HD TV Ready ?

[KT66]

Here in the UK high street outlets are selling high definition (HD) ready 16:9 TV receivers. Trouble is HD transmissions will only begin in a year or so maybe more. I know of no other software or players like DVDs that will provide that resolution.

What is the situ in the US? What's in the pipeline as regards HD DVD/player availability as they are currently only standard resolution?

Note: here we have the 'better' PAL system which is inherently better definition than NTSC.

NTSC = Never Twice Same Color

[Zen Traveler]

Greetings from the Texas.

There are no HD DVD players or source material available on disks. There are "filmed in High Definition," disks but it is still only processed in 480i on DVD's. We are getting more and more High Def programing over the air.

The advantage of having an HD ready TV is that our DVD players upconvert 480i dvd material to 480p using progressive scan technology. On larger TV's this really is a plus. We also have DVD players that upconvert to 1080i/720p mostly through DVI and HDMI connections, but the quality isn't as dramatic as the 480i to 480p conversion, IMO.

[picky]

I'm in Michigan near Detroit and using Comcast HD cable the last 2 years. We are enjoying access to about 14 HD stations at this time and the list grows every so often.

We receive the local, main networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc), plus the HBO's, Showtimes, Discovery HD, ESPNHD (Sports), INHD1, INHD2 (both in 1080i) and two PBS HD channels. There are others not listed here.

I also own a JVC D-VHS Hi-Def video recorder that I play pre-recorded movies (720p) on. They look and sound state-of-the-art (6.1) and much better than DVD-based movies. But, with the inevitable dawning of Blu-Ray laser and DVD-HD, I suspect that D-VHS will die the same painful death that VHS & Beta experienced.

I watch on a 78" (diagonal) Stewart Screen with a front projection setup using a ceiling mounted, Sharpvision Z9000U DLP projector.

[JJkizak]

HD TV ready means you will need an HD tuner for over the air, a different one for cable, and a different one for satellite. Nice HUH? You also want the biggest antenna around if you use over the air as if the signal is weak the in/out stuff will drive you nuts. Most stations here are switching to HD and usually have 2 or 3 digital channels to boot. The sound and picture are also delayed about 1/2 to 1 second for the HD stuff and they get it confused sometimes. (low budget). They all seem to like different aspect ratios and sometimes send you short fat people, etc. The new tuners have 18 different zoom aspect ratios to use. It is absolute aspect chaos at this time becuase when people buy a $3k HDTV 16 x 9 they don't want to look at a 4 x 3 picture because they bought the set to look at a 16 x 9 picture. So they look at short fat people and say to you "isn't that a great picture?"

JJK

[Malcolm]

I have access to about 18 digital over-the-air channels/subchannels. Some of the programming is high definition (HD), some is standard definition (SD). Even SD is better than NTSC. SD is intended to provide approximately the same quality as NTSC. But in reality, it is just about always better because there is no possibility of ghosts, impulse noise, snow, etc.

DTV channel election is proceeding. Currently, the major stations broadcast in both analog and digital format on different channels. Sometime in the next few years, all stations are going to turn off their analog transmitters. They may move their digital broadcasting to the old analog channel with certain limitations. A few broadcasters have already made the transition.

All large screen, and half of medium-size screen TVs sold by each manufacturer must now have DTV receivers built in, not just be HD-ready. By July 2007, all sets over 13" screen size must have them.

I don't have cable or satellite, but there is a lot of HD content available on both.

HD DVRs are starting to come available. Satellite provider DirecTV offers one.

HD DVD is not here yet, but close. Manufacturers and studios are still arguing about the format, Blu-Ray v. HD-DVD. I am sure they would like to release products in time to catch the 2005 Christmas buying season. But if not, 2006 looks like a sure thing, whether in one format or two. Remember the VHS v. Betamax war?

[KT66]

Thanks for the enthusiastic & informative replies !

Last I heard is that Sky will start satelite/cable transmissions next year in UK. I currently use DT transmissions (digital terrestrial signals over air) with a set-top box and my old trusted Sony PAL TV. DT will not move to HD for a few years yet I'm told. Still, pic quality is quite impressive as it is.