To HD or not to HD?

[MzDiz]

That is my question!

We're about to buy our first HD television (yeah, I know, I hang on to beater cars until they die too) and at the same time, we're switching from cable to dish network. The HD packages have me confuzzled. Are they worth the extra money for such few channels? Do I need Food Network in HD? I'm not sure. Aren't all programs supposed to be in HD soon anyway?

So, all you TV gurus, help me out!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have the HD receiver from Dishnetwork.

One of the great things about it, is the DVR feature works for two televisions, so while the receiver costs more to lease, I was able to ditch the one in our master bedroom. You can watch two different channels at the same time too.

You will need a second dish. I wasn't prepared for that. So, now I have two of the ugly things on my roof. That could be an issue for some HOA's.

Now for the bad - the channels that are HD do not show the same things as the regular Dish channels. For instance, "House Hunters" will be on regular HGTV, but a "Generation Renovation" rerun will be on the HD channel.

The only channel that I've noticed showing the exact same things, are the National Geographic channel (and their recent Galapagos series was awesome in HD!!!) and your local networks.

It's not a biggie - just something I wasn't prepared for.

Dishnetwork also has more HD channels that DishTV. Best Buy pushes DishTV and on comparison, Dishnetwork was the better deal.

One other major plus - with the HD receiver, your non-HD channels will look a LOT better than without it.

Hope this helps!

 

[hydster]

We have Comcast Digital with HD and have HD capability on our big screen and honestly I HATE watching shows that aren't already on HD channels. The difference is HUGE! The regular channels look so grainy while the HD is so clear!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

We have Comcast Digital with HD and have HD capability on our big screen and honestly I HATE watching shows that aren't already on HD channels. The difference is HUGE! The regular channels look so grainy while the HD is so clear!

Same here!

We have two separate channel guides, and I find myself scouring the same 30 HD channels looking for something to watch. Eventually I'll have a "duh" moment, when I remember that I have 300 other regular channels.

With our LCD, the regular channels look great now too, until you get really close to the screen.

I find my husband watching sports now, just so he can see how clear the grass is.

 

[bicker]

Aren't all programs supposed to be in HD soon anyway?

No. In February 2009, over-the-air, terrestrial broadcasters will have to stop analog broadcasts. That means that:

(1) Cable companies and satellite services can continue broadcasting analog channels, if they want.

(2) Cable-only channels can continue broadcasting analog channels, if they want.

(3) Cable and over-the-air channels don't have to broadcast HD (and many will not). Instead, they can broadcast either in SD digital ("480i60" or "480p30"), ED digital ("480p60"), or HD digital ("720p" or "1080i") -- their choice. Cable companies can pass these channels through in their native resolution.

One of the biggest complaints about DirectTV and Dish Network is that they broadcast a lot of HD channels in something called "HD-Lite" -- recompressed down from HDTV standard to a lower bit rate, so they can squeeze more channels in their signal. It seriously degrades the picture quality, as you can well imagine, but it is perfectly allowable, both now and after February 2009 (though it is debatable as to whether they'd be allowed to tout their picture quality as "astounding" give the recompression).

 

[hydster]

Same here!

We have two separate channel guides, and I find myself scouring the same 30 HD channels looking for something to watch. Eventually I'll have a "duh" moment, when I remember that I have 300 other regular channels.

With our LCD, the regular channels look great now too, until you get really close to the screen.

I find my husband watching sports now, just so he can see how clear the grass is.

We love when the NBA games are shown in HD. You can see the knots on the wood floor! I know about the other channels too but will do anything to find something in HD instead. Doesn't happen often but when it does it's like WOOHOOO!~!! LOL

 

[Fitswimmer]

Add me to the HD lovers list! I can't wait for Planet Earth to start tonight because it will be SO amazing in HD!!! Sports and Nature shows are just outstanding in HD.

I have Directv HD, and I just got the Optimum Online $99 deal for HD TV, phone and internet. My local sports channels are married to Optimum, so I had to go with them to get playoff hockey and all the baseball games. With the $$ I'm saving on the phone and internet, I'm not paying any more for the two providers than I was before.

 

[Micca]

Remember when you used to listen to cassette tapes and then you got your first cd player? Remember how it didn't take long before you didn't really listen to the tapes anymore because the cds sounded so much better? That's what it's like switching from standard def to hdtv. I can't advise you about satellite service, but I can tell you that you'll want all the HD channels you can get. Be sure to get the DVR too. It's the best invention since the microwave oven.

 

[RobInBigKC]

We have Comcast Digital with HD and have HD capability on our big screen and honestly I HATE watching shows that aren't already on HD channels. The difference is HUGE! The regular channels look so grainy while the HD is so clear!

This is especially true if you're watching SD (standard definition) channels on a HD set. The HD capabilities of the set will show the grainyness (probably not the right spelling, sorry) off even more. When we watch SD shows, we watch them on our SD sets. Though like many have said, we much prefer watching HD shows on our HD sets.

As far as the setup goes, we have standard DISH Network programming feeding all of our televisions (split out from two receivers) and we get our HD shows OUT OF THE AIR without paying for them just like in the "good old days". True, we don't get HD TNT or HD Discover or HD ESPN (probably the one that hurts the most) but we think we see plenty of sports in HD over our free network feeds. We don't do the premium movie channels anyway. When the cable or satellite services start offering MORE networks than they do now, I'm sure I'll be paying extra for the HD service but right now nothing has caught my fancy (other than HD ESPN) that I can't already get over the airwaves.

-- Rob

 

[JKanownik]

We love our HDTV which we bought in 2004, so our video games would look better. Because of all the gaming, we rarely watch TV and when we do it's not on the HD channels. We have a HD receiver and DVR. Our cable is digital through Time Warner, but they don't offer many channels in HD.

 

[MzDiz]

This is especially true if you're watching SD (standard definition) channels on a HD set. The HD capabilities of the set will show the grainyness (probably not the right spelling, sorry) off even more. When we watch SD shows, we watch them on our SD sets. Though like many have said, we much prefer watching HD shows on our HD sets.

Yikes! We really only watch one television. We don't have televisions all over the house, just one main TV in the living room and one little TV in the computer room. Our main TV is a cruddy 19" thing that we've been using as a temporary fix (turned into a two year fix) after our bigger TV bit the dust. We plan to get a 32" LCD to replace it. We have digital cable, plus Tivo. Is it even worth it to get a HDTV right now if you have to pay so much more for HD programs? How do you get HD programs out of the air? I don't think I remember how to watch TV without paying someone for the privilege.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

We recently bought an HD tv. I wasn't sold on the HD until I saw two exact tv's, side by side, one with HD and one without. We have satellite (DirectTV) and it's only costing us an extra $15 a month for HD service. They installed the new dish for $100. We have a projection tv, so without HD the picture is pretty bad anyway, but it's amazing with the HD service. I agree with the above poster, it's like going from tapes to CDs, VCR to DVD. Once you do it, you'll wonder how you got along without it!

 

[2BigKIdz]

We have Comcast Digital with HD and have HD capability on our big screen and honestly I HATE watching shows that aren't already on HD channels. The difference is HUGE! The regular channels look so grainy while the HD is so clear!

We have Comcast too. HD is so amazing, I never realized how big a difference it made until we got the new tv. Before Comcast started broadcasting in HD we were able to pick up some off-the-air signals from local stations, and they looked just as amazing. X-box games, I can see little details in games, and colors, I never realized were there!

 

[RobInBigKC]

Yikes! We really only watch one television. We don't have televisions all over the house, just one main TV in the living room and one little TV in the computer room. Our main TV is a cruddy 19" thing that we've been using as a temporary fix (turned into a two year fix) after our bigger TV bit the dust. We plan to get a 32" LCD to replace it. We have digital cable, plus Tivo. Is it even worth it to get a HDTV right now if you have to pay so much more for HD programs? How do you get HD programs out of the air? I don't think I remember how to watch TV without paying someone for the privilege.

How well this would work depends on where you live, how close you are to an urban area or television towers or whatever, etc., but we have good old fashioned rabbit ears. Of course, we don't dare let them be seen (they were ugly back in the 1970s and before also but at least everyone had them (or roof top antennas)) so they are connected to the Antenna input jack on the back of the television by a cable run to our hiding spot (behind one of our stereo speakers).

-- Rob

 

[Anewman]

Once you go HD, you cant go back.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We recently bought an HD tv. I wasn't sold on the HD until I saw two exact tv's, side by side, one with HD and one without. We have satellite (DirectTV) and it's only costing us an extra $15 a month for HD service. They installed the new dish for $100. We have a projection tv, so without HD the picture is pretty bad anyway, but it's amazing with the HD service. I agree with the above poster, it's like going from tapes to CDs, VCR to DVD. Once you do it, you'll wonder how you got along without it!

We have Direct TV and projection TV and I hate the picture.

Thanks for your advice,
I'll look into the the HD service.

 

[Parla]

Don't feel bad about waiting so long to get it. We had to buy a new TV last Christmas and I just wasn't ready to invest in anything so we got a regular one for $500. I am waiting until the very last minute to get ours. I know the prices are just gonna keep on dropping and when the big switch comes in a couple of years all the stores will be competing for us. Plus I don't want to have to pay more on our DirecTV bill every month.

 

[mickeysgal]

I'm subscribing because we're looking for a new TV for the basement family room and I so need to learn all about this subject.

 

[Anewman]

Plus I don't want to have to pay more on our DirecTV bill every month.

Most HDTVs today have built in tuners, you should(depending on location) be able to at least get your local networks in HD with an outdoor antenna. For free.

 

[Blondie]

Once you go HD, you cant go back.

Ain't that the truth!

The difference between regular TV and HD is unbelievable! I was skeptical at first, but all I can say now is wow!

We have Dish Network, and yes, we needed the second dish to receive HD.

DH had to go an upgrade our DVD player to HD as well, so now we'll be HD all the way eventually. More and more DVD's are becomming available in HD.