldn't be able to stand to watch it for very long.

 

[gtaylor74]

It seems as if only the top HDTV's such as the Pioneer Elite and Mitsubishi Diamond series do an acceptable job on regular TV. You need a set that has an excellent line doubler and strech modes. the lesser sets usually don't have good enough of either to make a satisfactory image.

 

[ted08721]

Best thing to do is find small local store that displays sets with same local cable system that you have to see if it is exceptable to you. Most larger chain stores only display dvd or special hd feed to their sets so they shine.

 

[mnilan]

nastasi500:


I am venturing into HDTV for the first time and so I have been looking into questions such as yours for my own purposes. Here is what I understand at present.


HDTV is much higher resolution than standard definition (SD) TV. So, when you show an SD signal, you are essentially blowing up a poor image - the flaws (usually due to compression of the signal) are therefore more obvious on an HDTV monitor. Think about taking a photograph and enlarging it until you see the grain of the film. This is analagous to what is happening to SD on an HD monitor.


Although cable signals vary from one area/company to the next, it seems that both satellite AND cable, in their quest for viewers, are compressing their signals (although usually their premium channels - e.g., HBO are not AS compressed) way too much for them to look really good on HDTVs. Most folks who have been watching SD on their HD sets however, seem to get used to the quality of SD programming and/or end up watching less of it...


I agree with gtaylor74 when he says that the high-end sets do a better job but you are going to pay a premiom for those sets...


I guess the real question is what are you going to be watching? If your answer is 'mostly DVDs, premium channels and HDTV' then you just need to find a combination of a set you like at a price you can afford and go for it. If your answer is 'mostly SD TV' then you should probably wait a couple more years until there is more HD programming.


Hope this is useful. Good luck.

 

[nastasi500]

Thanks for the responses, the answers pretty much confirm what I had been thinking.

 

[Addicted Help!!]

I got a Mitsubishi 909 Diamond and a Pioneer 620 Elite and both had this problem with the Mitsubishi almost being unwatchable, and I returned them both for this reason. I got the 65XWX20B Hitachi and it does pretty darn good on analog, but in the 65 inch model the HD isn't truly as stunning as either of the other 2 TV's. If I wasn't such a sports freak I would have got the 57, which is breathtaking on HD as well. Of the 3 the Mitsubishi was the most stunning in HD, but also the worst in analog.


I also found that neither the Pioneer or Mitsubishi will do a split screen with either picture being in digital or HD, while the Hitachi will do both even if both are in HD. I hope that helps.

 

[RichUF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Addicted Help!! I got the 65XWX20B Hitachi and it does pretty darn good on analog, but in the 65 inch model the HD isn't truly as stunning as either of the other 2 TV's.

Well, I have the same set and I was talking about this in another thread, and now I find someone else who agrees...what gives with HD not being stunning on this set? I was beginning to blame the broadcasts, but I just don't know.


As far as cable/satellite, I didn't realize how much regular old TV that we watch until I got this set. I knew it was going to be an issue but it really is bothering me the longer I watch.

 

[defed]

ive got the hitachi 57uwx, and i think it does a very decent job on analog. i only have a roof antenna, no cable. i was actually surprised at how good it looked. i was expecting much worse.


one store even had an antenna signal that was so poor, it looked like a nascar race in a snow storm, but it still looked no worse than my 21" tv would w/ the same signal. with all that noise, i thought the doubler would have made a bigger mess of it.


anyway, i think it does an adequate job, for what its getting to display. hopefully getting the hd tuner soon, any suggestions for OTA would be appreciated.