hd.tv
- Thread starter billyo
- Start date
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That's part of the problem - they'll sell you an HDTV without explaining that in order to watch in high-def, you need a separate high-def source!
I'm a major geek, I have read countless articles on the different HDMI specs, codecs on BluRay, know my 1080p from my 576i and so forth. But I would expect that a typical consumer, unless explained otherwise, would assume high-definition TV = high-definition tuner = high-definition experience out-of-the-box.
If you feel you're being taken for a ride by the salesman, just drop in questions like "So, which codecs does the audio stage accept through bitstream? This is a 36-bit panel isn't it? Does that mean 12 bits per channel, or is there a gamma channel? What is the fundamental red on this thing? How many cascade levels does the transceiver support, only I've got a fully-stacked CAT-6 distro through the house and don't want to get sparklies.". All genuine questions with genuine answers, 99.9% guaranteed to flumux the most ardent hair-gelled box-shifter at any place that isn't staffed entirely by home-cinema geeks.
Personally, I'm sticking with my Sony Wega (CRT) until it conks out and/or I've got the funds to buy a great big HD panel. It's been going nearly 7 years now and replaced another Sony that we'd had for 14 years... so it could be a while till I get my HDTV!!!
K
kkynaston
I got Sky HD a couple of years back in an offer.
At the time it was £99 + £30 installation in comet. Although Sky never took the £99. Anyway, I am still paying the extra £10/month and think it is well worth it.
We have got nearly 30 HD channels and we do like the documenteries. The missus watches all the films so I think its great value.
Only issue is that she watches so much HD on her days off I have had to put a bigger hard drive in the box
At the time it was £99 + £30 installation in comet. Although Sky never took the £99. Anyway, I am still paying the extra £10/month and think it is well worth it.
We have got nearly 30 HD channels and we do like the documenteries. The missus watches all the films so I think its great value.
Only issue is that she watches so much HD on her days off I have had to put a bigger hard drive in the box
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I have had to put a bigger hard drive in the box
Wow! I was going to say "Tell me more" but it's easy to google.
K
kkynaston
blondini, check this out http://www.skycopyplus.co.uk/
Full instructions, you only have to use the software if you put in a disk bigger than 500gb or you want to copy your programmes over
Full instructions, you only have to use the software if you put in a disk bigger than 500gb or you want to copy your programmes over
Thanks for that. My HD box is out of warranty and I've already had to repair it myself so nothing to lose by having another fiddle.
As a general on topic comment,, HD is fab.
Then we got a 42 inch Plasma screen and the quality dropped a level, tbh. The MPEG compression artefacts are obvious at high speed and the quality in general is poor.
Now we have to pay extra for HD on our LCDs, which is what, in my opinion, we all had on our CRTs 5 years ago!
If you're using a scart composite feed it'll look pants. Try using RGB/Component or s-vhs inputs. my 50" panasonics connected using HDMI's and components and does a fantastic job. Plasma is naturally more flattering to SD sources but the connections will strangle it on a panel that size.
Yeah, for all the fanfare about movies/sport in HD the one thing that really wows me is the docs. Movies and sport are great but you get engrossed and the picture, although lovely is just a detail, but with docs in HD you're continually impressed with the picture itself.
usefull bit on info there..
I get some awefull tearing wher there are verticle stripes on the screen and something moves in front of them ( such as the walls of sickbay on ST-Voyager, or corugated walls on things like Bones or CSI and such.. )
thought it was just my crappy standard Sky box.. but it's connected via scart, so I'll give composite a try and see if it makes a difference..
I get some awefull tearing wher there are verticle stripes on the screen and something moves in front of them ( such as the walls of sickbay on ST-Voyager, or corugated walls on things like Bones or CSI and such.. )
thought it was just my crappy standard Sky box.. but it's connected via scart, so I'll give composite a try and see if it makes a difference..
Composite is the bog standard scart feed. Sky box should have RGB, so long as your telly does too try that.
yeah sorry, I meant component, not composite...
which is best to use if I have it ( obviously the scart box doesn't have HDMI.. )
I'm thinking of upgrading to Sky HD anyway, but that means having a phone re-connected and paying £11 a month for something I'll never use.. ( havent had a landline for 2 years since i moved in, BT box already in and dial tone if I plug a phone in but won't let me dial )
which is best to use if I have it ( obviously the scart box doesn't have HDMI.. )
I'm thinking of upgrading to Sky HD anyway, but that means having a phone re-connected and paying £11 a month for something I'll never use.. ( havent had a landline for 2 years since i moved in, BT box already in and dial tone if I plug a phone in but won't let me dial )
Doubt sky box will have component, should have RGB but some cheap tellies don't. nowt between them really, just that europe went RGB and US/japs went component, component sort of took over cos US has a massive home cinema market that filtered down making RGB the ugly duckling.
As for sky HD give them a ring a tell them you don't have/don't want a phone line so what can they do, used to be that the list price was a discount price provided you had it online but you could chose not to and pay a bit more. Haggle with them.
As for sky HD give them a ring a tell them you don't have/don't want a phone line so what can they do, used to be that the list price was a discount price provided you had it online but you could chose not to and pay a bit more. Haggle with them.
hmm.. 49 quid for the hd box ( regular sky+ is 99 quid by the way.. ? )
without a phone line it's like 300... so i've contacted BT and ordered a phone line.. will cost nothing to install cos I already have the wires in and a dial tone.. 10.52 a month so about 175 all in.. and a phone line as well..
without a phone line it's like 300... so i've contacted BT and ordered a phone line.. will cost nothing to install cos I already have the wires in and a dial tone.. 10.52 a month so about 175 all in.. and a phone line as well..
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kkynaston
You don't need a phoneline for a single box install.
You can pay a £25 one off charge to sky to have an install without a phoneline.
A phone line is only required when you have multiroom.
You can pay a £25 one off charge to sky to have an install without a phoneline.
A phone line is only required when you have multiroom.
E
EddieM
got freesat HD, its fine can't really say that it blows me away compared to non HD TV I certainly wouldn't pay £10 a month for it though.
Bear in mind that going over 37" panel size is directly proportional to your chav index.
A 60" TV impresses no one.
Bear in mind that going over 37" panel size is directly proportional to your chav index.
A 60" TV impresses no one.
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