High-End Analog TV or

[NoCalMike 0]

I am moving into a house Memorial Day weekend, and luckily if I have enough money left over, I am going to be getting a tv. I am just wondering which is better to get, a High-end analog TV such as a Sony Trinitron 300 series(as opposed to the 100 base series) or shell out the extra 2-300 dollars for what would certainly end up being a lower-end HDTV. Let me also say that my preference when watching DVDs is sound. I would rather have a decent picture, with kick-ass sound, then an awesome picture with tv speaker sound. The question is whether the extra $2-300 dollars would be well spent just to say "look I have an HDTV" when in reality it would be a low end HD TV that would most likely need an additional HD Tuner sometime down the road to make it TRUE HD. I was dead set on HD for the fanatical "HD on the brain" reasons, but then I looked at the price of wires and cables, and then all the additional things you need to truly make it HD, including paying extra to the satellite service to get HD channels, and I really have a hard time justifying getting HD just yet, but I wanted some opinions from the board..........

 

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Go for the high end non HD, as long as it's widescreen. You're gonna want that when they switch the format over.

[Black Lushus 0]

I agree, HD isn't worth it just yet since there are only like 10 channels...well with my cable provider anyway...it sure is nice watching sports, but that's about all I'm currently getting out of it...I don't really watch TV shows regularly, except for American Idol which is in HD, so I'm kinda wasting my money...on the flipside since I had bought a 52 inch widescreen that was HD Compatible, I felt like I was wasting my money more by NOT getting an HD converter cable box...

[LessonInMachismo 0]

I bought a HEA three years ago (35") and I have loved it ever since. I ran jacks to my stereo so it blasts when I watch TV. I am not a big fan of HD, just the big picture. Also, HEA is much more cost-effective.

[NoCalMike 0]

Do they even sell 16x9, NON HD screen TVs?

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I have an HDTV, and I can honestly answer this.

 

Which one you should get depends. What do you plan to use for your TV service provider?

[NoCalMike 0]

I have an HDTV, and I can honestly answer this.

 

Which one you should get depends. What do you plan to use for your TV service provider?

D!SH. The thing is Jobber, eventually I am getting an HDTV, but honestly, I have looked into the prices of good ones, with HDMI, not just DVI and Component hookups, then looked into the price for cables and all that stuff, and even though I might barely be able to afford to if I break the bank, I really can't justify it just yet considering HD programming is so limited right now. Plus like I said, I am partial to the Theater SOUND, if it came down to a choice of one or the other.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

If you're going for Dish, then just get an analog set UNLESS you're a big video game player. Next year's consoles will probably have a lot of HD support, especially Microsoft has been making a lot of noise about it.

 

However, I wouldn't bother with HDTV over satellite if you're on a budget. Don't forget that you have to buy an HD-capable Dish Network receiver, and that costs at least $400 depending on the model you want.

 

This is kind of why cable companies have the edge right now for HD, it simply isn't as expensive a venture. If your cable company is hooked up for the 21st century (i.e. you aren't moving into the boonies), chances are they let you rent the hardware for a few bucks a month instead of making you pay hundreds up-front. You also get video on demand, which is home to a selection of major network shows (Discovery seems to provide the most) and a bunch of niche programming that can't finance it's own station ala WWE 24/7.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah, you're going to want to get into a decent HDTV, they're really not THAT expensive. I've got my eyes set and am saving up some cash for a 30" widescreen HDTV that's probably about 800 bucks or so, it'll only get cheaper as well over time. An extra 150-200 on the stand for it, of course, maybe a small entertainment unit down the road to store my ever-growing DVD/video game collection (I promise I won't make a thread about it unlike some rather shitty posters around here..)

[NoCalMike 0]

Yeah, you're going to want to get into a decent HDTV, they're really not THAT expensive. I've got my eyes set and am saving up some cash for a 30" widescreen HDTV that's probably about 800 bucks or so, it'll only get cheaper as well over time. An extra 150-200 on the stand for it, of course, maybe a small entertainment unit down the road to store my ever-growing DVD/video game collection (I promise I won't make a thread about it unlike some rather shitty posters around here..)

I have seen a Phillips and Sony model currently in ads, if that is the 30" you are talking about. If so, I would go with Sony since it features HDMI inputs.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I got a Samsung 30 inch Widescreen HDTV with built in tuner for $800.

I lived off the HD tuner for about 4 months before getting a Samsung HD Directv HD Reciever for $200.

 

Other things:

 

Wal Mart has really nice Sanyo HD 30 Inch Widescreen Sets for less than $600 with the built in tuner. That will probably be about the same price as your high end analog tv. At the time I got my TV, the Sanyo was $747 and I figured Id spend the extra $60 and get the Samsung. But if I was buying now, Id get the Sanyo,which I've seen in action at Wal Mart and is really just as good as my Samsung. I think it has DVI so I dont think it has HDMI.

 

Don't get one of the Advent HD sets that sell for $499. They are crap.

 

HD signals can be carried over the component cables (Red/Blue/Green cables) which is what I use right now to run both my DVD/Hard Drive recorder and Sat Reciever to my TV. As far as the price of the high end cables like DVI cables, if you know what you need, you can get cables from places like Amazon for less than $20. It wont be a MONSTER cable, but from everything I've read, its not worth paying upwards of $100 for a Monster DVI cable at a place like Best Buy when you can get just about the same performance from a cheaper cable online.

 

I would definitely consider the fact that CRT HD sets are farking heavy as lead (mine weighs in over 150 lbs) and hard to move around once you get it set. My stand has little sliders on it to help move the whole set up when I need to get to the back, but its a pain.

 

If you buy an HD Set with a built in tuner, invest in a cheap pair of rabit ear anntenas if you dont have some laying around somewhere.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I have seen a Phillips and Sony model currently in ads, if that is the 30" you are talking about.  If so, I would go with Sony since it features HDMI inputs.

Getting HDMI inputs doesn't matter if your HD box has DVI inputs, which it may because it's the older interface and is on a bunch of TVs.

 

For the record, it really doesn't matter, since DVI and HDMI are compatable with adapters at the end of the cable. HDMI is simply DVI + sound, while DVI requires a seperate, regular audio cable. If you want a receiver with 5.1 sound or whatever it was you were talking about when you said that sound was imortant to you, then you're probably going to want to use an optical-out connection, so it won't make any difference.

 

 

Also Monster Cables = Regular Cables + Higher Price. Don't listen to any salesperson or any marketing material about the cables being any better than any decent any-other-brand cable. It is the biggest bullshit story ever told since the Bible.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

I really wouldn't bother buying a non-digital TV at this point...the conversion from analog to digital is _supposed_ to happen in the next two years. We will see for sure, but I think you can get a lot of enjoyment out of an HDTV _now_ anyway. Video games look awesome on an HD set (especially if you have an X-Box), and there is at least some HD content out there for everyone (over the air antenna, anybody?). I have had a Mitsubishi 48" HD-ready rear projection set for the past year and a half and love it, personally. DVDs look phenomenal on it.

[NoCalMike 0]

Well news hit that D!sh is adding the recently deceased VOOM HD channels to their HD package, one of which is the awesome Monsters HD channel, so now I am kind of leaning towards an HD TV. Of course paying $400 for a receiver and $9.99/mo just to have the privelage to watch HD programming is not to appealing.

[The Czech Republic 0]

It is the biggest bullshit story ever told since the Bible.

Appropriate comment.

[Matt Young 0]

http://www.outlet.philips.com/b2c_redesign...log&shop=OUTLET