HDTV box

Apologise if wrong Group but can anyone explain why do we need yet
another box to watch TV. I assume TV's marked HDTV ready are
not really ready at all if you need a separate box. Also anyone explain
why all these box circuitries can't be incorporated inside the TV itself?

TIA for info.

Will

wrote in message
oups.com...
Will wrote:
Apologise if wrong Group but can anyone explain why do we need yet
another box to watch TV. I assume TV's marked HDTV ready are
not really ready at all if you need a separate box. Also anyone
explain
why all these box circuitries can't be incorporated inside the TV
itself?

Which "circuitry" would you like?

The one for HD digital satellite (Sky HD?) which isn't launching until
later this month and requires proprietary decryption technology?

The one for HD digital terrestrial which only start testing earlier
this week, and won't be a full service until after analogue switch off?

Or the one for HD digital cable which includes the proprietary (and
already out of date) telewest technology, or the currently non existent
(AFAIK) ntl or homechoice technology?

In other words, there isn't a standard to incorporate!

The TVs _are_ HD ready because when you buy an HD DVD player, HD STB,
or whatever, they have the right connections.

Unlike other TVs, not marked HD ready, which may be able to display
some of the HD resolutions, but do not have the necessary connections.

I agree it is confusing though. So many HD ready TVs with integrated
Freeview, none of which will be able to display Freeview HD (if it
happens) without the addition of a STB!

In this month's BBC Focus magazine it says Disney are getting into "Digital
3D" and "the first 3D televisions could arrive as early as 2008". That
should really put a spanner in the works!

Apparently the "3D ready" TV would be a "lenticular" flat screen (no glasses
required) or a DLP projector with polarising filters in the colour wheel
(requires glasses). How they would broadcast 3D isn't mentioned, but Disney
are already geared up for "Digital" 3D cinema, so I guess an official
variant of mpeg for 3D must exist.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Will wrote:
Apologise if wrong Group but can anyone explain why do we need yet
another box to watch TV. I assume TV's marked HDTV ready are
not really ready at all if you need a separate box. Also anyone
explain
why all these box circuitries can't be incorporated inside the TV
itself?

Which "circuitry" would you like?

The one for HD digital satellite (Sky HD?) which isn't launching until
later this month and requires proprietary decryption technology?

The one for HD digital terrestrial which only start testing earlier
this week, and won't be a full service until after analogue switch off?

Or the one for HD digital cable which includes the proprietary (and
already out of date) telewest technology, or the currently non existent
(AFAIK) ntl or homechoice technology?


In other words, there isn't a standard to incorporate!

The TVs _are_ HD ready because when you buy an HD DVD player, HD STB,
or whatever, they have the right connections.

Unlike other TVs, not marked HD ready, which may be able to display
some of the HD resolutions, but do not have the necessary connections.


I agree it is confusing though. So many HD ready TVs with integrated
Freeview, none of which will be able to display Freeview HD (if it
happens) without the addition of a STB!

French A/V magazine Les Annees Laser asked every major TV manufaturer
exactly what they meant by "HD ready". Each gave a different answer.

(kim)

snipped
Which "circuitry" would you like?

The one for HD digital satellite (Sky HD?) which isn't launching until
later this month and requires proprietary decryption technology?

The one for HD digital terrestrial which only start testing earlier
this week, and won't be a full service until after analogue switch off?

Or the one for HD digital cable which includes the proprietary (and
already out of date) telewest technology, or the currently non existent
(AFAIK) ntl or homechoice technology?


Sorry to be very ill-informed but why is the Telewest technology out of
date?

Tricky

Tricky Dicky wrote:
snipped
Which "circuitry" would you like?

The one for HD digital satellite (Sky HD?) which isn't launching until
later this month and requires proprietary decryption technology?

The one for HD digital terrestrial which only start testing earlier
this week, and won't be a full service until after analogue switch off?

Or the one for HD digital cable which includes the proprietary (and
already out of date) telewest technology, or the currently non existent
(AFAIK) ntl or homechoice technology?


Sorry to be very ill-informed but why is the Telewest technology out of
date?


IIRC it uses MPEG2 encoding while most future HD systems will use some
variant of MPEG4 (like the H264 codec).

Stew

"Stephen" wrote in message
...

In this month's BBC Focus magazine it says Disney are getting into
"Digital
3D" and "the first 3D televisions could arrive as early as 2008". That
should really put a spanner in the works!

Apparently the "3D ready" TV would be a "lenticular" flat screen (no
glasses
required) or a DLP projector with polarising filters in the colour wheel
(requires glasses). How they would broadcast 3D isn't mentioned, but
Disney
are already geared up for "Digital" 3D cinema, so I guess an official
variant of mpeg for 3D must exist.

All sounds very 1950s. Better wait for hologram TV.

--
Max Demian

Will wrote:
Apologise if wrong Group but can anyone explain why do we need yet
another box to watch TV. I assume TV's marked HDTV ready are
not really ready at all if you need a separate box. Also anyone explain
why all these box circuitries can't be incorporated inside the TV itself?

TIA for info.

Will

HD Ready in essence means that the TV/display is able to display the
images at the correct resolution etc, and has the required connectors to
display an HD signal.

Effectively, HD Ready TVs are nothing more than computer monitors with
non-HD analogue/digital terrestrial tuners. The actual tuner/input etc
is separate, and varies depending on the source of the signal
(satellite, cable, terrestrial, internet, DVD, XBox360, Sony PS3....)

D

Max Demian wrote:
All sounds very 1950s. Better wait for hologram TV.


Nah... some enterprising source supplies blue and red pills in the post.
You dream your own TV viewing, it happens inside your head - full
imersive 3D, surround sound, smell, taste, uncensored etc....

Minor problems recording it though...
:-)

--
Adrian C

"David Hearn" wrote in message
...
Will wrote:
Apologise if wrong Group but can anyone explain why do we need yet
another box to watch TV. I assume TV's marked HDTV ready are
not really ready at all if you need a separate box. Also anyone explain
why all these box circuitries can't be incorporated inside the TV itself?

TIA for info.

Will

HD Ready in essence means that the TV/display is able to display the
images at the correct resolution etc, and has the required connectors to
display an HD signal.

Except most of these so called HDTVs can't actually display the correct
resolution at all since they are limited to 720 lines which is not much
better than standard definition. I've not seen any 1080 line HDTVs on the
market yet so the only way you are going to watch TV at that resolution is
on a computer monitor. In fact where can I get a 1080x1920 LCD monitor from
anyway.


Effectively, HD Ready TVs are nothing more than computer monitors with
non-HD analogue/digital terrestrial tuners. The actual tuner/input etc is
separate, and varies depending on the source of the signal (satellite,
cable, terrestrial, internet, DVD, XBox360, Sony PS3....)

D

"Stewart Smith" wrote in message
...
Tricky Dicky wrote:
snipped
Which "circuitry" would you like?

The one for HD digital satellite (Sky HD?) which isn't launching until
later this month and requires proprietary decryption technology?

The one for HD digital terrestrial which only start testing earlier
this week, and won't be a full service until after analogue switch off?

Or the one for HD digital cable which includes the proprietary (and
already out of date) telewest technology, or the currently non existent
(AFAIK) ntl or homechoice technology?


Sorry to be very ill-informed but why is the Telewest technology out of
date?


IIRC it uses MPEG2 encoding while most future HD systems will use some
variant of MPEG4 (like the H264 codec).

Shan't be buying that, then. Thanks for the heads-up

I am with Telewest and was going to get their TV-Drive system at the same
time as changing my screen

Tricky