Digital TV - Educate me...

[Programmer]

Hi, being from the IT world (well, previously) you'd think I'd at least have a basic handle on standard def, high def TV's, right? Nup.

One of our TV's is big, but nothing special. We currently connect to a standard def set top box. The STB seems stuffed...

Question: If I buy another STB, can/should I buy a STB that also does hi def? The big TV is not plasma or even LCD. Is it a waste of dosh to buy a high def (or dual std def/high def) STB to run on a TV that is not exceptionally high res?

I guess so, but can someone confirm this?

Cheers all,

 

[MissMuffitt]

Stay with SD box

Yes... It would be a waste of time and money to buy a HD set top box if you do not have a TV that can do it justice.

Here is a link to the DTV forum. I'm sure they would be able to give you some more educated advice.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?act=idx

Have fun...

 

[BV]

Yes... It would be a waste of time and money to buy a HD set top box if you do not have a TV that can do it justice.

I agree, and more so because your next TV will have an inbuilt HD tuner so you won't need the external STB.
Also, if you do a lot of recording maybe you should investigate a PVR
which is a STB with an inbuilt HDD

cheers

 

[merlin]

I tend to disagree - for one main reason, ond one lesser reason: the extra channels, and the better sound.

To watch the extra free commercial channels, you need a HD capable box. All HD boxes will output the HD chanel to a non-HD TV, so there really is no technical reason not to. The extra channels are increasingly showing extra content (See the online TV guides such as http://www.ebroadcast.com.au/tv/static/MelbourneNight.html for more info) which is well worth being able to access. The sound is also better (surround vs stereo).

With a HD STB selling recently at ALDI for $129, there is no longer a viable price-based argument either.....

 

[Programmer]

Thanks guys, all valid responses. Choices, choices...

Cheers,

 

[Twitch]

If you are a formula one fan then an HD box would be a great thing to have. F1 is now shown live @ 10pm on 10HD rather than delayed at about 11:30, and this week even has pre-race build up starting @9pm MotorGP is a similar deal, live on HD, delayed on SD.

This seems to be happening more and more, with HD channels showing different content to the SD ones.

I agree with the other post above about investigating a HD PVR, I bought one a couple of months ago and they are absolutely fantastic. No more having to watch rubbish in the evenings.

Good luck & happy shopping.

 

[RumpledElf]

We have a couple of cards in the computer that can do the fancy tv channels. The basic computer monitors can handle the hidef but the old 68cm tv can't. But we have digital tv now anyway with the satellite dish, the sound is sooo much nicer than the staticy analogue tv channels. So we have ABC and SBS in glorious sharp quality and .... absolutely nothing else. Channel 10 in crappy static barely counts. Oh well.

Get a really big computer monitor and use it as a TV That's what we're going to do when my old CRT gives up the ghost.