[gwichman]

Just got my Sony 57HW40 and looking for an HD receiver for it. Currently I have a toshiba SD-1600 non-progressive DVD player and a Sony UltimateTV receiver (directv).


Would selling my toshiba and buying a panny RP-56 make much difference as far as dvd playback goes? I'm wondering how noticable the difference/improvement is if anyone cares to speculate or knows?


The main question though is what HD receiver to get? I want one that does directV and OTA. Would greatly appreciate and recommendations. Also if anyone knows of a good place to buy one here locally in south Bay area.


Thanks much!

 

[Fred DeGrandis]

Hello,

First let me congratulate you on your purchase, you will not regret it.


The dvd player: I have not had a chance to demo the RP56, although I have the RP91 and love it. TO ME(IN MY OPINION)!!! and probably the opinion of most in this forum, is that progressive is a lot more filmlike then an interlaced player. Since you can pick up the RP56 at Bestbuy(I think) go pick one up, and if it doesn't meet your expectations, you can always return it.


The HDTV receiver: I recently picked up a Toshiba DST3000 from video only. Go to their site www.videoonly.com , there should be a store in your area considering you are in California. I purchased one and had it shipped to me, and I have been very happy with it. I believe that a lot of the receivers are the same(manufactured by the same company, Hughes) but I am not sure. If anyone knows for sure, please chime in. I picked the receiver up for 450.00, which is defiantly the cheapest I have seen, but I haven't checked in over a month. Do a search for videoonly in this forum for more info.


Good luck on your future purchases



Hope this helped,

Fred

 

[gwichman]

ya i didnt want to spend a lot on an HD receiver since i'd likely get some sort of receiver/tivo combo in a year or two anyways. So the DST3000 seems liek the one of choice and after a good search on google the best price i can find on the net is about $558 from http://aoknetinc.com/toshiba-dst3000.html


i called the place you mentioned and they have it for $449 and i can go drive and pick it up. It's about 20-25 minutes from where i work/live. Sounds like an easy choice all around.


The trick now is to figure out where i can find an OTA antenna - something i know little or nothing about. I've been to the antenna site that lets you calculate what sort of antenna you need based on your location and all that, but beyond that it doesnt tlel you much like how big "small" "large" or "medium" really is. Nor what these things look like (since i need to mount one on my roof). Nor what they cost or anything like that.


Maybe some of the guys at the receive shop will have some info..


Thanks again!

 

[Fred DeGrandis]

Try www.titantv.com


or www.antennaweb.org


Both of these should give you a good idea of what kind of antenna to look for. When I was looking for an antenna, I tried radio shack. You can try one, and if it doesnt work out, return it for another.


Good luck, Fred

 

[Fred DeGrandis]

Ok sorry, you already did that. I went for the 120 model(the biggest one before you needed a rotor). Give them a try, and if you need any more help dont hesitate to ask.


Fred

 

[trellisboy]

I can echo the satisfaction with the Toshiba DST3000. This receiver has a very sensitive 8vsb tuner so unless you live in the country you won't need a big antenna.


The Hughes, Toshiba & Mitsubishi all use the same circuit board (Hughes design). The menu programs and input/output choices are slightly different.

 

[JeffGoos]

A lot of people (including me) recomend Stark electronics ( www.starkelectronic.com ). They have everything: antennas, preamps, rotors. You name it.


Use the info from antennaweb.org to pick an antenna. If you need more info on antenna selection, there is a good thread going on this subject here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6&goto=newpost