I recently bought an Emerson 32" LCD HDTV. I must say I am very disappointed in the picture quality and knew this would happen when I bought it. But it only cost me $400 (cheap for a HDTV) and had to get something as both my analog TVs quit near the same time. I have been checking HDTVs for quite a while and notice that most have a problem with motion blurring and blurring for small objects, at least for the analog signal and motion blurring for sure even with the HDTV signal. That is unless you get a top of the line model or Plasma type as the refresh rate of the screen is higher in those. Along with the number of pixels (resolution) and superior contrast. But you can't get those superior features unless you get at least a 40" in size and those are just too big for me.
I hope in the future this may change and I've heard of LED TVs. Haven't seen one yet though and they may cost even more.
I don't even see why we must change to this format anyway. My bro has two 50" LCD HDTVs with great features and even with the HDTV signal from cable I don't see much improvement from my old 32" Toshiba. The analog signal showed people and real life just as good as the HDTV one. I guess for video games and sound they are better and I do like the screen shape as DVD movies can now be shown in wide screen but this upgrade is just not that great a one to me IMO. Especially the video quality part.
This change was forced on us by THE MAN and the main reason is to generate sales for TVs which had really declined in recent years. America used to be the land of choices and government by the people FOR the people but I never saw any time we voters got a say in this. THE MAN just decided it was best for us and made us have it. It will be interesting to see if there is a large outcry when they finally cut off the analog signal as there are still many reception problems with the HDTV signal. That's why they have pushed back the date of this many times now. And why can't we have the choice of signal anyway? Isn't having many choices why it is so good to live in America? I guess not as much anymore.
The problem with HD is the compression of signal and the uncompression afterwards. The first thing to check when buying a new TV is to turn it to a solid black screen and look for pixelization. A TV with a solid black picture is best.
Also many DVDs use poor compression as well. The old LaserDiscs had great quality and the new BluRay are equal to this resolution.
I suggest you get a high quality DVD or BluRay. Watch a scene that takes place in the dark and see what you get.
Oh and here in Chicago you can put up an Antenna and get the same channels that you could with the old system.
Hope this helps.
Sorry, Keyif, but your suggestions don't really help. Most would just cost more money which is the point I am making. We in America must shell out billions and billions of dollars on new technology which is not really a leap forward like they would like you to think it is. BluRay is another scam and I hope we never have to go to that, DVDs work just fine for me.
You won't be able to put up an antenna to get the old channels for long. The cut off of the analog signal is due sometime soon unless they push back the date once again. And some places which are not flat or have lots of forests around won't get the new signal clear enough for it to work. The HDTV signal is an all or nothing thing, not like the old signal was. You won't get a bad pic if you don't get a good signal, you get nothing. And not everyone gets cable to watch their TVs, in the Houston area it's only around 50% that subscribe. Plus, last I checked, it is only a hundred or so channels that are HDTV capable for cable. Out of what 5 or 6 hundred? I've heard one big problem with the new tech is it takes a lot more bandwith to transmit it. I guess they have yet to solve that prolem. Seems to me they are rushing this out just to make a buck and not thinking it threw. And not giving us a choice either. But people are too busy now a days to really protest when things are going bad. One reason THE MAN is getting away with so much crap lately.
Well I do agree with you, partly at least.
DVD's are much lower in resolution than the Old LaserDiscs but the market forced them upon us. I still have a collection of LD's and compared on the same T.V, same movie the DVD's are horrible by comparison.
As people are change resistant it is common to feel the way you do. But you may be right about the FCC and the Man.
I like the switch as once the broadcasts have stopped it will allow wireless internet and other broadcasts to use that bandwidth (digital uses a completly different and can also be encrypted for protection) that the old system used. Beta lost to VHS, 8-track lost to Cassette, Cassette lost to CD's, which are losing to mp3. Change is a pain and some people do get lost by the wayside. I know my mother-in-law is resisting and I have had to order her system and make sure it is installed. Then I have to train her on how to use it.
Good luck with your rage against the machine.
Don't get me wrong, I love changing to new tech. When it is clearly superior to the old. Or at least more popular. The examples you gave were all brought about by the consumer wants using fair market conditions. The way a free market is supposed to work. This is not true with HDTV. It is being shoved down our throats. Kinda like each time Microsoft releases a new OS. The only way I can buy a new PC with Windows XP instead of Vista is I have to order it special. I can't get one retail now. Except for those new mini-notebooks which are mainly for hooking up to the Internet. I may get one of those.
I don't see how cutting off the old analog signal will free up more bandwidth. The new and old signals aren't compatible are they? It just seems like a cost cutting measure for broadcasters to me. As for cable TV they still keep the old analog signal anyway, at least for some years to come, so I can see that is a problem. Only so much can be transmitted thru coaxial. I think cable is now obsolete tech as satellite transmission and fiber optics phone lines are the way of the future. As for fiber optics they were supposed to be everywhere by now but THE MAN managed to screw us out of billions of dollars once again. So in fact, phone companies are still playing catch up to install fiber optics cables.
I know my rage against the machine won't do much good. I just like to vent once in a while.
One more thing, THE MAN better be pretty careful in the near future. Some of their latest scams have really hurt the World economy lately. If they screw us too much the whole system could collapse. Then a new MAN would take over from the ashes of the old one. But it would costs us all dearly.
We are always only one generation away from the dark ages.
Our moral values and technologies can all be for nought if the system were to collapse. By this I mean something catastrophic.
Check out this book
Good book to reference, Keyif. I read the introduction and the author seems very insightful. I applaud his efforts to bring about a revolution of our social sciences. Doubt it will happen in our lifetimes though as he also recognizes THE MAN's need to keep us as ignorant as possible so he can keep his power and wealth.
Is this the same man taking over GM and health care? I have found that here many people that sell computer repair sell rebuilt xps. Here cable is king mostly due to hidden fees by phone co. I havent watched to much on hdtv channels. Now that you brought it up I will take a look.
I believe that this new technology is just the beginning for The Man(Big Brother) to watch us while we are watching whatever we watch. Welcome to the end of privacy.
Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
Jun 11, 2009 4:16 pm
It may be a Father’s Day special, but Wal-Mart’s $128 special for a Magnavox Blu-ray player is another indication of the mainstreaming of the high-def disc format.
Wal-Mart’s Black Friday-style bargain for the Magnavox NB500MGX player begins June 14, and the deal runs through June 20. It’s part of a larger Father’s Day promotion that includes two-for-$20 Blu-ray movie bundles.
As of June 11, Wal-Mart’s Website wasn’t offering the Magnavox NB500MGX, so it’s unclear what the player will cost once the sale ends. Another Magnavox model, the NB530MGX, goes for $168. Ten of 17 user reviews on the Wal-Mart site gave the NB530MGX player four or five stars on a five-star scale.
Given the Magnavox model’s ultra-low price, it’s doubtful the NB500MGX will rival top-of-the-line Blu-ray players that sell for $100 to $300 more. That probably won’t matter to the Wal-Mart throng that’ll scoop up the players in a hurry. Let’s hope there are no fatalities this time.
As first-generation LCD and plasma panels get moved to the bedroom to make way for newer and larger HD sets, the market for cheaper, no-frills Blu-ray players will rise. Internet streaming, high-end audio decoders, and Ethernet connectivity won’t matter as much as whether the Blu-ray plays HD movies without any hiccups.
In fact, recent reports indicate a trend toward cheap Blu-ray players, and entry-level boxes may cost as little as $99 by this year’s holiday shopping season. Combine that with the fact that Hollywood is cutting the prices of many Blu-ray movies, and there’s a good chance that video-on-a-disc will survive the onslaught of video-on-demand services -- at least for a few more years.
Actually, I like the fact that cable companies and other providers can see what we watch. I think they have been doing it for some years now. Makes it much easier to make ratings and give us the shows we want.
When I had Direct TV they had a channel which showed how many were watching the top rated shows in real time. Thought it was real cool.
Now if they want to put a chip under our skin to track us that is another story and I would fight that.
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