WTF is this bullshit? Buy new LCD HD TV/Widescreen....

[originalpckelly]

but not all the stuff is widescreen!

It's over the air, and by the way in some ways OTA digital is better than over the air analog. When you've got good reception, the picture quality is always better than analog over the air, or analog cable, and even standard definition digital cable (because there are less compression artifacts/blockiness in the video.)

On the other hand, when you have poor reception, the "failure mode" is far more noticeable. It's not uncommon for someone to watch a signal that's not perfect, because you don't want to get up and fuck with it. Well, with digital over the air, you kind of always have to get up and fuck with it, because it's not watchable or listenable.

Oh yeah, and you'll be surprised to find how little content in off peak hours is in widescreen, most of it is just 4:3. It's going to be a while before everyone catches up to speed.

What's cool though, is that over the air has more than one channel in some cases. In my market we have a Channel 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3. Pretty interesting.

[derby378]

1. It's like the transition from B&W to color

Even on the channels expressly denoted as HD, it's still going to take some time.

[TheWraith]

2. The signal should get better as time goes on.

Running both the analog and digital equipment costs the TV stations a small fortune, so after the analog stuff can be turned off, they'll have more cash to improve the digital signal.

As for widescreen, yeah. I'm afraid that's just the luck. Eventually most new TV will be available in widescreen, but until then we've got to live with it.

[ipfilter]

3. All HDTV is digital but not all digital is HD.

I started using OTA as my first HD source in 2005. Back then it was rare to see anything in HD. There's way more broadcast in HD now than before.

[aquart]

4. Is that what that is? Those extra but the same channels?

Wait. Still amazingly confused. Meanwhile, two converter boxes sit in my livingroom wondering why I bought them.

[ipfilter]

5. ATSC allows a little over 19 megabits/sec of data.

That's enough bandwidth to allow several sub channels to simulcast with the "main" channel. Most of the stations here are broadcasting weather on their subchannels. The PBS station has four subchannels with a variety of programming. DTV is good thing.

[Kittycat]

6. What is it with people's obsession to see other's zits and gross skin on tv?

Honestly - I just don't get the whole hullabalub over HD. I like to watch a little tv at night - eat a snack or dinner, after my little ones have gone to bed. The last thing I want to do take a big bite of something, and see someone's nose hairs. Really.

[Kolesar]

7. At 600 lines of resolution, I could see a fly ball all the way to the outfield

that was with Dishnetwork, a digital satellite service that I highly recommend.
www.dishnetwork.com

Go Tribe!

[Oregone]

11. Resolution is one of the least important factors in picture quality.

FYI.

[Kolesar]

14. I could not see the ball with cable tv or over the air tv reception ...eom

[Kittycat]

24. I'm a girl. I have no interest in such things.

My husband doesn't even watch sports ;)

[originalpckelly]

19. No, it's really not that...

It's more like watching a movie all the time.

[Kolesar]

8. If you live in the country, you may not have any more broadcast tv

I have stayed with family where we watched a snowy image and were ok with it. Not any more, per your description of "failure mode".

[ipfilter]

12. Or, perhaps those in the country will have better reception.

In my experience the DTV broadcast looks stunning with a less than optimum antenna setup. The analog equivalents of these stations are snowy and barely watchable off the same antenna. My antenna is only 15 feet off the ground and I'm picking up stations 60 miles away with nearly 100% signal strength.

[Kolesar]

16. Will have to test it.

I am over a hill from the tv stations 20 miles away. I might be buying a tv/monitor combo. thanks for the advice

[Dinger]

9. I Hate Wide Screen

I'm not sure if I'm talking the same thing here, but we recently bought a new 52" tv, and when I buy a larger screen, I'm not too crazy about it being reduced by 50% (top & bottom black). It sucks. And while I'm bitching here, blue-ray can kiss my ass. As I understand it, blue ray players can play DVDs, but DVD players can't play blue ray discs. Sucks. Its like video game systems. Spend mucho bucks on a new one, and its obsolete in a month. Pfft:mad:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

18. Widescreen *does not* reduce the picture.

The widescreen picture you see is exactly how you see the movie in the theater, minus the bars, of course. Also, if you have a widescreen TV, the bars are shrunk or disappear completely, depending on the aspect ratio of the movie, while still maintaining the entire image of the original film.

Pan and Scan, which fills up the entire screen, actually cuts off about 1/3 of the movie's picture -- it would be like reading a book where the first and last few words of each sentence are cut off.

[Oregone]

10. Capitalism depends on planned obsolescence

Thats whats up with the bullshit. There is a systematic movement to create the perception/reality that your old TV is obsolete. Yet you cannot even buy a TV the same size as your old one at the same price.

[Deja Q]

17. Normally I'd disagree

Except people are buying 42 or 50" panels when a 32" panel would not only suffice, but use far less energy than their previous 32" CRT counterpart. (the 42" and larger units suck up far more energy and those costs are high enough as it is.)

[originalpckelly]

20. We upgraded to 32 inches from 20!

The old stand was too weak to hold the 26 inch CRT. We ended up using a 20 inch screen in the livingroom. You should have seen it. These gigantic stereo speakers next to this itty bitty TV screen. :rofl:

[SoCalDem]

22. my favorite tv is still my 13" on my desk..paid less than 80 dollars for it

[annabanana]

13. Great reception.... STILL nothing on. . . . . . . .n/t

[Kolesar]

15. I want HDTV/DTV because public television has extra documentary channels

Brain food to fall asleep watching while I sip a beer.

[originalpckelly]

21. Yeah, you don't even have to buy a new TV.

We did it because we needed to, we only had a 20 inch in the living room. The converter box will probably help a normal TV get better OTA reception. I can see why they are doing it, but they should have built some error correction in so that you could lose more signal.

[man4allcats]

23. I am running my two analog sets with DTV converter boxes.

I live in the city and use rabbit ear antennas. The local stations have run several brief all digital broadcasts so people can gauge the readiness of their sets. Mine looked fine. I do like the multichannel decimal system. In Houston, Channel 2 (2.1 in digital) is the NBC affiliate. Station 2.2 is s freebie movie channel called "this" network. It's pretty cool. The movies are often older (70s and 80s stuff), but heck! It's free! I like it!