No Definition For Half Of HDTV Owners
from the i-have-a-bridge-to-sell-you dept
With HDTVs in 16 million homes by the end of the year, one would hope that the people putting these new sets into their homes have an understanding of the reason why they've just paid a premium over a normal television. Well, apparently confusion still abounds. HD programming still has a long way to go, so while it's not that surprising that 49% of HDTV owners don't utilize their HD functions, what is surprising (and a little scary) is that a quarter thought they were watching HDTV all along. Consumers clearly need to be educated more. If people are so easily duped, why are engineers working so hard to solve the world's problems? Just slap on a sticker that says what you want your product to do, head home and crack open that beer.
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Retail Monopoly
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Re: Retail Monopoly
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Rice TV's
I am succesfully using a HDTV sticker, and it has improved reception, on good days I get High Definition.
But the best improvement I made was this VTec - DOHC sticker I put on the side of the TV, an now I can change channels way faster.
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We just bought an HD set
Holy. Crap.
Discovery HD Theater is easily the coolest and best HD channel out there, and my point is this. The picture on this TV looks 10 times better than it did running the demo reel in the store. Any store. ALL stores. Even Best Buy and Circuit City, who you'd think could actually get the demo right.
What *I* don't understand is why are all these people buying HDTVs blind? Yeah it's worth it, if your cable company or satellite service support it, but you aren't getting a realistic demonstration of your TV's capabilities with what they show in the store.
So maybe that's why these folks think it's HD - 'Cause it looks as good as the store demo tape?
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Re: Retail Monopoly
I disagree. I think plenty of consumers are more than happy to pay $2500 just to have the priveledge of having a shiny new brushed aluminum bigscreen in the house. As long as it has an HDTV logo on it; actually watching true HDTV is an afterthought. Asking consumers to research pros/cons of various display technologies (LCD and black level problems, DLP and rainbow artifacts, plasma and burn-in) and educate themselves about the technical aspects (720P? 1080i?) of an item they're about to max a credit card on is just too much.
If you want to know the real answer, look at the real moneymakers in that market. It's not the HDTV set, it's the "Component Video Cable". Markups on these items go into $100+ on the branded cables at Best Buy that are electrically the same (75 Ohm, Gold Plated) as decent quality stereo cables at Radio Shack. Even at other stores you can expect to pay up to $40 more for the same item in a package labeled "Component Video Cable" rather than "AV Cable".
I have seen uninformed buyers get physically angry and argue that this cable is "completely different". Because this is what the guy at the store told them.
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Clean and Sober
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HDTV
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Exactly
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Re: Clean and Sober
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People tell me...
Last week I saw one in BJ's running a letter-box 4:3 DVD in 16:9. Sigh
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Re: Retail Monopoly
These component video cables you're speaking of have 3 video channels...Red, Green, and Blue chromas.
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Re: Rice TV's
That's the same as the guys who slap a Z71 sticker on their chevy and it suddenly has the same suspension as a Z71...
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you don't say.
funny thing is somehow my hd tuner picked up all those cool channels in HD from somewhere else and without the waste of space and box... for free.
too bad they were smart enough to figure that one out.
but its all worth it to have the hdmi on the home theater to connect it to. those cables arent cheap either.
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No Subject Given
"If people are so easily duped, why are engineers working so hard to solve the world's problems? Just slap on a sticker that says what you want your product to do, head home and crack open that beer."
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Cables
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Re: We just bought an HD set
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cables
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HDTV
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Re: you don't say.
A caution though: digital reception is on 100% or off 100%. If your antenna isn't looking at it directly you may not see it at all. When you do the signal is as clear as the computer screen you're reading this on (or better!).
A TV guy
Del
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Re: We just bought an HD set
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Re: Retail Monopoly
BTW, Walmart.com has 17' of Audio cable for under $8 and 6' of RCA brand HDTV component video cable for under $10. Shipping on those two items together come to just under $7. That's all the cable you need to locate your tv and cable/satellite box close together and hook into your stereo system that is across the room, and it comes to about $25
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People are stupid
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Re: HDTV
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Re: Retail Monopoly
I'm pretty sure a standard AV cable will work as a component cable as long as you get a high qulity one(doesn't have to be expensive, though). They're both 70 OHM. You just want to make sure it supports the higher bandwidth or else you might notice some picture degredation.
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Re: Retail Monopoly
Don't let the colors fool you...
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Re: Retail Monopoly
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Re: Retail Monopoly
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Re: radio shack cables vs. high markup
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Re: Retail Monopoly
The colors are just there to make it easier to hook up. Color coding. As long as you match up on both ends it should work. I agree, "Don't let the colors fool you..."
This is another area where a lot of people get very confused...Digital Audio.
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Re: We just bought an HD set
thats all they would be able to recieve(2009 cutoff date?). We got them a motorola Voom HD reciever for there Christmas present. We tested it and man it looks great on that tv.
Analog tv stretched out on that 36inch set looked fuzzy and hard to read any lettering on it. Cant wait to see there reaction on Christmas day. Were going to plug it in and not say a word. Just see if they notice.
I think the sad part is that stores still sale regular non HD ready sets! I mean who wants to pay all that money for a new tv if you can only use it for a couple of years and have to put it away? I know a normal tv with a HD reciever can bring in picture but its not HD and its not formatted to come in on a normal tv.
I agree there should be more information with the tv and around the tvs in the stores on what it takes to get HD. Were getting just the local HD stations and its great. I personally dont have a HD tv. I got this thing for my pc called MYHD and it lets me watch HD programming on my computer monitor(21in 1680x? pixels resolution).
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I thought...
Ok that was mean :)
But I really don't see much reason for this new TV system anyway, so their profit HAS to come from people just buying the hype?
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Re: We just bought an HD set
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Re: We just bought an HD set
I also have a HDTV 720p projector. There is no charge or additional fee to upgrade from a digital cable box to a HDTV digital cable box where I live. The box is leased so I don't have to pay $500 as one person wrote. I believe the 1st box is free and each additional 1 is $5 a month extra. I have 1 HD box and pay $5 extra a month to have it upgraded to a DVR. Best way to do it IMO. If it ever messes up, I just take it back to the TimeWarner office and they trade it out for free.
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Some Random Comments
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Re: Retail Monopoly
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7426421&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat719 00050025&id=1122655461074
and the comparable radio shack cables like these:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103634&cp=2032058.2032228.2032246&allCo unt=12&fbn=Brand%2FRadioShack&f=Brand%2F1000094%2F&fbc=1&parentPage=family
Radio shack cables work for me.
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Re: Retail Monopoly
I'm certainly not suggesting that you have to go out and buy a $100 Monster Cable Rip-Off. That's ridiculous.
Personally, I made my own component cables out of RG-6 coax and F-connectors. Now I'm SURE that my cables have more than enough bandwidth and shielding to carry the HD signals, it was cheaper than buying pre-made cable (and I have half a spool of RG-6 left over if I need it), and the cables are exactly the right length.
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No Subject Given
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I love stupid consumers
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Content worth watching, and paying premium $ for?
I don't watch broadcast TV, I turned off my cable for several reasons (mostly the fact that I turned into a zombie when it was on), but chieftest among them was that I couldn't stand some of the programming they threw in, and didn't want my daughter watching.
So, Discovery HD is cool and all, but how many hours of that a week can someone watch? Is anything out there from the media really worth $3K+ and $80+/month Cable/sat fees?
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No Subject Given
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Re: We just bought an HD set
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Re: Retail Monopoly
If you watch ESPN only like my roommates however, then you might not mind. Some of the games look great, but this novelty fades pretty quickly. Discover HD Theater? Looks good, but you might actually watch about one show per 3 month time period. InHD, InHD2? Crap. Some nice looking eye candy or the occasional interesting concert, but no one ever watches it for more than 10 minutes around here.
Local HD channels are nice, but yippee, it's primetime crap shows. My roommate bought a Philips 34" HDTV that doesn't do 720P, which has made it pretty crappy as the media center PC screen I hoped it would be. It is reduced to a crappy low resolution which produces readable fonts, but the screen has to pan around every time, a big pain.
Hold off on an HD set if your only motivation is HDTV. And remember, DVDs are NOT HD!
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Re: Content worth watching, and paying premium $ f
http://www.iavi.com/itemdesc.asp?CartId={0A958150-6989-4D68EVEREST-93EB-F121253C0782}&ic=plvz2
Define tly the best bang for the buck IMO.
If I didn't have high-speed internet my cable bill would be $40(digital package)+$5(DVR upgrade)+$7(HD package)+$12(Showtime and HBO)=$64. Now I got all that so I could get every HD channel they had. If you just get the basic digital package you get several HD channels included(Discovery, TNT, PBS, & networks) for $40, but I wanted more. So, if your getting cable anyway, you won't have to pay extra for HD content, you just need a compatible TV. I really like the HDNet and INHD channels(part of HD package). Lots of interesting programs and lots of awesome concerts and music footage. The Dolby Digital 5.1 really helps to create a "concert in my home feel".
I have more reason to justify my expenses also.
Don't forget about DVDs. I like to wait until a movie comes out on DVD instead of going to the theater, because I have a better experience at home now. Digital picture and sound, and the ability to drink a beer, or go to the bathroom when I want...pause button.
I like to play video-games, and the game-cube, PS2, and XBox look fantastic through component cables on my HD projector. What looks the best, though, is my PC which is hooked up via a digital connection(DVI) to my projector. I can set my PCs resolution to 1280x720 and I can sit back on the couch and surf the web or what have you. When I play PC games the experience has to be seen to be beleived. It makes the PS2 look like old-school nintendo.
When you blow-up an image this big you really need to have HD to enjoy it. When I watch regular cable channels on my projector they look grainy and fuzzy despite being scaled up to 720p by my cable box.
Something that may interest you concerning your daughter. With the digital cable box you can set up parental controls. Every tv show now has a rating, and you can control what ratings she can see. Of course there is still a lot of crap she'll be able to see, but it won't be sexual or violent.
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Re: Retail Monopoly
DVDs aren't HD, but they are progressive scan and look much better on a TV that can support it. HDTVs all support this, and I'm not sure if non-HDTVs do...EDTVs probably do. A lot of the newer LDTVs have component inputs but still don't support progressive scan.
It all comes down to what you want/like. Some people like ferrari's. Are they worth it...NO...but they are fun as hell. Conversely you can get a Civic; it'll get you around and has a bit of pep too.
Personaly, I'm a big fan of HD(I also like ferrari's, but have settled for an S2000), but I am also a big fan of bargains. I tend to do a lot of research to get a good product at a great price. I'm very technically savvy, so I can make it work. The average person isn't and if it isn't worth it to them, then don't buy it. Your old tv will work just fine, and if you need a new 1 then why not go buy a brand new 32" LDTV for $260. Regular broadcast will look great on it. When everything goes digital, assuming you have cable, you won't have a problem. The bunny ears won't work anymore without a converter.
As far as 1/2 of HD owners not even having the 720p/1080i selection turned on, it is awesome to go into 1 of their homes and watch their expression when you enable it. I think installers are partly at fault. Most of these TVs are professionaly installed and the installer is only skilled in the art of mounting the device. They have no clue on all the settings. Those DIYers who install their own probably take the time to read the instructions to figure out how everything works.
Most devices sold today have many functions most people aren't even aware of. I like to read the instructions and take full advantage of what I have. Others don't care. It's a matter of preference. Bottom-line: If you don't know how to put your tv into 720p/1080i then you probably should have saved your money.
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Re: Retail Monopoly
So here's my suggestion: Buy cables designed for component video that have a fairly good shield and connectors that conduct well. This doesn't mean you need to spend a hundred dollars. Pi Manufacturing (pimfg.com) has VERY economical cables. For their bottom of the line you get what you pay for, but they also have some $10 cables that are very nice - 93% braid + 100% foil shield, gold connectors, etc.
You will experience a much bigger difference between $5 audio cables and $10 component cables than you will between $10 and $100 component cables.
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Re: Retail Monopoly
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Re: Radio shack cables work for me
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Re: We just bought an HD set
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Re: HDTV
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Re: W graduated from Yale...
2) I can drive a car, ride a motorcycle, pilot a boat and bounce on a pogo stick, it dosen't make me any smarter. Physical coordination does not imply intellegence. In any case, do you really want to draw attention to his service record?
3) How does owning a baseball team (or anything else) make one smart? It's not even as if he managed it, he just signed the checks (well, rubber-stamped anyhow).
4) As for being the governor of Texas, I want to make a joke about "Two things that come from Texas...", but I won't. Seriously, though, a VERY wealthy, VERY politically-connected man assuming public office needn't be a brain surgeon. Actually, all he need is a pulse and a good smile. Not to mention you're talking about a man who has groomed since his youth, for the express purpose of holding office (much like John Kerry), you might even say it's a family tradition. You're not winning any arguments with that one either.
5) As for "Elected twice as president"; first I'll refer you to my previous comments. While I will conceded that he he was most likely legitimately awarded his office, unfortunately all that means is that he convinced his political associates in the electoral college to vote him in. And in truth, "W" didn't get into office on his own, it took a significant number of people (many of which held considerable political clout) and a significant number of dollars to get him there. That's not so much a comment on the man, but rather a sad commentary on the nature of our (the US) political system.
Point me to something else that actually demonstrates his intelligence, or better yet, let's go back to talking about HDTV. It was an off-hand comment, made in passing as a joke and didn't even refer to anyone specifically. The "idiot prsident" comment could have meant any one of 42 different men for all you know, you made this about "W". It's interesting that he's the first one you thought of as an "idiot" though... :)
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Re: Retail Monopoly
Ann
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