I need a new TV

Pradeep

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What kind of shows are being shown in HD? Any sports? The one thing I truly love about the USA is the low prices of their large screen TVs :)
 

SteveC

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Pradeep said:
Whilst this thread is resurrected I might as well update it too. Finally moved to the new digs and got digital cable. Got the SA 8300HD DVR from TWC, it can record two shows in HD whislt showing an already recorded show. HDMI and component outputs, and co-ax digital audio out. Has an external SATA port for adding an additional HDD.

Pradeep, how is the picture quality on the analog channels, and can you easily pad recordings (ABC is running "Lost" at 61 minutes long) on the SA8300HD? Cablevision is going to have them available soon, and there's enough HD programming now that the two tuners would be useful.
 

Pradeep

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Analog recording seems sub-par, compared to the SA8000. Keep in mind you can set it to upconvert everything to 1080i/720p, or set it to pass-thru whatever the programs' native resolution is. I may just be spoilt with HD clarity tho.

If you've ever experienced a Tivo/ReplayTV, it's definitely not one those. No padding capability I can find. Only plus point is if you select to record three things at the same time it will ask you which program not to record.
 

Jake the Dog

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Pradeep said:
What kind of shows are being shown in HD? Any sports? The one thing I truly love about the USA is the low prices of their large screen TVs :)

very little unfortunately. I'm seriously hoping that ATx-10 will show the Melb GP in HD but as of yet, they have still to decide. the HD content we have is nothing special being most news programmes, some of the more popular TV dramas and tyhe rest an odd assortment. at this stage ABx-2 is pretty much the only station that is to commited getting as much WS and/or HD digital out as it can.

HD capable TV devices are still very expensive down here but just recently, Sony introduced a sub-$3k HD 76cm HD CRT and Pana & NEC introcuced their $3.1-3.2k eqivalents. you can even get an "Omni" 76cm HD on eBay for $1099. with these prices making HD affordable to just about anyone, we should start seeing HD content increase dramatically.

how much HD do you get in the States?
 

Pradeep

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I get the following channels via cable:

INHD1 and INHD2: These show only HD content, it's produced by a consortium of cable companies I believe. About 100 new hours per month.

HBO-HD and SHO-HD, high definition versions of HBO and Showtime. Some older movies seem to be upsampled, but native transfers look stunning.

WB-HD: Shows such as Smallville etc in HD

DiscoveryHD, great looking docos in HD

TNT-HD: Movies in HD

ESPN-HD, HD sports content.

HD-Net and HD-Net Movies, produces a lot of it's own HD content, as well as some older stuff. Lots of bikini action etc. HD-Net movies seems to be mostly older movies.

NBC, ABC and PBS in HD (PBS is sorta like the ABC in Aus), NBC and ABC are major free to air networks. CBS and FOX do transmit in HD, but currently the local cable nework isn't carrying the HD signals.

PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX can all be received with an OTA receiver if you are within range.
 

Jake the Dog

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with that much HD content available, it's obviously it well worth being able to access it.

DTV has been slow on the uptake here, partly because of the cost of equipment and partly due to a lack of consumer education. excluding the ABC, the free-to-air bradcasters have been doing a good job of keeping DTV to a minimum with the skewed idea of protecting their revenues. they apparently beleive that DTV is a value-add service that primarily benefits viewers and hardly their pockets. typical of the Howard government, they are siding with corporate media without considering all the facts or listening to consumer groups are have not pushed broadcasters to increase their DTV WS and/or HD offerings. to make matters worse DTV doesn't have a reputation of quality it deserves because our only digital cable provider, Foxtel, broadcasts in SD only and most people are viewing this via composite. the decoder Foxtel supply has CV and RGB outputs only. many people aren't aware of the superior quality of component video and of those that are, the vast majority have component YUV TV's which are not RGB capable...
 

Pradeep

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Do the HD TVs have SCART inputs? Perhaps an RGB->SCART cable would do the trick. Tho I realise a lot of SCART inputs don't have the RGB connectors hooked up.

It seems like 7 is calling 576p high definition? And 9 is going with 1080i? I don't think it will take much comparison by people watching the demo loops to realise which is truly HD.
 

SteveC

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Pradeep said:
Analog recording seems sub-par, compared to the SA8000. Keep in mind you can set it to upconvert everything to 1080i/720p, or set it to pass-thru whatever the programs' native resolution is. I may just be spoilt with HD clarity tho.

If you've ever experienced a Tivo/ReplayTV, it's definitely not one those. No padding capability I can find. Only plus point is if you select to record three things at the same time it will ask you which program not to record.

Thanks, Pradeep. I've never used a Tivo, so I'm not going to be comparing it to that. It's a little disappointing that it can't pad recordings, but it's not really a big deal right now. I just fear that the networks are going to be messing with the length of shows more and more. One other thing, how is the speed of changing channels, and the guide? I have the SA4200HD now, and it can take a couple of seconds for the channel to change or the guide to come up.
 

Pradeep

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Well tonight Lost is currectly listed on the 8300 guide as a 61 min show, so I hopefully will get to see the end of it unlike last week.

Channel change/guide speed is good, it's got a faster processor than the 8000HD.
 

Jake the Dog

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Pradeep said:
Do the HD TVs have SCART inputs? Perhaps an RGB->SCART cable would do the trick. Tho I realise a lot of SCART inputs don't have the RGB connectors hooked up.

It seems like 7 is calling 576p high definition? And 9 is going with 1080i? I don't think it will take much comparison by people watching the demo loops to realise which is truly HD.

their TV's may have SCART sockets but they'll still mostly only support component YUV. SCART is purely just a connector type only and can various video signals including composite, S-Video and YUV and RGB as well as audio too. a fully wired 21pin SCART cable can carry all these but the TV has to be able to accept it!

our broadcast authority calls 576p "Enhanced Digital" (ED) which it is hardly is and 7 is capatiliasing on it's official non-SD designation and calling it HD. pretty bloody lame...
 
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