just ranting........

[ponch0069]

I just had the Sony KP57hw40 delivered this past Thursday. I payed $2399.00 from a local dealer here in Albuquerque, NM, real nice TV. I called Dishnetwork to get an idea of how much a HDTV reciever would be. With the two dishes an OTA module and the reciever it would run just over $1000. How the H@!! is HDTV suppose to really get going with prices like this? The prices on the HDTV's are real resonable now. Why can't the prices on the recievers be? Especially when they give their standard recievers away for free. Does the technology behind these recievers really cost that much? I read a post from that Bob guy, that in England their paying $49.00 for OTA recievers. What's up with that? I've read post about the new recievers that are coming out in the fall are going to cost the same or in some cases more than the model they 're replacing. Is'nt it the norm in electronics that the price goes down with each following model even though the technolgy in the new models is always better? There is something really wrong here.
David

[kevinw]

Try Best Buy or Blockbuster. Best had the Hughes box for around 499 and a 1 room system for 50.00 to free. Buy shopping around you can get a 2 room Direct with OTA for less than 700. If you compare a TV with a built in tuner vs adding on the STB later,the prices are comparable. The tuner is still a luxury to most. Hd ready sets are used to watch DVD's more than Hd programming.

[JoeInBH]

I know you're interested primarily in satillite, but Samsung, the leader in OTA STB's has recently come out with 2 new models. The SIR-T151 has a suggested price of $400 and I have already seen it on the internet for a little less. I have an indoor antenna, but I understand that even large rooftop antennas are very cheap. Of course it all depends on location, etc., but for most people, a T151 for $350 and a rooftop antenna for $50 is all they need to get HD signals. That ought should serve you well until your cable company starts bringing you HBO, HDNet, Discovery, etc. in HD. This may or may not be an adequate solution for you, but I suspect would work for a majority of HDTV owners.

Joe

[ponch0069]

Thanks for the reply's
I checked the web sites for the local network channels here in Albuquerque and found out that the abc and nbc affiliates are broadcasting in DTV. They stated on their sites that all the programs are not in HDTV, which I understand. Is DTV broadcasted in 16:9 format when not in high definition? The nbc affiliate mentioned that we'll be able to recieve DTV broadcast with a set top box on standard TV's when available.

JoeInBH,
Are your OTA DTV broadcast in 16:9 format?

[57U]

Originally posted by ponch0069
Is DTV broadcasted in 16:9 format when not in high definition?
Are your OTA DTV broadcast in 16:9 format? DTV is no different than analogue when it comes to 16:9 format programmes. There are a few - Enterprise, ER, West Wing, etc. - but not very many.

True HDTV is always 16:9, unless the original material had a higher aspect ratio like some movies - 2:35:1, or if the original material was not HDTV and was "upconverted" from a 4:3 signal. If the original material was not 16:9 (1.85:1), the actual HDTV image is actually still 16:9, it just has black bars top and bottom, or at the sides, depending....

[ponch0069]

57U
So, what your saying is when my local ABC channel simulcast the local news on their OTA DTV channel its going to be in the 4:3 ratio and I'll have to stretch it to fill my widescreen tv. Now that I think about it my Sony KP57HW40 will not stretch DTV signals.

[57U]

Originally posted by ponch0069
Now that I think about it my Sony KP57HW40 will not stretch DTV signals. I thought that all widescreen HDTVs had stretch modes. I also thought they work on Analogue and DTV signals (mine does). HDTV signals may not be "stretchable" though, without a scaler.

[ponch0069]

Well the salesman at Circuit City said it would not stretch HD or DTV signals, but agian he was trying to push another HDTV on me that he said stretched DTV signals.

[Ratman]

All widescreen TV's can stretch 'analog' 4:3 programs. They 'normally' do not allow you to stretch DTV broadcasts. The reason being that if the program is "HD" it's already 16:9 (duh!), secondly if it is a non-HD digital signal, most every station broadcasts a 16:9 signal regardless (4:3, but with black bars on the sides).
Therefore, since it's 16:9, no stretch.

Normally, component inputs with a progressive scan DVD will not stretch either. (only interlaced can be stretched).

This holds true for most ALL HD TV/monitors/receivers. (BUT, there probably very few exceptions).

[JoeInBH]

People are right about not being able to stretch DTV 4:3 programming. My TV (the same as you) cannot do it. However, my Samsung SIR-T150 does allow me to do the true stretch - no zoom, just pulling the image to fill the 16:9 screen. I haven't done it in awhile (I don't like the stubby people) but I recall the menu sequence to be very counter-intuitive. I think I had to tell it that I had a 4:3 TV. I can't vouch for other STB's but I'm positive the SIR-T150 can do the true stretch.

Joe

[57U]

I can stretch my DTV signals just fine. Connect the STB via composite or S-Video and you should be able to also. As I stated earlier HDTV cannot be stretched.

[kevinw]

I think when you run it through S-vidio or composite you are getting 480i signal. When run through the component output the signal is converted to a 1080i signal unless it is a 1080i signal to start with then it is passed.

[57U]

Standard DTV is not high definition, so you are not losing anything by going S-Video, but you gain the ability to stretch. Also most sets do a good job of upconverting 480i.

[tconte]

For what it's worth, here's the work around I've come up with on my KP57HW40:

I have the STB hooked both into the TV's Antenna via its coax out and into one of the two component inputs. To get 4:3, I go to TV and then ANT and switch to the channel my box puts out on (which is 4, so AUX 4). To get HD, I switch to the component input via the TV/AUX button.

Weird, quirky, but it works.

By the way, you can use channel lock for the antenna alone so that the TV channel +/- buttons won't do anything when you're in ANT mode watching (wide zoom'd) 4:3 broadcasts.

Tom