HD-DVD, DirecTV HD, or Cable?

Question

I've recently upgraded from my 27" CRT with rabbit ears to a 50" 1080p DLP. But considering that I've just sunk a good chunk of money into this leviathan, where can I get the best HD entertainment bang for my (remaining) buck--DirecTV HD, Time Warner Cable's HD programming, or an HD-DVD player (Blu-Ray's out because the player costs twice as much...and HD-DVD seems to have more of the titles I'd enjoy)? I'd also figure in the factor that I've got a large DVD collection--would an HD-DVD player's upconversion really improve my experience?

re: coco2591 - actually, both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are "backwards compatible" to DVD, and upconvert the DVD to improve its image somewhat on an HD screen. Blu-Ray just does it for $500 more. :)

Answer 1

I guess the best bang for the buck would be the most HD content for the least price. If this is the case, then try looking into Dish Network. They have most of the normal HD channels that all the others provide plus the old VOOM HD channels (for a total of 29 channels in all). Check it out http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/dishhd/programming/index.shtml

Answer 2

Best bang for the buck is really a subjective term. It depends on how you define "bang". Most content? Dish Network currently has the most channels as far as the service providers are concerned. Direct TV gets a lot of flak for having poor HD offerings, and cable companies vary wildly. Comcast has a fair offering, somewhere around 20 or so channels (I think Dish offers up to 40, depending on your local area), but I am unsure of Time Warner. Best bet would be to surf the TW website to get an idea of what their HD lineup is like.

As far as HD-DVD, there aren't alot of titles available. A search on Amazon returns around 135 discs, currently. Of course the catalog grows on a weekly basis, but not too quickly. My personal opinion would be to wait until the format war progresses before jumping on the bandwagon, as you might find yourself with an obsolete piece of equipment and a library.

Your question about upconversion is also a bit subjective. IMO, upconversion is just "ok". I've not seen an upconverting system that genuinely improves picture quality. Remember, upconversion is nothing new. There are alot of players out there that will upconvert DVD to a HD resolution like 720p, but aren't HD-DVD players.

Answer 3

I have Direct tv HD. I also use an over the air antenna for additional signals.

The upconversion will help a little, but the Blu-Ray player does it as well. I'd reconsider the HDDVD only idea. Wait and see who wins the format war. My money is on Blu-Ray.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

I have a HDTV monitor. Because it is only a monitor I would need an external HD tuner to use either DISH or DirecTV and their HD service so I have been with cable ever since I purchased it. If you do decide to go with satellite, make sure to ask the company how you will get your "local" stations in HD, with my location it was over the air, hence the need for an external tuner. As for the HD-DVD or BluRay and the upconverting, I can’t answer that because I don’t have either one of those. (I’m still holding out hope that the PS3 is going to be able to play the BluRay DVD movies and that would make it easier to explain to the wife why we must buy it when it comes out.)

Answer 5

I guess the thing you have to ask yourself is , is there enough programming or shows on HD TV to justifying you going satellite or cable? If there is then go for it if not I would put off for a while until there is something that you would like in HD.
Second if not HD-TV then HD-DVD would be the way to go, but you got to remember that Blue ray is backwards compatible , meaning you could play your old DVDs , with the other system you cannot. So the choice is yours.

Answer 6

the upconversion is not all that great. but your regular dvd's should look great anyway on the hdtv. as far as cable vs. sattellite it really comes down to what you like. satellite offers more upgrade packages for movie and sports, but i've found cable to have better selection of channels i'd actually watch. just do some comparison shopping and see which package offers you the most. which one minimizes the fluff channels you'll never watch (like shopping channels, public access, etc.).

Answer 7

If you are referring to picture quality, the current ranking is:

BEST

HD DVD

then

BROADCAST at full bitrate on a single HD channel (no simultaneous sub-channels)

CABLE

Blu Ray DVD

SATELLITE HD Channels (HDNet, Discovery HD)

SATELLITE commercial broadcast.

NOTE there are individual exceptions based on the treatment of the material by the provider. Also, sometimes overriding all of these is the production quality of the program; this varies greatly in broadcast TV and DVDs