PPL need to do their research on HDTV's

[GburgNatsFan]

Just don't expect non-HD radio stations to sound that great. They won't. The difference between FM and HD frequency range can be compared to the difference between digital CDs and LPs.

Ali, how far are you from downtown? The HD off-air TV signal in Gaithersburg (all of 15-20 miles out) sucks. I wonder how the HD radio signal is...

Ali - where did you get it?  Is it just for traditional stations or is it a receiver that can be hooked up to anything?

[GburgNatsFan]

Both, Kim. Goes without saying. Which is why I didn't say it.

Great taste in sports teams or in choosing a wife?   

[kimnat]

haha!!  You are smooth!  LOL! 

You wanna know the funny part?  I surprised him w/ the tv and was so excited to show him!!!!  He was tickled to death!  And even funnier, I'm the one who's done all the visual purchases (tv, directv -years ago, digital camcorder & now FiOS).  I do all this just for him.  Not for me, I'm not really moved by the gadgetry part (But I do enjoy it - esp. FiOS).  Yeah, he lucked out on that part!

[GburgNatsFan]

I should also mention that if you find yourself without FIOS and need satellite TV, the DishNetwork birds are a lot higher on the horizon. 28 and 33 degrees of azimuth compared to - if I remember right, 22 and 15 degrees... both systems use two sats.

Since DishNetwork bought Voom, I'm not sure if you have to have that satellite to get much of the HD programming. If you do, it's even higher on the horizon, but in a different direction.

Great taste in sports teams or in choosing a wife?   

[GburgNatsFan]

One might wonder if that's part of the source of your sync issue. There's a fair amount of processing going on in the TV to convert (I guess I should say map) 490 to 1080... the audio out of the TV itself might be more in sync.

I have a 26" HDTV now, It says it doesn't have a digital out for audio, but does have a SPDIF out. Isn't this the same thing? While I don't need to worry about it now since my audio from the sat dvr goes to my a/v receiver through a Toslink cable, what is the difference? I'm not yet using it for HD. It'll cost a minimum of $79 after $100 rebate to update to a HD DVR, and $129 after $100 rebate for one with a larger hard drive. Unfortunately only one of the 2 TVs will be in HD...the other is standard TV. TIVO's DVR outputs to 2 HD TVs, but it's not compatable with satellite unfortunately. Then there is the extra $20 a month for non-premium HD programming. Not sure yet which/whether to go. Kim...is your FIOS-connected TV a HD? Any other inputs (pun intended)?

[GburgNatsFan]

My input is drop some of the other non-essential programmming (do you really need Cinemax - just kidding) and get yourself wired for HD.

When I brought Neil to a Redskins game for the first time we stepped out into the upper bowl and he lets out "Woah! It's just like HD!" I guess that's really sort of sad, but you get the point.

I have a 26" HDTV now, It says it doesn't have a digital out for audio, but does have a SPDIF out. Isn't this the same thing? While I don't need to worry about it now since my audio from the sat dvr goes to my a/v receiver through a Toslink cable, what is the difference? I'm not yet using it for HD. It'll cost a minimum of $79 after $100 rebate to update to a HD DVR, and $129 after $100 rebate for one with a larger hard drive. Unfortunately only one of the 2 TVs will be in HD...the other is standard TV. TIVO's DVR outputs to 2 HD TVs, but it's not compatable with satellite unfortunately. Then there is the extra $20 a month for non-premium HD programming. Not sure yet which/whether to go. Kim...is your FIOS-connected TV a HD? Any other inputs (pun intended)?

[saltydad]

Great taste in sports teams or in choosing a wife?   

[saltydad]

One might wonder if that's part of the source of your sync issue. There's a fair amount of processing going on in the TV to convert (I guess I should say map) 490 to 1080... the audio out of the TV itself might be more in sync.

Actually, Dish responded to my e-mail by saying instead of using the TV's speakers I should use higher quality audio connections. Hence I moved the HDTV into my living room and hooked it up to my A/V receiver via optical link. Can't get any higher audio from my DVR. The problem still remains (sigh), but only when I run the sound through the TV speakers, which I never do now. I was planning on using a larger HDTV than a 26" in the living room when the wallet allowed, but the difference in the non-HD picture is astounding over my 13 year old RCA 27", so here it stays until I can afford a larger one. The pic shows my old setup:

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[saltydad]

My input is drop some of the other non-essential programmming (do you really need Cinemax - just kidding) and get yourself wired for HD.

When I brought Neil to a Redskins game for the first time we stepped out into the upper bowl and he lets out "Woah! It's just like HD!" I guess that's really sort of sad, but you get the point.

I have no premium programming, just the middle of the 3 channel categories. Not really anything to drop. And I agree with you about your son's comment...understandable, but kinda sad.

[saltydad]

Just don't expect non-HD radio stations to sound that great. They won't. The difference between FM and HD frequency range can be compared to the difference between digital CDs and LPs.

Ali, how far are you from downtown? The HD off-air TV signal in Gaithersburg (all of 15-20 miles out) sucks. I wonder how the HD radio signal is...

Ali lives in Adams Morgan.

[GburgNatsFan]

Huh. That's the opposite of what I would have thought, but I'm glad you have something of a solution. I'll have to try that myself.

I have a Samsung 37" DLP. If the programming isn't in HD, I don't watch it. I watch it on a Sony Trinitron in the other room. The way the two-year-old Samsung renders non-HD programming, it's no fun at all to watch.

I guess your (newer) set is better at non-HD?

Actually, Dish responded to my e-mail by saying instead of using the TV's speakers I should use higher quality audio connections. Hence I moved the HDTV into my living room and hooked it up to my A/V receiver via optical link. Can't get any higher audio from my DVR. The problem still remains (sigh), but only when I run the sound through the TV speakers, which I never do now. I was planning on using a larger HDTV than a 26" in the living room when the wallet allowed, but the difference in the non-HD picture is astounding over my 13 year old RCA 27", so here it stays until I can afford a larger one. The pic shows my old setup:

[Dave B]

Dan is a wise man with great taste. Baseball in HD is awesome, but soccer and hockey on HDnet (well, they were there a year ago) are un-flipping believable.

I've seen a hockey game on HD Net and it is much better than regular HD because they use the HD screen better. For other channels they use the same camera for the regular feed too and have to fit the action on regular screens.  In a pure HD broadcast, they can tailor the shots to fit the HD screen which results in moving the camera less and capturing more action.

For example (hockey):
If the action is in an attacking zone and the feed is broadcast in regular TV too, you have to have the end of the ice in the regular TV field of view, causing part of the HD field to include rows of seats.  If it was a pure HD broadcast they could line the end of the ice up with the end of the HD screen and get much more ice in the screen (I think the whole attack zone). So they can just leave the camera still and cover all the action instead of chasing the puck as is goes from blueline to endboards.

In football, in a purely HD broadcast you can line up the line of scrimmage towards one end of the screen and have much more of the defensive backfield in the screen. Now, since they have to use the camera for regular tv, the line of scrimmage is in the middle almost and there is a lot of wasted space on the screen in the offensive backfield. 

[GburgNatsFan]

Good observation. I didn't think of it that way, but clearly you're right.

I've seen a hockey game on HD Net and it is much better than regular HD because they use the HD screen better. For other channels they use the same camera for the regular feed too and have to fit the action on regular screens.  In a pure HD broadcast, they can tailor the shots to fit the HD screen which results in moving the camera less and capturing more action.

For example (hockey):
If the action is in an attacking zone and the feed is broadcast in regular TV too, you have to have the end of the ice in the regular TV field of view, causing part of the HD field to include rows of seats.  If it was a pure HD broadcast they could line the end of the ice up with the end of the HD screen and get much more ice in the screen (I think the whole attack zone). So they can just leave the camera still and cover all the action instead of chasing the puck as is goes from blueline to endboards.

In football, in a purely HD broadcast you can line up the line of scrimmage towards one end of the screen and have much more of the defensive backfield in the screen. Now, since they have to use the camera for regular tv, the line of scrimmage is in the middle almost and there is a lot of wasted space on the screen in the offensive backfield.