[bizuca]

I'm new to this ,I don't know all the technical terms like you guys do,just want a affordable HDTV,I just got ATT digital cable and on my 27' Panasonic sucks.Would the Digital cable improve on a HDTV ?

My DVD is 4 years old,not the "Progressive Scanning " Just don't have the dinhero for all this at once.



Do I have to buy any add-on to make the HDTV 100% Digital ?


Thanks

 

[bizuca]

Let me BUMP this

 

[RoyGBiv]

I hate to say it, but HDTV may not be your answer. If your picture quality with ATT digital cable "sucks" on your 27" TV, it will look even worse on a big HDTV. Digital cable has nothing, and I repeat nothing, to do with picture quality. It is a way for the cable company to get more content onto the bandwidth they have and nothing more. If your cable company is really interested in picture quality, they can work on it. Most don't care. They advertise digital because that has become a buzz word for better and improved. In reality, it isn't.


If you want HD quality, you are going to have to spring for an HDTV and probably some type of set top box (STB) receiver that will combine over the air (OTA) and satellite reception. Depending where you live and what satellite you tune into, you will get 2 to 7 or 8 HD signal sources. Some cable companies are now offering HD over cable, but these are few and far between. You might check with your cable company about that, but it is a separate service from digital cable.


DVDs also look great on an HDTV (whether progressive or not), but sadly regular cable, digital cable, OTA non-HD signals, and regular satellite signals will often suffer.


SMK

 

[M.Hat]

Hi Roy: I don't think digital cable should be as bad as it seems to be in your case. Perhaps the first logical step would be to get the cable guy in to check out the system.


However, if you want to get into truly beautiful TV viewing, both standard and high-definition, you should consider going to a satellite provider--either Direct TV or Dish. Even on your current TV the standard (non-HD) signals will look terrific. I went to a satellite provider a year ago and I was amazed at the improvement. (But HD blows me away!)


It's easy to change to a BASIC satellite system (for delivery of Standard digital TV) for a few hundred bucks. For a few hundred more you can get an HD receiver, if you choose. Or just buy the cheapest for now and upgrade to HD later. Just phone them up and they'll have it in and working fine in a couple of hours. That's step one. Take that one and digest it.


Then move to step two at some time in the future, which would be to get a High Definition set. I think it would be unwise to upgrade your TV and not get a full-blown HD set capable of handling an 1080 interlaced signal. Very good HD sets can now be had for under $2000 (U.S.) There's standard CRT (cathode ray tube) direct view sets up to 40 inches and there's rear projection CRT units up to 65 inches (I believe). (Note: they're big and heavy.) There's also more expensive options such as plasma and the new chip-based (no CRTs) sets. RCA is just bringing a new 50 inch LCOS (chip) set on the market for about 5 thousand. It's light in weight and has a small "footprint"--i.e. not too deep.


Before purchasing any new TV, I recommend you hang around this forum for a few months and find out the details about everything. Learn to use the "search" facility. Also go to stores and look at what they have. But don't let them sell you anything you're not sure of. Enjoy the experience. We all have. Good luck.

 

[RoyGBiv]

Don:


I don't have digital cable because the picture is so bad. I've seen my local cable company's version of it at friends' and neighbors' houses. I made the switch to DirecTV about 5 years ago, and I now have HDTV using the RCA DTC-100 STB and am in heaven. I was responding to the original question about the first poster's digital cable looking so bad. I think in most situations it is!


SMK

 

[M.Hat]

Hey Roy: I got my wires crossed. I was also responding to Bizuca. Sorry for using your name in vain. We both want this guy to get off on the right foot and I think if he reads both our posts, he'll be headed in the right direction. Are you still around Bizuca?