I'm sure they will come out with the little TV's with the digital-guts required to decode the signal in the near future... But in the meantime it sucks! 
digital TV : you find it to be a farce ?
- Thread starter smokey1
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They make little USB doohickeys for HDTV reception on one's laptop but they're generally worse at reception, duh, what matters most. It takes significant computing horsepower to decode which is why we don't see many battery powered mini TVs.
Even set top boxes vary from one to another... I got a "good" one at circuit city worth they hype. They sell duds (magnavox) at walmart. Many assume if the magnavox doesn't work, they should either give up on TV or get cable.
Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: smokey1
our neck of the woods must be lagging then . It's cable through an H.D.T.V. and D.V.R. cable box hooked to a 32" L.C.D. tv with H.D.M.I. and component cable . We haven't had an NBC channel in H.D. for nearly six months now . Did get to watch the SUPERBOWL in H.D.. Then disappeared not long after . :- (
sounds like you wasted your money on an expensive HDMI cable.
Originally Posted By: tom slick
sounds like you wasted your money on an expensive HDMI cable.
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noticed that some the HD channels have a strecthed look to the picture due to their settings , especially on the sides . Kind of like using the WIDE mode of LCD tv during SD broadcast . Is a bit annoying . L.S.D. for L.C.D.. Far out man . :- )
Originally Posted By: smokey1
noticed that some the HD channels have a strecthed look to the picture due to their settings , especially on the sides . Kind of like using the WIDE mode of LCD tv during SD broadcast . Is a bit annoying . L.S.D. for L.C.D.. Far out man . :- )
Originally Posted By: XS650
Originally Posted By: smokey1
noticed that some the HD channels have a strecthed look to the picture due to their settings , especially on the sides . Kind of like using the WIDE mode of LCD tv during SD broadcast . Is a bit annoying . L.S.D. for L.C.D.. Far out man . :- )
Digital TV should have been here LONG LONG ago. The technology been easily availible since the mid-late 90's. Heck even today you can get an old bohemoth computer CRT from 1999 and it can throw out more resolution than a $5,000 1080 Plasma?LCD TV.
Right. That's what I am saying. When I see statements like "It's about time for digital," I scratch my head. Whether or not the previous poster was, I think a LOT of people ARE confused about this whole transition and think digital=HD.
When I grew up we had the only TV in the neighorhood. All the neighbors came over to see the new fangled thing. There were only three part time channels back then and color TV was not even a wet dream yet. A large rooftop antenna was required. Digital TV is the best thing ever as far as I'm concerned. We get ours via satellite.
Best thing since sliced bread, and for free.
A huge improvement in quantity and quality.
If you can't tell the difference between Component video signal (standard def image) and a HDMI signal (high def image), then you have a setting problem on your TV or an output problem from your provider.
I watch standard def images in "Full Screen" mode on my 42" LCD because I like the screen completely full. Yeah, the video image is stretched a bit to fill the screen but I'm willing to live with that.
When I watch a high def image, the screen is filled and image proportions are normal, not stretched. On some programming, there are black bars to the left and right of the picture to maintain proper aspect ratio of the image, but most of what is broadcast in high def looks perfectly proportioned.
Try this: Connect your cable directly from the wall to the TV, bypassing the cable box. Use your TV tuner to view HD channels. If your local TV stations are broadcasting in HD, you should get a HD picture, full screen, proper proportions and aspect ratio. You might have to go into Auto Programming mode and let the TV program all the available channels. I tried this and it worked great, but I still use my HDTV cable box with DVR.
Bret, I have noticed that my OTA HD picture is marginally better than the signal I get from Dish and a lot better than the signal that my neighbors get from our local dirtbag cable company.
What I like most about the OTA digital is that sometimes the digital sub-channels have programming that Cable or satellite doesn't carry. Unfortunately, the OTA digital station that has the best subchannels is moving to VHF tomorrow and we don't have a VHF antenna.
Originally Posted By: XS650
Bret, I have noticed that my OTA HD picture is marginally better than the signal I get from Dish and a lot better than the signal that my neighbors get from our local dirtbag cable company.
What I like most about the OTA digital is that sometimes the digital sub-channels have programming that Cable or satellite doesn't carry. Unfortunately, the OTA digital station that has the best subchannels is moving to VHF tomorrow and we don't have a VHF antenna.
From what I have seen. They can get one HD and one SD channel in the 6mHz bandwidth allocated each OTA channel. Or 4 SD channels.
we had satellite provider with our 32 " SONY tube tv and the picture / sound quality ( digital ) was much better than local cable provider ( except during snow / rain storm ) . The stretching we see is on BIO ( HD ) and TBS H.D. ( or is it TNT ) , anyways not the settings . Most likely the signal itself due to their gear settings being transmitted from those stations or others . Most others seem fine ( ex. HBO , CBS , FOX , etc. ) .It is what it is . ;- )
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Speaking of confused grandmas with the Digital transition:
YouTube Video (PG rated)
Jack Benny. LOL.
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