Any HD experts out there?

[slashaxl]

Hello all, how's it going?

Just bought a new LCD HD tv, currently have the rogers regular digital box, thinking of getting the HD box. I hear so many things you need all these special cables etc for HD, what cables would I need once I get the box to get a good HD experience. I don't live in a movie theatre so it doesn't have to be George lucas caliber per say, but something that will give me the HD experience.

Thanks in advance

 

[tboy]

your new LCD: which make and model is it? Is it 1080P or ???

You will need an HD cable box, or HD PVR (personal video recorder) in order to get HD cable or you can go the OTA (over the air) free HD. You won't get all the channels like History, Discovery, TLC etc.

You can order cheap but good quality HDMI cables from
http://www.infinitecables.com/

They have next day delivery or you can pickup if you're close by. The cables are great quality. DON'T BUY MONSTER CABLES they are an out and out rip off.

To fully enjoy your new TV you should also get a surround sound system. I personally HATE the HD in a box systems and found they sound like crap. Better to build yourself a system than one with tiny shit speakers.

 

[masterchief]

Go to http://monoprice.com They are based in California, but manufacture pro-grade cables for a fraction of the price. and since they manufacture all thier own cables....no duty.

I did my entrire home theatre (including shipping - HDMI cables, component cables and optical cables) for what 1 monster HDMI cable would have cost at a big box store.

 

[tboy]

Yeah monoprice is good, but you have the delay in shipping etc and I'd rather buy local. Infinite delivers next day.....(and they're Canadian).

It was a while ago since I ordered from them but I think their prices are comparable too.

 

[theduke]

Don't cheap out when it comes to HDMI cables. They are not all the same.

$80-$100 should get you a good pair.

DJ

 

[slashaxl]

It is a sharp aquos 42 " 1080p. I'm at work so the model number escapes me now.

How do you get there free HD channels? And these hdmi cables, do they go from an HD box to the tv? How would I install them for free to air channels?

Thanks

your new LCD: which make and model is it? Is it 1080P or ???

You will need an HD cable box, or HD PVR (personal video recorder) in order to get HD cable or you can go the OTA (over the air) free HD. You won't get all the channels like History, Discovery, TLC etc.

You can order cheap but good quality HDMI cables from
http://www.infinitecables.com/

They have next day delivery or you can pickup if you're close by. The cables are great quality. DON'T BUY MONSTER CABLES they are an out and out rip off.

To fully enjoy your new TV you should also get a surround sound system. I personally HATE the HD in a box systems and found they sound like crap. Better to build yourself a system than one with tiny shit speakers.

 

[tboy]

Slash: the reason I asked about the resolution is because many tvs state HD and they are only 720. Not true HD IMO.

As for $80 HDMI cables. Go ahead, waste your money. There was a consumer report done comparing VFE Monster cables to BOL HDMI no names and the no names did as well or better than the Monster cables. So if you have an extra $100.00 to throw out, give it to me, I'll stencil "monster" on some cables for ya.

One thing to watch out for though is to make sure they are 1.3B compliant. This means they can transfer the large amounts of data necessary to produce a fast moving HD signal without any problems.

Yes, the HDMI male male cable will run from your source (HD cable box or Free To Air HD receiver) to the back of your TV. It should have 2 or more HDMI inputs.

From the sounds of it you are totally new to HD so here's a couple of things to consider:
1) Not all channels are HD. Rogers will "give" you the standard network channels (CBC NBC CBS ABC) but any sports or educational channels you will have to pay for.
2) Even then, you won't always get HD. For eg: I pay extra for Rogers Movie Network in HD which includes HBO HD. About 50% of the time, the "hd" HBO programming is NOT HD. It comes in in a 4:3 full screen format not 16:9 widescreen.
3) Even if you pay for HD movies, again, many only come in in 4:3 and they don't show ALL movies in HD. For eg: They had a stanley kubrick film fest going on a couple of months ago. I think only ONE of the 10 was available in HD. The rest were in SD. I complained to TMN about this and they said that they are limited by what the studios release to them in HD and that not all movies are released to them in HD. (load of crap which is probably why there are so many pirated movies out there).
4) If you watch a lot of DVD movies the only "true" HD will be blu ray and those discs are still quite pricey. I have found that an upconverting DVD gives almost as good an image as Blu Ray for about 1/3 the price. For eg: I buy used DVDs from Blockbuster for around 10 bucks a piece. When Iron Man came out I spent $30.00 on the blu ray. Honestly? It is clearer and sharper. But is it worth 3 times the price? Not in my opinion.......

As for free HD channels, you can get them via Free to Air but you have to buy a special antenna. I don't know much about FTA because in my condo, I don't have access to the roof and I don't have Line of Site to any signals (the (&$()*&# building next door blocks me).

 

[kumamake]

Don't cheap out when it comes to HDMI cables. They are not all the same.

$80-$100 should get you a good pair.

DJ

thats not true, even cheap cables would give the same results as the expensive ones.
MARKET PLACE (tv show) did a show on this and the their experts compared the cables and there was no difference.
so you can even go to bestbuy and just buy their own brand of cables.

 

[tboy]

thats not true, even cheap cables would give the same results as the expensive ones.
MARKET PLACE (tv show) did a show on this and the their experts compared the cables and there was no difference.
so you can even go to bestbuy and just buy their own brand of cables.

I stand corrected, it was Marketplace....that's who did the tests.....Isn't there a link online to their results? I seem to recall reading them.....

 

[jsquig]

Also, keep in mind Rogers will provide you with some hd cables, they work well but are just less convenient because they have different connections for each colour and then for sound. I used to work for time warner in the states doing tech whatnot and as I recall they provided the exact same output but just wasn't in one neat little cable.

 

[tboy]

Also, keep in mind Rogers will provide you with some hd cables, they work well but are just less convenient because they have different connections for each colour and then for sound. I used to work for time warner in the states doing tech whatnot and as I recall they provided the exact same output but just wasn't in one neat little cable.

Those are component video cables and aren't as good as the pure digital HDMI. They separate the three colours into separate channels.

You'll see a dramatic difference between HDMI and component.

 

[masterchief]

Yeah monoprice is good, but you have the delay in shipping etc and I'd rather buy local. Infinite delivers next day.....(and they're Canadian).

It was a while ago since I ordered from them but I think their prices are comparable too.

They're not bad, sometimes it's worth the wait especially if your buying alot. I have to say they still have the best prices for wall-mounts. I started using monoprice since they were the only place that at the time took paypal.

 

[emvee]

As for free HD channels, you can get them via Free to Air but you have to buy a special antenna.

Well, not that special. If you live downtown and have line of sight to the CN Tower, you could put a paper clip in the RF connector (the thing that's threaded and has a spot for a coaxial cable to be connected) and get about 10 channels.

All you need is a UHF antenna. The problem is most of ones available is most mainstream store are total pieces of junk, and worse, the sales staff are clueless.

These guys out in Mississauga know what they are doing:

http://www.saveandreplay.com/

If you live in a condo and can see in the direction of Buffalo across the lake, you likely get all the Buffalo network stations (and get the Super Bowl broadcast with the real commercials!)

If you live in a house, you'll likely need an outdoor antenna or an attic install to get Buffalo.

 

[Garrett]

thats not true, even cheap cables would give the same results as the expensive ones.
MARKET PLACE (tv show) did a show on this and the their experts compared the cables and there was no difference.
so you can even go to bestbuy and just buy their own brand of cables.

Actually, you are the one that is wrong. There are differences in cables, you can measure it easily, and it is a question of how much bandwidth you need. tboy is right, make sure they are 1.3+.

 

[Rockslinger]

It is a sharp aquos 42 " 1080p.

Try playing your photo CD's and/or DVD's on your new HD TV and tell if they look sharper, clearer and brighter?

 

[LurkingInMyTent]

Actually, you are the one that is wrong. There are differences in cables, you can measure it easily, and it is a question of how much bandwidth you need. tboy is right, make sure they are 1.3+.

Not so fast, me bucko... the reasonably priced cables are every bit as good for today's HD needs as the monstrously overpriced variety. Where the cheaper ones start to fail is when the lengths get up to 30 feet or more.

Check this article...http://i.gizmodo.com/268788/the-truth-about-monster-cable-part-2-verdict-cheap-cables-keep-upusually

 

[my2cents]

Use HDMI cable to keep it digital and you don't need the high priced hdmi cable just like tboy said. Also the point of digital is that it is best with less compression. Think of a photo you take on a digital camera since you can choose the compression ratio. On a high compression the pixelation is noticable.
Over the air HD from an antenna is the best since rogers etc has to compress the signal. Also the original broadcaster can do a variety of things from the original source such as upconverting a standard definition source to HD. So the concept of pure HD varies.
If you have a 1080p monitor then watching a blue ray DVD is the best way to see a good HD source. But personally the LCD units and plasmas don't compare to a CRT HD monitor (if FED nanotechnolgy gets to maket the CRT HD may have a rebirth) nor to the OLED units but they are a few years off in large format.
Personally what I find funny is that we now have great quality technology available to the consumer but most of the programs themselves have crap content. So we have great televisions to watch bad programs.

 

[tboy]

You're so right cents, IMO the best programming is either on a public broadcasting station like PBS, or channels like History, TLC, A & E etc. Most broadcast networks are just putting out the same old fluff.

Funny what you said about HD too, we get to see shit, but really really clearly! lol......

(I was watching CSI the other night and there was an actress who was kinda hot and if you looked, she had a whole crop of really bad zits around her mouth.....lol...There was another cop show and in one scene, the main actress had the tag sticking out of the back of her top the whole time.....this is what I pay so much for HD for?)

 

[nihilism]

you have to subscribe to the service as well.

 

[tboy]

If i have a digital signal and buy a HD box do i still have to subscribe to HD service to get HD signal? or is it already there?

I believe rogers includes the broadcast stations with their HD box at no charge. But any of the additional stations (movie network, premium stations etc) have to be ordered and paid for over and above basic cable.....

Their website has all the info and pricing on it...

www.rogers.ca