kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY | reply to AudlgY
Re: 'Does HD Matter Yet?'
? VOOM HD is a seaparate package... |
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Stryker762
@63.241.x.x | reply to kamm
I don't know about you, But I am offered 23 HD channels through my cable provider Wide Open West (Michigan Detroit Area) |
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blah8492
@rr.com | reply to robscullion
I'm pretty sure the US has set a-semiofficial switch date of 2009-10 if i remember right, that could've been a rumor though |
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AudlgY
@rogers.com
| reply to BF69
i should hope by 2021 atenna frequencies are HD, the cable companies will be forced, not by any government regualtions but by the demand of HD. Comapnies are already advertising and competing with each otehr (at least in Canada) about how many HD stations they have. |
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AudlgY
@rogers.com
| reply to kamm
Now add all the Dish premium HD channels to your list (HBOHD, DiscoveryHD, ShowtimeHD, TNTHD, ESPN2HD etc) then add another 15 HD channels of VOOM - that's what I'm receiving from Dish and I pay around $90 per month. actually, you cant just add 15 channels, in Canada on Rogers ive got at least 3-4 more channels then bell expressvu or starchoice (2 major ones up here) and i still pay less than them. |
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kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
 ·T-Mobile US
4 edits | reply to Toadman
said by Toadman  :I disagree with this statement. My cable company Armstrong provides more HD channels than Dish Network or DirecTV, Now that's just plain wrong. FYI: VOOM HD package has 15 exclusive HD-only channels for Dish, apart from its usual premium and other HD lineup.
One thing is clear ever since Dish bought Voom: nobody has more HD than Dish. I hate Dish, arrogant @ssholes but this is the only reason I have Dish.
and correct me if I am wrong, but DirecTV is the only one that offers local HD channels via sat. (not terrestrial antenna) and only for like 2 markets.
You're wrong, Dish also have local HD channels but it doesn't really matter: majority of those HD locals are still nothing but uprezzed SD programming, let alone the fact that DirecTV's HD PQ is *far the worst* on the whole market.
Remember their notorious 10Mbit MPEG2 HD channels as real HD? Ridiculous.
I get my HD locals plus national feed PBS, ESPN HD, Wealth TV HD, My local sports channel (2) in HD, and Universal HD for Free. All I pay for is HD Net and HD Movies and that is 3 dollars.
Now add all the Dish premium HD channels to your list (HBOHD, DiscoveryHD, ShowtimeHD, TNTHD, ESPN2HD etc) then add another 15 HD channels of VOOM - that's what I'm receiving from Dish and I pay around $90 per month. 
The rental fee for the HD PVR receiver is $6 a month and Dish Network and DirecTV are nutz if they think I am going to pay 400 for their receiver and then pay them 5 dollars a month for the privilege to use my receiver and 10 a month for the HD channels.
I fully agree, they are arrogant @ssholes, I'm always looking for the chance to dump them. I own my equipment, so I'm constantly thinking about keeping my Voom HD only for some $10-15 per mo only and order cable.... |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to y2flyy
trouble with 1080p is that there isnt the bandwidth for it on the distrobution systems for TV.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| reply to PaulHikeS2
Don't you find it amazing that an industry veteran with 32 years of experience doesn't recognize the deadline is digital, not HD.
In my opinion, there is a lot of confusion around what HD is (720i or p vs 1080i or p).and as long as that confusion exists, content providers can snow the general public. I recall when my local cable provider was only "half" digital. The satellite providers bashed this and said they were "pure digital" even though their local feeds originated in analog just like the cable companies. Now my local cable company is all digital and even sources their digital local channels from the broadcaster's digital feed. Gone are the satellite company's claims of pure digital.
Even now, FOX and ABC use 720p and PBS, NBC and CBS use 1080i. One would think that 1080i would be better but even I'm confused since 1080i is interlaced and 720p is not. The 720 might actually have a more flicker free picture than 1080i.
I think along with the digital conversion, the FCC should step in and define a single HD standard and force content providers to adhere to 1080p -- currently the best resolution. Even if the program's content doesn't fill 1080p's resolution potential, it should be black boxed. With this type of parity, the "we're pure digital" snow jobs will be gone and TV manufacturers won't have the wiggle room to produce a low end "HD ready" set that is really a piece of crap if the public understood it was only capable of 480p. |
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hdtvtechno
join:2005-09-04
Chicago, IL
| reply to SkullBot
said by SkullBot : I calibrated my TV so it looks really good however I would not recommend it to anyone that is on the fence right now. I mainly got mine for games, DVDs, and to replace a 20 year old broken TV. Want to spend a little more, and get a great investment out of that HDTV ?...
Buy an Clean Power Device from »www.richardgrayspowercompany.com
it takes all that juice from that power transformer thats on the pole in your neighborhood and brings it all to you power outlet,
if you call up the company, they would better explain it to you, and offer advice
and if you want to take it futher, upgrade your power cables in the house and run dedicated A.C. circuits runs from the power outlet (where the HDTV is) to the power breaker box
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Andrew's Myspace Profile |
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RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA | reply to y2flyy
I bet a lot are like us, we don't even have an HD TV, though we are planning to sometime in the near future. |
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Toadman
How do you like these Apples
join:2001-11-28
Medina, OH
| reply to kamm
I disagree with this statement. My cable company Armstrong provides more HD channels than Dish Network or DirecTV, and correct me if I am wrong, but DirecTV is the only one that offers local HD channels via sat. (not terrestrial antenna) and only for like 2 markets. I get my HD locals plus national feed PBS, ESPN HD, Wealth TV HD, My local sports channel (2) in HD, and Universal HD for Free. All I pay for is HD Net and HD Movies and that is 3 dollars. The rental fee for the HD PVR receiver is $6 a month and Dish Network and DirecTV are nutz if they think I am going to pay 400 for their receiver and then pay them 5 dollars a month for the privilege to use my receiver and 10 a month for the HD channels. |
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raybrett
join:2001-02-20
Saint Louis, MO | reply to TKJunkMail
It may look better, but it isn't worth it to me. |
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kamm
join:2001-02-14
Brooklyn, NY
·T-Mobile US
| reply to TKJunkMail
said by TKJunkMail :said by N3OGH :I have a high def DV and a high def box from Comcast. Pretty much only thing I watch in HD is sporting events. The Nascar races in HD are awesome... I agree with you. Sports in HD is just like night and day. They look way better in HD format. And now, almost all prime time series are in HD too. Not as obvious an advantage by having HD when comparing to sports, but it is still better than SD. The point is that cable lacks the content Dish has in HD. Of course you can't watch anything else but sports... |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| reply to y2flyy
HDTV needs to be easier to use imo, the typical home user doesnt know what component video is or even how to switch their TV set off of the standard CATV input. whats needed is elimination of the cable box even for digital, making a standard across all CATV systems and then having TVs do it with a card from the cable co while retaining the program guide one gets with the box.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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PaulHikeS2
join:2003-03-06
Merrimack, NH
 ·Comcast
| reply to vatorman
The FCC deadline is for the switch from analog to digital, not a switch to HD. Digital comes in other forms, such as multicasting: it's not just HD.
None of this, however, affects the cable companies. The FCC deadline is only for broadcast television. Cable companies can continue to send an analog signal as long as feasible for them to do so, because CATV is a closed system.
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Jay: What the @#$% is the internet??? |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to Slacker44
said by Slacker44 :I certainly can't speak for the nation as a whole, but everyone I know here in Phoenix thinks HD definately matters. Personally, I rarely watch channels that aren't HD. FoodTV and the Travel Channel are going HD soon and I hope Cox picks those up here. Once those channels go HD, I'll have zero need for non-HD channels at all. As for Satellite HD, lets see what the "analyst" says after DirecTV puts up their new system with a boatload of HD channels. I wonder which four cox phoenix dropped. their ads used to say 20 hd channels now its only 16. and some of those are PPV so those really don't count.
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You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
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vatorman
@verizon.net
| reply to robscullion
As a televison employee for over 32 years in network and local companies, I'm here to tell you... IT DOES MATTER and they will be forced to switch. There will be no regular tv as of the latest deadline by the FCC which is around 3 years time.
They will be forced to compete with the other services. And once people see HD pix they are convinced. It is obvious. |
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bond787
join:2002-06-25
Guy | reply to y2flyy
Well said man i agree |
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robscullion
Premium
join:2001-12-07
Philadelphia, PA
 ·Speakeasy
| reply to BF69
Actually, I expect we'll have moved away from the time-slotted, broadcast model of content distribution by then. There's a good chance we'll even be past the idea of a broadcast standard at that point and more into media encoding standards. That is if the current morphing of cable/telcos into data service providers continues to it's logical conclusion of IP based on-demand style programming.
I read the OP's remark to mean that the CCs would be forced to switch to HD by some non-market (IE FCC) force. I cannot tell you the number of times I've heard co-workers say they needed to get an HDTV before the FCC cutoff date. This is people who all have cable. There's a lot of confusion out there on the whole "HD"/FCC thing.
Anyway, I think they'll continue to supply SD content until it's no longer worth the cost. When the cost is higher than the return, they'll tell the 3 people that are left on SD that they need to get an HD box. To me, that's not exactly "being forced" but I admit it's a subjective term. |
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SNT
Premium
join:2002-07-17
Satellite Beach, FL | reply to SkullBot
I'm sorry man. I feel for you. |
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