I can't decide weather to buy a HD ready TV or just keeping my normal non HD TV and buying a cable which turns it into HD. Do you guys know if you get the same quality from doing the cheap way? (buying the cable)
2007-10-29 07:51:25 · 8 answers · asked by James B 1 in Consumer Electronics ➔ TVs
A HD set top box is available for purchase which just connects to your regular TV (plasma or LCD), ask around at electronic and electrical stores...
They are available here in Australia for around $500, i'm not sure about the U.S or other countries.
I have one and it is exactly how they describe, i've never seen a better picture or heard better sound and some programs on TV have a 3D image (you can change camera angles).
2007-10-29 07:58:11 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are a few misconceptions here that need to be cleared out.
I think they stem from the fact that it is perfectly possible to make tea using a coffee machine - you just put tea into it instead of coffee. The quality might not be too great, but it's a matter of taste.
I am also reminded of the early days of colour (or color for our American readers) - the late 1960s in the UK. Some guys started advertising gadgets to put colour into the picture of a black and white TV. They were all rip-offs. Some where just tinted glass or plastic that you put in front of the TV, and hey presto, you have a picture in colour. The colours are not real, but the advertisements were very carefully worded.
I suspect that you may also be confusing digital TV and HD TV. They are not the same. HD TV is digital, but not all digital TV is HD.
Making a couple more guesses (the way your question is worded suggests you are probably in the US, price is an issue, etc) I think what you want to do is to receive the digital channels. In that case, you should wait until your government offers the digital poor-vouchers and buy a digital adapter box.
If you decide afterwards that you really would have preferred HDTV (you will be able to compare what you receive with what your neighbours have), you can go out and buy an HDTV and then relegate your existing TV to the kids room, den, mother-in-law or just bin it. Your outlay would have been zero (or only a few dollars if you decide to get a better adapter box than covered by the government handout vouchers) and the price of HDTVs will have come down a little.
2007-10-30 06:21:49 · answer #2 · answered by Sodem O 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(This answer assumes you are in the US)
I suggest that you wait until Jan 2008 and then buy a converter for about $20 (making use of a government coupon program). These boxes will tune in all the digital over the air channels, including "HD" ones and display them with about the same quality that a DVD player has.
Cable & satellite companies generally supply the converters/conversion for their customers.
A lot of people don't think this is good enough and that you must have a HDTV with 2 to 4 times higher picture resolution.
$20 is a drop in the bucket compaired to what a HDTV will set you back.
2007-10-29 20:52:59 · answer #3 · answered by Stephen P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your TV should be HD ready/compatible to view HD content. Your set-top box should output HD signals for your TV, but if you have regular TV you will not see the difference.
I recommend that you buy HD Digital TV (LCD, Plasma etc) if you plan to get one. Early next year all the US broadcasters are going to switch to digital signals due to take effect by Feb. 17, 2009. At that point, many older TVs using analog signals will not work.
Those who have cable or satellite service will not notice a big change, those who still use rabbit-ear or rooftop antennas to get television will not be able to watch TV after the transition, unless they get a converter box, subscribe to cable or satellite, or get a digital TV
2007-10-29 15:42:46 · answer #4 · answered by Totally Frugal 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need an HD TV if you want HD cable service. Buying the HD cable doesnt turn your regular TV into HD. The TV is what shows the picture definition, and a regular TV doesnt have the capability of showing HD. You need the HD TV and the HD Cable to have HD...not JUST the TV or JUST the cable...both.
2007-10-29 14:55:23 · answer #5 · answered by chevalrose 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No the only thing the adapter will do is down resolute the picture so it can be watched on the normal Tv. It will not produce an HD picture on it.
2007-10-29 14:56:49 · answer #6 · answered by Brad H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in the USA: Your regular, analog TV 480i(standard definition) will not display a digital 720p(high definition) picture.
In February 2009, all analog transmissions will be replaced with digital, at that time, you will need a converter box to downgrade the digital signal to analog.
So if you are wanting a HD picture, you will need a HDTV.
2007-10-29 15:39:20 · answer #7 · answered by greentadpole 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The cheap way doesn't work
2007-10-29 14:54:52 · answer #8 · answered by Marra's mommy 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋