HDTV-ready or integrated???

[duranh]

I'm in the market for a 65" HDTV. I'm sort of leaning towards the Mitsubishi, but I'm not sure if I should get HDTV-ready or integrated. I have basic cable, not digital or DTV. I want a tv that I will not have to buy more crap for in the next couple of years to get extra features, so can anyone recommend anything?

Also, is there extra things I need to buy upfront? A guy at Circuit City told me that if I bought the HDTV integrated set, then I would pick up certain channels that are broadcast in HD, about 5 or 6 stations. But all my other channels that aren't broadcast in HD would look like crap! He said I should get the HDTV-ready set, switch from cable to DTV and buy the DTV digital receiver ($799!!!).

??????

I just want a big-ass tv with great picture quality for a long time to come...
So can anybody give me some ideas?

[Devanshu]

I just want a big-ass tv with great picture quality for a long time to come

My parents bought a 51 inch sony projection TV three years ago and it still works like a charm. Those kind of tv's are a lot cheaper these days....I dont have a HDTV so I cant help you there. Good luck.

[Marco33]

I have a 43" HDTV. It's also widescreen. I would get the HD ready. You never know what type of box you will need. If you buy an HDTV with the RCA box for DirecTV for instance, but down the road you may decide to get cable, you would then have wasted that money.

YES, regular (non HDTV) content will look very poor. Sort of a washed out blury feel to it, like when you resize a 500X500 JPG to 1000X1000.

Bigger is not always better. Really look into the room the TV will go into. I furst puchased a 47" but when I got it home... woah nelly! It was way too big.

Funny note: Even though I am not set up to recieve HDTV, HDTV broadcasts are better looking on my set than a regular broadcast.

I've seen an HDTV with HDTV cable at a customers house. WOW, better than DVD.

oh, DVD's look great.

Once this whole HDTV thing goes main stream (and it will) the equipment prices will drop.

Check these sites:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=adbd8bdaa0a5ebe4ccfb7f211698814c&forumid=6

http://www.network54.com/Forum/213962

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/

[galactica]

You want to go with HD Ready, not integreated. The reason is....
HD has technology which is changing rapidly. you buy your tv with integrated HD reciever, and sure its high tech now, but in a year or so when they upgrade HD you're old school, and you have to get a new TV!

If you want a nice tv, get a HD ready one. That way your HD reviever is external and you are rentin it from the Cable company and you will always have the top technology HD reciever. Thus if it changes, you will either be given a new box by the cable co., or you will get a notice saying upgrade your HD reciever.

[The village idiot]

And then you can get an HDTV PCI card for a computer. Then you have an HDTV PVR. Now I just wish I could receive something. Damn hill is shadowing me All that money for a card I can not use (the machine I put it in doesn't have enough horsepower to record the analog stuff, too many dropped frames).

[Craig Tucker]

I bought my 36" widescreen CRT 3 years ago, I now want a bigger plasma screen.