Tell me about HDTV

[CamAnd]

We have a 46 inch HD ready widescreen t.v. and currently only have basic programming with Dish Network. Thinking of getting High Def but need some info. How much do you pay per month? Do you have a cable or satellite company. Who has the most programs in High Def? Any extra equipment needed to buy when starting? Is it worth it??

 

[Papa Deuce]

Well, with cable, you just order a high def converter / tuner. About $10 a month. We get lots of HD programs. LOVE the ones on the Discovery channel. And sports in HD is awesome!

Call Dish Network and ask.

 

[mrsv98]

HD ROCKS! We bought a new HD ready 30" widescreen and it is gorgeous. We have Comcast digital cable and it is only $5.00 more per month for HD. The major networks and several of the most popular ones broadcast in HD and more are being added all the time.

It is amazing to watch sports, it is as if you are at the game, looking thru a window. In terms of satellite, you should check with your company and see how many HD channels they offer to decide if it is worth it to you.

 

[adamak]

Well, it really makes a difference. Esp when you watched Discovery channel on it. It's so real sometimes my cats want to catch the birdies on it.

 

[Nite0wl71]

HD ROCKS! We bought a new HD ready 30" widescreen and it is gorgeous. We have Comcast digital cable and it is only $5.00 more per month for HD. The major networks and several of the most popular ones broadcast in HD and more are being added all the time.

It is amazing to watch sports, it is as if you are at the game, looking thru a window. In terms of satellite, you should check with your company and see how many HD channels they offer to decide if it is worth it to you.

That's what we have and it is really great My DD12 says she can't tell the difference but we sure can.

Sometimes I'll flip back and forth between the HD channel and the regular network channel and then you can really see the difference.

 

[MoniqueU]

We have it. To be honest with you I can't even really tell that much of a difference. My husband thinks its just swell but he is a tv junkie. Now if they had my foxnews in HD I might care. LOL Or American Idol. Most of the stuff in HD except for Football I dont even watch so I could care less if we have it. THats just me though.

 

[Papa Deuce]

We have it. To be honest with you I can't even really tell that much of a difference. My husband thinks its just swell but he is a tv junkie. Now if they had my foxnews in HD I might care. LOL Or American Idol. Most of the stuff in HD except for Football I dont even watch so I could care less if we have it. THats just me though.

Is expected to be in HD when it airs in January.

BTW, one downside to HDTV.... if the camera is slightly out of focus --- like it frequently can be at a live event, like sports --- it is definitely noticeable.

 

[Charade]

We have a 46 inch HD ready widescreen t.v. and currently only have basic programming with Dish Network. Thinking of getting High Def but need some info. How much do you pay per month? Do you have a cable or satellite company. Who has the most programs in High Def? Any extra equipment needed to buy when starting? Is it worth it??

You'll need a HD Sat box and they can get expensive. I don't think they lease them. Unfortunately for existing Dish customers we're left out in the cold most of the time with the good deals new customers get. I bought their DVR (recorder like TIVO) for a great price of $80 about a year ago and wouldn't ever want to watch TV again without one. Having said that, I'd love to switch to HD on Dish but would want a PVR which is about $700. OUCH!!

Most of the HD programming is free if you have an HD box.

The only recommendation I can make is to call Dish and see what they can offer you. If you get a great deal on an upgrade, post it hear because I'd be interested in it for sure!!

 

[mrsv98]

You'll need a HD Sat box and they can get expensive. I don't think they lease them. Unfortunately for existing Dish customers we're left out in the cold most of the time with the good deals new customers get. I bought their DVR (recorder like TIVO) for a great price of $80 about a year ago and wouldn't ever want to watch TV again without one. Having said that, I'd love to switch to HD on Dish but would want a PVR which is about $700. OUCH!!

Just an FYI....

We have had Comcast for years and I discovered a neat trick. Every 18 to 24 months, I call them, tell them I a loyal customer and I want a deal comparable to new customers (nicely of course). If you ask, they will give you the same deal, but the catch is, YOU have to ask, they can't give you a hint or suggestion that you can get a deal.

By calling them, I got my high-speed internet lowered to $19.99/month for 6 months and 3 months free cable!

Call your provider and see what deal you can get!

 

[CamAnd]

Thanks for the tips. I'm off to do some comparison shopping and will post if I get any great deals.

 

[Blondie]

You'll need a HD Sat box and they can get expensive. I don't think they lease them. Unfortunately for existing Dish customers we're left out in the cold most of the time with the good deals new customers get. I bought their DVR (recorder like TIVO) for a great price of $80 about a year ago and wouldn't ever want to watch TV again without one. Having said that, I'd love to switch to HD on Dish but would want a PVR which is about $700. OUCH!!

We are buying a HD TV in a few weeks. I asked my DH how it was going to affect our Dish Network and if we'd need anything new and he called and was quoted $600 for a new HD PVR. (maybe it was really $700, he just didn't want me to know!)

Oh well, when we're already spending out the wazoo for a HD TV, what's another $600-700, right?

 

[Duchie]

Most of the HD programming is free if you have an HD box.

See, this is what I don't understand. DH and I have been looking into a HD-DVR for quite a while now (we have DirecTV, rather than DishTV). We understood all about the big up front expense of a new receiver but I'm still foggy on how all the channels work. DirecTV has a fee of $12/month for HD service, which gets you about 6 channels with more coming next year. So does that mean if I pay the monthly fee I only get HD on those 6 channels? What about all the other channels that have those banners at the bottom that say "In HD Where Available"? Some are the local channels and some are what I would call "basic cable" channels (like TNT, USA, A&E, that sort of thing). If I have an HD receiver, do I automatically get those?

I've called DirecTV several times and have gotten mixed answers. One lady told me that to get the local channels in HD I had to submit some form for approval for each local station. I've been told both that I will and that I will not get other channels in HD unless DirecTV adds them to their HD line-up. So we are both very confused. Needless to say, we're not going to do anything until we can figure this out.

Anyone with DirecTV out there who knows?

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Some HD programming is free with my cable provider (mostly network channels). We also pay $6 for an additional HD package (a couple movie channels, special programming and ESPN-HD). There is NOTHING like HD!

 

[Pugsley]

This stuff is so confusing that when I was shopping for satellite or cable service for our new home it drove me nuts. It’s so frustrating because I kept getting conflicting answers when I called. And I knew so little about it that it was hard to even know what questions to ask. That said, we ended up with DirecTV and are happy with it. We have an HD TV (built-in tuner) and did not order the HD box/service because of the cost. I think the price of just the HD box and service wasn’t bad, but when you get the combo HD/DVR it was about $600 for the box. So what we do is, when a local network is broadcasting in HD, we switch off of the satellite and watch the program in HD using an antenna. It seems pretty strange watching a 55 inch HDTV with rabbit ears, but it works perfectly.

 

[Blondie]

It IS all so confusing Puglsey, that's why I let my DH handle it all!

I just tell him to call me when he has it all hooked up and ready to watch! In the mean time, I stay out of his way until it's all in working order!

 

[Mister Incredible]

I purchased a directv HD receiver on ebay for a couple hundred dollars. Then with a $15 antenna I get all the major networks in High Def for free.

I refuse to pay DirecTV $10.99 for their HD package. Maybe when they start offering better channels in HD I would think about it.

If you have an HD set make sure you are using the right connectors. I went to my sister's house and DirecTV set-it up using the wrong cables. They thought the picture was cool, when I hooked it up correctly they thought the picture was outstanding!

 

[nu cruzer]

We just switched to Comcast from Dish. Dish wanted $800 for a high def DVR and $10/month for HD channels and wouldn't give us any deal even when we said we would be switching to Comcast if they didn't want to keep our business. I love having the DVR capability. Comcast is/was offering a special deal to hold our price relatively low for 18 months if you switched from Dish to Comcast.

 

[golfgal]

So basically if you want HDTV you have to fork our big bucks for a tv THEN another $700 for some box so you can get the HDTV programming? We live far enough away from any tv stations that we don't get ANY tv without cable or satellite.

 

[CamAnd]

After several calls between Dish Network, Directtv, & Comcast Cable:

We currently have dish network & to get Hdtv we would upgrade our satellite receiver system for a price of $99(to ship back the old system) with $25 back once old equipment received. They said no extra antennas, hd receivers needed to buy. HD package programming of $10.99-about 4-5 channels ex. ESPn, ESPN2 etc...

Direct Tv was asking $200.00 to get HD receiver and sign on as new customer
and also additional mo/ price about $11.99 for special HD channels about same as Dish HD channels. Programming prices / mo. more expensive then Dish.

Comcast Cable offered $34.99/mo for all channels plus free HBO & Cinemax for 1 year. No need to buy any extra HD receivers, or antennas etc.. No extra cost for "HD programming package" Total HD channels in our area would be 17- BEATS satellinte channels. Needless to say, we are switching to CABLE and look forward to viewing all their High Def channels. But we didn't get this offer until they heard we were satellite customers, their original offer was too expensive as far as cable costs go.