As part of my flat move I decided to dump my ancient CRT TV. It provided a good picture (given the admittedly crap resolution we have put up with for far too long) but was a bit large for my new rented accommodation, so I thought it an opportune moment to join the HD age. After a bit of pointless research on the Internet I went to the John Lewis shop place to buy a TV, after checking out Comet for cheaper variants of said display devices. I was disappointed at the picture quality. Specifically motion blur takes a bit of getting used to and seems to be present to a degree on even on the best TVs, as does the generally inferior picture quality on analogue broadcasts and the dependence on viewing angle. And of course the price. I ended up buying a small (19") set that was cheap and didn't suffer too badly in these respects due to its size. The next disappointment is that normal TV appears to be no better, if not worse, on a digital set than on an analogue and there are no HD channels to watch unless you pay for them. And even when they do arrive, a new chipset or TV will probably be required. Is HD all that?
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Therein lies the rub. With LCD screens you need to pay some money to get a decent 'engine' (image processor). I would personally recommend the Bravia series for good image quality and minimal ghosting, good viewing angle etc.Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
Generally though HD is overrated, I'm just as happy to watch a DVD movie as a Blu-ray movie.You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think. -
A 19" screen is barely big enough to appreciate HD. It comes into its own when you have a 40"+ screen that would previously have looked a bit blocky due to the size of the picture. Also, it sounds like you're not using an HD source? Standard definition TV broadcasts will look just the same as before on an HDTV whereas a Blu-ray movie will look significantly better (well, it does to me anyway).Originally posted by TimberWolf View PostComment
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I've been in a lot of these conversations about HD, I've found everyone seems to think they're an expert but most people don't actually know what they're talking about.
[on my high horse]
I remember PC Format magazine pushing HD movies to download on your PC almost 10 years ago - when Joe Bloggs really knew nothing about it. Now your man on the street will try and tell you what's what. lol
[/on my high horse]You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think.Comment
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Yeah, I've not spent yet more money on HD yet. I've tried searching for and downloading HD examples off the Internet, and they disappoint a bit and there seems to be little free stuff about that uses the technology. And when the free stuff does arrive, it will probably involve upgrades and more £'s.Originally posted by Bunk View PostComment
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WHS - I've got a 32" inch Bravia; HD is pretty good but not as good as on a 40+ inch screen.Originally posted by Bunk View PostComment
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What's your HD source, Sky? I could subscribe to Virgin or something I suppose, but don't really think it's worth the rather high cost.Originally posted by interested View PostComment
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If you want to get more idea whether it's worth it or not you should have a look in a smaller independent shop who will be more likely to have a decent setup in the shop. Stores like Comet or Currys often have about 30 TV's running of the same signal showing Sky Sports and it's next to useless to try and gauge the picture quality from that.Originally posted by TimberWolf View PostComment
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If you have a satellite source you can buy a Humax FreeSat HD box for £150 from Argos with an HDMI cable included.Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post
This will get you BBC HD, Luxe TV HD, ITV HD and about 400 other free satellite channels with no subscription fees.You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think.Comment
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Remember that Sky isn't 1080 HD anyway, it's 700 ish
AFAIK the only 1080 HD sources are Blu Ray and some video games.
Correct me if I'm wrong but that's my understanding.Comment
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