HDTV coming to UK

[bugster]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds14675.html

Sky have today revealed plans to launch the HDTV format in the UK in 2006.

HDTV - short for 'high definition' TV - offers a substantially superior picture quality than the current SDTV (standard defintion) broadcasts, and is fast becoming the format of choice for TV shows in the US.

Sky's new premium HDTV service will go live sometime in 2006 with both a set of dedicated HD channels and access to selected events produced in the HD format. In addition to the package of channels to be offered by Sky, the network says that other digital satellite broadcasters will also be able to "take advantage of its HDTV capabilities to provide an enhanced experience to their viewers."

Speaking at an investor conference in London today, Sky CEO James Murdoch promised that further details on the proposed technology and channel offering would be announced "in due course."

Still a while to wait, but eventually we will be able to see what our American friends are going on about.

[flaninacupboard]

you can check out hdtv today if you like, there's plenty of places to buy a d-vhs player, or tripping back to the 90's buy a HD-LD player.

perhaps this is part of their plan with free boxes? once a lot of the market has plasma sets and a free box under it they'll be tempted to watch englands' football team get their ass whooped in HD

[bugster]

you can check out hdtv today if you like, there's plenty of places to buy a d-vhs player, or tripping back to the 90's buy a HD-LD player.

But very few HD capable TV's on sale here at the mo. Hopefully this will improve.

[flaninacupboard]

well, grab an LCD projector, decent plasma, DLP rear projection set etc and you're sorted.

Granted, it will be nice to see HDTV CRT sets, but i think flat screens and HDTV will go hand in hand as the rich folks plaything.

[ROBERT BLACK]

Those HDTV sets should hand in hand quite well with the UK tax on owning a television. In the meantime HDTVs are going for less than $1000 in NA. :P

[flaninacupboard]

hmm, if i purchase a plasma/projector with no TV tuner i wouldn't have to pay the licence fee. download shows people talk about, if they're any good get the DVD. over £100 a year saved!

[Cobra]

Why is it that LCD TVs are dead expensive compared to their PC counterparts? Surely they're the same thing, it's just that one has an integrated TV tuner. You can buy these cards (freeview digital cards) for a PC for £65 - £80.

I got to play with a projecter a while ago. Huge image on my bedroom wall! I played my PS2 on it, watched films, watched... Ahem. Anyway...

Cobra

[flaninacupboard]

not sure i've seen an LCDtv with DVB tuner yet, i'll have to check though. in a PC if you receive interlaced material your viewing software will deinterlace it (a trivial task for the machines we all use these days) but an LCD tv needs to do it in hardware, plus it needs to encode that signal into something the panel can display. and a tuner is electrically noisy, probably additional shielding is required inside the monitor.

Plus LCD TV's are "cool" so you pay a premium.

[RottenFoxBreath]

hmm, if i purchase a plasma/projector with no TV tuner i wouldn't have to pay the licence fee. download shows people talk about, if they're any good get the DVD. over £100 a year saved!

yeah,i thought about that too,the tv license is a joke here in the UK.
im not renewing mine next year,they can suck my plums for all i care.
they shafted me 2 weeks after i moved into my new house a few years ago,and took me to court.
when told i never owned a tv license,i said,"yes i do".
and whipped it from my pocket(it was the one for my previous address,we foned them up with a change of address)
still they fined me £50 for my cheek-still unpayed,3 1/2 years and counting.
over £110,for the privilage,"being in the position recieving any incoming broadcasts,and of owning a large rear projection tv,dvd player,video,pc,etc
sucks big time.

[flaninacupboard]

good for you!
I can understand having a publically funded TV service, but wouldn't it make more sense to just have it as part of our tax contributions and then give us control over it? i'd love to vote eastenders off the air

[RottenFoxBreath]

the thing that p*sses me off is that it cost me £1500 for my tv,more for the warranty,£1000s for a good component dvd player,video,consoles,pcs ,etc.
and they still feel the need to fleece me for that little bit more.
hell,it costs me over £50 a month for my cable and Broadband service.
surely some of that should go towards the license fee.
i remember the license fee,the excuse used was "to help the unique way the BBC is funded,they still play that too on tv sometimes,but on the license its only "if i own equipment over the size of 3",and capable of recieving "any" incoming signal.

[Gillies]

i'm suprised the UK doesnt have HD yet, thought u guys had it b4 us

[flaninacupboard]

we've got digital terrestial TV, and have had for a while now, which is broadcast in the range of 352x288 up to 720x576. we also have digital cable and digital satellite, but still all normal definition.