When will HDTV take over?

Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!

"barnnies" wrote:
Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!

2009 is the latest cutoff date. There are sd televisions available for not much money. Check Walmart for a good idea of what is around.
You can get a 32" sd set with an ATSC tuner for under $300. Here is one choice. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4872540

Chip

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barnnies wrote:
Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!


I am not sure CJ Dayton makes it clear that Walmart TV is not high
definition. It has a digital tuner built in, which means that you will
receive digital signals over the air, but only in a format similar to
what you are used to; i.e., standard definition. High definition
programing will look not much different that what you have been watching
all these yesrs.

Another option is to buy an external converter that has a built-in
digital tuner. Those will become more common as time goes on.

If you're on cable, none of this is necessary.

Sam Spade wrote:
barnnies wrote:
Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!


I am not sure CJ Dayton makes it clear that Walmart TV is not high
definition. It has a digital tuner built in, which means that you will
receive digital signals over the air, but only in a format similar to
what you are used to; i.e., standard definition. High definition
programing will look not much different that what you have been watching
all these yesrs.

Another option is to buy an external converter that has a built-in
digital tuner. Those will become more common as time goes on.

If you're on cable, none of this is necessary.

Actually, I made it quite clear. I wrote that you can get a 32" sd set for under $300. How much more clear could I be?
The OP said that an HDTV was out of reach, so I offered an alternative. If you check the link you would see that it is not an HD set.

Chip

--
-------------------- http://NewsReader.Com/ --------------------
Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB

wrote:

"barnnies" wrote:

Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!


2009 is the latest cutoff date. There are sd televisions available for not much money. Check Walmart for a good idea of what is around.
You can get a 32" sd set with an ATSC tuner for under $300. Here is one choice. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4872540

Chip

February 17, 2009 is the cutoff date only for analog over the air (OTA)
broadcasting. Cable systems will likely maintain an ever shrinking
analog tier until 2012 or later. The cable companies want to reduce the
number of analog stations they have to carry as quickly as possible to
free up bandwidth, but not at the expense of losing too many of their
basic subscription customers. At this time, it is a waste of money to
buy an analog only TV, IMO.

By 2009, there will be low cost converter boxes - maybe $50 - for
receiving digital (ATSC) TV signals which you can connect to your NTSC
analog TV through the SD composite or S-Video ports. Congress has
mandated a coupon program to help lower income people to buy converters.
But I expect this program to be such a mess and so poorly run, that most
people will just buy new digital HD TVs.

You can currently buy an ATSC set top box to receive OTA digital
stations for around $200 and up, btw.

But if you are in the market for a new TV and don't have the money to
afford a $1000 TV, check into ever lower cost digital CRTs as LCDs take
over the smaller and mid-sized end of the market. Read the manual as
digital TV does not work the same way as analog as the TV has to scan
for local OTA stations. Also, most stations are sending their digital
signal on UHF channels as the VHF channels are filled with analog
stations, so in most cities, having a UHF antenna is critical.

Alan

wrote:
Sam Spade wrote:

barnnies wrote:

Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!


I am not sure CJ Dayton makes it clear that Walmart TV is not high
definition. It has a digital tuner built in, which means that you will
receive digital signals over the air, but only in a format similar to
what you are used to; i.e., standard definition. High definition
programing will look not much different that what you have been watching
all these yesrs.

Another option is to buy an external converter that has a built-in
digital tuner. Those will become more common as time goes on.

If you're on cable, none of this is necessary.


Actually, I made it quite clear. I wrote that you can get a 32" sd set for under $300. How much more clear could I be?
The OP said that an HDTV was out of reach, so I offered an alternative. If you check the link you would see that it is not an HD set.

Chip

The link made it clear for those who already get this stuff. I am not
sure that was the case here.

I am sorry I apparently offended you. But, my sense of obligation was
to the OP, not you.

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:02:24 -0400 AlanF wrote:

| February 17, 2009 is the cutoff date only for analog over the air (OTA)
| broadcasting. Cable systems will likely maintain an ever shrinking
| analog tier until 2012 or later. The cable companies want to reduce the
| number of analog stations they have to carry as quickly as possible to
| free up bandwidth, but not at the expense of losing too many of their
| basic subscription customers. At this time, it is a waste of money to
| buy an analog only TV, IMO.

Cable providers could provide an STB as they do their own analog cutoff,
even for "basic" subscribers (just program the box for the basic channels).


| By 2009, there will be low cost converter boxes - maybe $50 - for
| receiving digital (ATSC) TV signals which you can connect to your NTSC
| analog TV through the SD composite or S-Video ports. Congress has
| mandated a coupon program to help lower income people to buy converters.
| But I expect this program to be such a mess and so poorly run, that most
| people will just buy new digital HD TVs.

For example, how will the coupon system work with returned items because
it just doesn't work well. And I expect that to be a real problem as
the manufacturers are likely to leave quality out with the low end models.


| You can currently buy an ATSC set top box to receive OTA digital
| stations for around $200 and up, btw.

What is the price of one that is battery operated?


| But if you are in the market for a new TV and don't have the money to
| afford a $1000 TV, check into ever lower cost digital CRTs as LCDs take
| over the smaller and mid-sized end of the market. Read the manual as
| digital TV does not work the same way as analog as the TV has to scan
| for local OTA stations. Also, most stations are sending their digital
| signal on UHF channels as the VHF channels are filled with analog
| stations, so in most cities, having a UHF antenna is critical.

Scanning for local OTA stations is not required in general. It may be
a requirement of poor tuner implementations. You SHOULD be able to just
punch in the REAL RF channel and go right to it. In the Pittsburgh area,
for example, punch in 25 and get KDKA. At least it should be allowed to
work that way.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

On 20 Aug 2006 22:19:40 GMT wrote:

| Actually, I made it quite clear. I wrote that you can get a 32" sd set
| for under $300. How much more clear could I be?

But I don't want a 32" set, be it SD or HD. I want something in the 12"
to 9" range. Now what price? What model should I buy today that will not
be obsolete on Feb 18, 2009 untethered?


| The OP said that an HDTV was out of reach, so I offered an alternative.
| If you check the link you would see that it is not an HD set.

To be clear, I am not the OP. If he likes 32" size, I'm sure there will
be lower cost SD sets available for him. Eventually, the difference
between SD and HD will disappear at that size, anyway, and on down to
around 20".

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

Sam Spade wrote:
wrote:
Sam Spade wrote:

barnnies wrote:

Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement
but the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead
in the water?

Thanks for you help!


I am not sure CJ Dayton makes it clear that Walmart TV is not high
definition. It has a digital tuner built in, which means that you will
receive digital signals over the air, but only in a format similar to
what you are used to; i.e., standard definition. High definition
programing will look not much different that what you have been
watching all these yesrs.

Another option is to buy an external converter that has a built-in
digital tuner. Those will become more common as time goes on.

If you're on cable, none of this is necessary.


Actually, I made it quite clear. I wrote that you can get a 32" sd set
for under $300. How much more clear could I be? The OP said that an
HDTV was out of reach, so I offered an alternative. If you check the
link you would see that it is not an HD set.

Chip

The link made it clear for those who already get this stuff. I am not
sure that was the case here.

I am sorry I apparently offended you. But, my sense of obligation was
to the OP, not you.

You would have to do much better than that to offend me. I just do not like to be misrepresented, that is all.

Chip

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Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB

Thanks for all the help. I will read what is being said on this group
and read what was said so itwill help me try to understand this stuff.

Thanks All!
Barnnies

barnnies wrote:
Hello!
I hope this is the place to ask.
I have heard so much cinflicting advice on HDTV that I hope you can
help me.
When will my "regular" TV be useless? I am in need of a replacement but
the cost for HDTV as of this moment is a little out of my reach.
How many days, weeks, months, years until thousands of TV's are dead in
the water?

Thanks for you help!