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  1. topic says it all. I don't plan on paying extra to get HD channels but i know within a year or two there will be HD camcorders DVD's etc that i might be able to afford that's really the only reaison i would buy one now but they are so $$$
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    theres a samsung 27inch HD'ready' costs 400$ at circuit city,
    but people say it has under-par sound...
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  3. Member edDV's Avatar
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    The longer you wait the better and cheaper they get. Figure -25%/yr for awhile.

    Put your address in here to see what you can receive now.
    http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
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  4. Originally Posted by edDV
    The longer you wait the better and cheaper they get. Figure -25%/yr for awhile.

    Put your address in here to see what you can receive now.
    http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
    Going by that i can get 1 station! (ABC) I have a dish with dish nework they have a few HD stations. Don't think i'd ever pay extra for them though.

    SHIET
    s this TV your talking about?
    http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/120396/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs
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  5. Member Epicurus8a's Avatar
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    If I felt the need to buy a new TV, I'd buy a DLP HDTV model. After all the HDTV switch over will be here before you know it.

    I just bought a 17" LCD widescreen monitor for my computer. (Envision @ costco.com). It works very well, BTW. Then I bought a Samsung HDTV Receiver to pick up over the air broadcasts. My DVD recorder records and plays back widescreen programs without a single problem (SD quality, though. But it still looks great!)
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    David, you dont say what your budget is.

    You can save $200 or $300 by getting a monitor w/o a tuner, if you don't plan on over the air reception.

    Right now any flat panel is still a bit overpriced, but they're just about there. For me, I figure about 18 months more. I might be in the market myself (my 27in Sony is almost gone). If so, I'll either get another analogue to tide me over for a couple of years, or a cathode ray wide screen HDTV.

    Sony has a 30in widescreen for about $800 w/o tuner, or $1100 with. Tubes are cheaper, and their pics are still superior.

    Flat panels suffer from poor blacks, image lag, screen door effect, poor contrast, etc., depending on the technology. For the money, that is. IMO.

    They do seem to beat cathodes on text display though.
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  7. Member ntscuser's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by David9799
    topic says it all. I don't plan on paying extra to get HD channels but i know within a year or two there will be HD camcorders DVD's etc that i might be able to afford that's really the only reaison i would buy one now but they are so $$$
    If you plan on getting a HD monitor make damn sure it is HDMI-enabled or else it will be useless for playing HD-DVD.
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  8. How does the tuner work? I have dish network and to get stations from them in HD i need a HD reciver is that the same thing as a tuner or is a tuner to pick up HD only through the air? I'm guessing someday you wont have to pay extra to get HD channels.

    My budget is around $400 A TV should last how long 10 years 15 years? By then i'm sure everything will be HD and we would have HD DVD's etc. I have a TV that was made in 1975 and it still works.


    This site sats i need a Small Multidirectional Antenna where do i find one? I'd like to see how much they are.
    http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
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  9. Member ntscuser's Avatar
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    A satellite receiver can often receive terrestrial HD but a terrestrial tuner can't receive satellite signals. The latter would cost you $500 alone.

    Regardless of what it says on any website you need a local survey done to determine whether you can receive terrestrial HD signals using any kind of antenna.
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  10. I think there seems to be some delay in getting out hdtv. It doesn't seem very prevalent.

    U mite try a crt hdtv. Samsungs have QAM, NTSC, HDTV, ATSC tuners in them & that should take care of you for a long time.
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  11. Originally Posted by handyguy
    U mite try a crt hdtv. Samsungs have QAM, NTSC, HDTV, ATSC tuners in them & that should take care of you for a long time.
    I agree,a CRT is the cheapest HDTV right now but they still cost >$400.
    A CRT HDTV can handle interlace alot better than LCD can,which will be around for a few more years.
    Personally I would wait a year or two before buying an HDTV unless your current TV is broken.
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    I agree w/Moviegeek.

    You could go for a standard TV with the best pic for now (I like Sonys myself), or maybe you might be able to find a standard def monitor in widescreen (I'm not even sure they're made, except for LCD's).

    Or even an LCD, though for that price you probably would have to settle for 17 inches or maybe 19".
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    Just saw CompUSA has a 19" Viewsonic LCD for $400. They claim a refreash time of 3ms!
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  14. personally, myself......i'd do it this way, id buy a projector and a screen and call it a day may not be the cheapest of ways...but, can you argue with a ten foot tall picture? i think not....
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  15. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by David9799
    How does the tuner work? I have dish network and to get stations from them in HD i need a HD reciver is that the same thing as a tuner or is a tuner to pick up HD only through the air? I'm guessing someday you wont have to pay extra to get HD channels.
    You are saying you got the expensive HD set top tuner from Dish but you didn't subscribe to the HD service? Just curious why you did that?

    Go to their site and confirm the equipment you have as a starting point. Normal Dish equipment has no HD capability. HD requires expensive equipment and higher subscription rate for HD.

    Originally Posted by David9799
    My budget is around $400 A TV should last how long 10 years 15 years? By then i'm sure everything will be HD and we would have HD DVD's etc. I have a TV that was made in 1975 and it still works.
    Good News: TV sets are far cheaper in inflation adjusted money than 10yrs ago.

    Bad News: They don't last as long and may go obsolete quickly.

    On a 10 year horizon analog broadcast will be gone and all cable/DBS signals will connect to the TV over Y, Pb, Pr if you want any kind of quality. HDTV will require HDMI digital connection to the TV. If you want it to last 10 years, get a "HD Ready" TV with these inputs.

    If you want to just get by for 2 years, get a cheap conventional set (~ $250) and save the rest for a better TV in a couple of years.

    Originally Posted by David9799
    This site sats i need a Small Multidirectional Antenna where do i find one? I'd like to see how much they are.
    http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx
    What is the distance to the transmitter? They sell these in Walmart, Best Buy, Radio Shack etc. Ask neighbors what HD antenna is working for them.

    To get local HD channels you will need one of the following:

    1. HDTV with built-in DTV (digital tV) tuner. I don't think these exist for $400 now but will in about a year.

    2. External over the air tuner like this one.
    http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2598451

    3. A Dish type HDTV tuner that includes a OTA local DTV tuner.
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    I have DISH. Their basic HD package is $10/month. They also offer Zoom for an additional chg.
    I don't remember if they rent the tuner or sell it.

    I "think" I saw an HDTV with digital tuner advertized for around $550, but it was a no-name brand.

    Just remember, you CAN get an HDTV LCD or cathode for relatively cheap, but the pic will be CRAP. If you think you'll have $500 or so in the next 2-3 years, get a standard set now (assuming you need one). Then, in 2-3 years, get an HDTV.

    I need a set now, but haven't yet decided which way I'll go.
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  17. All you get for another $1000 is basically a sharper picture.....

    Some people say regular tv looks pretty sukky on LCD, is this true?
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  18. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by handyguy
    All you get for another $1000 is basically a sharper picture.....

    Some people say regular tv looks pretty sukky on LCD, is this true?
    Generally yes, because analog inputs need to be deinterlaced for a LCD. Also cheap LCD sets use computer LCD panels instead of those optimized for video.
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    Originally Posted by edDV
    Also cheap LCD sets use computer LCD panels instead of those optimized for video.
    Ah! I learnit something new today! Makes sense.

    Ed, I always trust your opinions.
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  20. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by leebo
    Originally Posted by edDV
    Also cheap LCD sets use computer LCD panels instead of those optimized for video.
    Ah! I learnit something new today! Makes sense.

    Ed, I always trust your opinions.
    Also remember that most HDTV available on air and from cable is 1080i. That too needs to be deinterlaced for a LCD.

    Hardware deinterlacers are getting better at the entry level, but still need improvement.
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