random tv question - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

MonsieurFish · 07-24-2006, 07:43 PM

so i want to buy a new tv. first of all does anyone know any good sites or anything where i can find info? we want a 42'' widescreen. next, when tsn does hockey games and they're like "ITS IN HDTV", do you need a hdtv for it to work, or can you have a regular non hdtv and that one specific game will be in hdtv? sry if that was confusing, basically i need help choosing a new tv.

ken0042 · 07-24-2006, 08:31 PM

To be able to see a game in HD, you need an HDTV. Otherwise it really wouldn't be high definition if a standard definition TV could show it as well, right? Think of going from B&W to colour. If you have a B&W TV, and the show says it's being broadcast in colour, then it won't look any better on your B&W TV.

Having said that, I bought my HD box before buying the TV. Partly for Dolby Digital sound.

Now, saying you want a 42"TV is about as vague as saying you want a 4WD truck. What are you looking for? Is size of the unit important? What kind of budget are you looking at? What do you watch on TV?

Barnes · 07-24-2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

To be able to see a game in HD, you need an HDTV. Otherwise it really wouldn't be high definition if a standard definition TV could show it as well, right? Think of going from B&W to colour. If you have a B&W TV, and the show says it's being broadcast in colour, then it won't look any better on your B&W TV.

Think of having a colour channel and a black and white channel. If you have a black and white tv, you only can watch the b&w channel. If you have a colour tv, you can watch either.

ken0042 · 07-24-2006, 09:05 PM

That isn't really true, or even accurate in this case Barnes. You can watch a colour show on your B&W TV- but it will be in B&W. You can also watch an HD broadcast on a SD TV- however you will only see it in SD.

Vulcan · 07-24-2006, 10:27 PM

TSN has two channels. Their regular one and their HD one. You'll need a HD receiver in order to get their HD channel.
A good site to investigate is
http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/

I believe Ken is a moderator there. Go the digital forum.
Their has also been a couple of threads on our Off topic forum recently.

Prototype · 07-24-2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken0042

That isn't really true, or even accurate in this case Barnes. You can watch a colour show on your B&W TV- but it will be in B&W. You can also watch an HD broadcast on a SD TV- however you will only see it in SD.

My buddy who posts here had a HD box before he had an "HD TV". The HD signal picture was far superior than regular or digital cable. So, unless they've changed things in the last year or so, which they definatly could have, you can watch HD signals on a regular TV, but it's not as impressive as watching on a full blown HDTV...

Engine09 · 07-24-2006, 10:37 PM

Bad analogy with the B&W/Color TV.

Some kids on this board have never even seen a B&W TV.

fredr123 · 07-24-2006, 10:41 PM

My wife and I just bought an HDTV right before the playoffs started. We got an HD cable box from Shaw a few weeks before that and used our regular old TV in the meantime. We found the HD channels (because they were widescreen formatted) to be small and didn't fill the whole of our standard definition TV.

Insofar as what kind of TV to get, I got a lot of conflicting advice from a lot of different people all of whose opinions I respected. After a while you just come to the conclusion that whether you get a plasma, an LCD, a DLP or a projector it's a matter of personal taste and knowing what you'll use the TV for.

The wife and I got a 42" plasma from Costco, the Polaroid PLA-4240. There are practically no reviews on it on the internet but the picture looked good to us. The price was awesome too. It's been going almost four months now with no real complaints (other than some wonky control issues). You get what you pay for and we're happy with what we got.

Digitalhomecanada helped me a lot when I was searching. Good luck on your quest!

Barnes · 07-24-2006, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prottotype

My buddy who posts here had a HD box before he had an "HD TV". The HD signal picture was far superior than regular or digital cable. So, unless they've changed things in the last year or so, which they definatly could have, you can watch HD signals on a regular TV, but it's not as impressive as watching on a full blown HDTV...

If I switch to the 300's I can sometimes see commercials which are still shot in SD. So yeah, I guess my analogy sucks. Lets just say HD is way better.

Im still gonna wait for 1080p as a standard though.

Vulcan · 07-24-2006, 11:44 PM

There are three things you need to watch HDTV.
1. An HD source
This can be a. a satelitte receiver b. a cable box or c. an 'over the air' signal. For 'c' you need a Digital tuner and an antennae. Some TVs come with this tuner and my satellite receiver has one. Calgary should be nest in line after Ottawa to get a CBC digital station. d. a HD DVD or game box can be another source. e. your computer

2.HD cabling such as HDMI, DVI or Component between your TV and your receiver. If your TV has a HD tuner and an OTA source, you may not need this cabling

3. An HDTV

If any of these things are lacking, you won't have true HD.

I may have missed something, but you get the idea.

MonsieurFish · 07-25-2006, 01:42 AM

k thanks for the help guys. lets see what else i have questions about. i'm lookin at something like this... http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...th=32050n45260, and it sais that it has a "Built-In ATSC Tuner". so that would be the over the air signal you're talking about would it not? that's all i'd need to watch hdtv, as well as an HDTV (obviously). couple more quesiotns, if you have a regular tv and an hdtv both watching the same show, will the hdtv be in better quality than non hdtv or does having an hdtv only make a difference for shows in high definition? and third, do you get more channels if you have an hd signal receiver? thanks again

Vulcan · 07-25-2006, 04:10 AM

If you live in Calgary the ATSC tuner won't do you any good until Calgary gets it's own Digital TV stations. Hopefully this happens fairly soon but in the meantime you'll need a cable or satellite HD source. Even when these stations come on line you'll still need a box or receiver for TSN HD or other specialty channels.

In my experience it only make a difference in HD shows. In fact some HD TVs have a harder time giving a good picture when watching ordinary TV. The flaws in the poorer picture may show more. Sorry if this sounds confusing, I'd go looking at a lot of TVs and do some reading.
BE aware some of the TVs you look at have their brightness and contrast turned way up so they stand out [torch mode] or they don't have a good signal feed. Go to a few stores. If you're married take your wife with you so that you both like the picture.

ken0042 · 07-25-2006, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

i'm lookin at something like this... http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...th=32050n45260, and it sais that it has a "Built-In ATSC Tuner".

Vulcan is right, odds are having the built in tuner in Calgary will do you no good. Currently we have no HDTV broadcasts over the air (OTA). Then once we get them you would have to install an antena to be able to pick up OTA signals.

I would lean towards the non-built in tuner model of that TV: http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/ser...ductId=1002155

For the $600 savings you can afford to buy yourself the HD-PVR that your current cable/satellite provider offers. In fact I was looking at buying that exact same TV before I got the one I have now, and the only reason I didn't buy it was that I won my TV, so "free" won out over spending $2000.

MonsieurFish · 07-25-2006, 01:19 PM

thx for all the help so far guys, good to know that i'd be wasting 500$ on buying that build in tuner. sorry if im getting repetitive now but im a bit lost. if i get this hdtv with no built in tuner, i need something else to receive the hd signals. either a cable, sattelite, or a tuner/antennae? is that correct, if so could someone point me out to a tuner/antennae of decent quality, giving me access to all hd programs. thanks

Prototype · 07-25-2006, 01:24 PM

The States is supost to be 100% HD in the next 3-5 years... 10 for Canada, last I heard.

ken0042 · 07-25-2006, 01:54 PM

That is correct M. Fish. You would use the external box to pick up the HD signals, and then connect that box to the TV using the HDMI or Component Video input.

Prottotype- I believe you are thinking 100% digital. For any station to go 100% HD is a long way off.

Bobblehead · 07-25-2006, 02:07 PM

per Wikipedia:

Quote:

Analog NTSC transmissions will cease in the United States on February 17, 2009

link

Canada has no date listed. link

Prototype · 07-25-2006, 02:16 PM

Hmmm... could have swarn it was HD signal. I don't know why any station would want to spend money on digital when HD is where the market is shifting, but I could be wrong.

ken0042 · 07-25-2006, 02:20 PM

I think most of them are digital. I know Global Calgary is, but they downconvert to analog because nobody has OTA digital tuners. (Except geeks like me, but I don't use it.)

But I think the point in the States is to get stations to say "well, we may as well go HD if we are going to have to convert anyways." And then consumers will say "I may as well buy an HD TV if I have to get a digital one anyways......"

Vulcan · 07-25-2006, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonsieurFish

thx for all the help so far guys, good to know that i'd be wasting 500$ on buying that build in tuner. sorry if im getting repetitive now but im a bit lost. if i get this hdtv with no built in tuner, i need something else to receive the hd signals. either a cable, sattelite, or a tuner/antennae? is that correct, if so could someone point me out to a tuner/antennae of decent quality, giving me access to all hd programs. thanks

If you live in Calgary there is no point in getting a tuner/ antennae at the moment. If you live in Toronto there are 4 OTA HD stations plus they can pick up Buffalo with a good antennae. Vancouver has 2 OTA stations but the CTV one is so weak that not everybody can get it. A few lucky people can bring in Seattle but this is more for the serious hobbyist.

To get HDTV in Calgary you need an HDTV Cablebox or an HDTV satellite receiver.