Request for help with HDTV "extras"

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by merkinmuffley, Jun 16, 2004.

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  1. merkinmuffley

    merkinmuffley Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Murphysboro, IL
    My wife is insisting that we get a new television. Our current set is an 18 year old RCA that has a knob that turns the TV on and off and controls the volume (some of my kids' friends can't figure out how to turn on our set). I don't really care about TV and would rather spend money on music and audio equipment. I have suggested we just ditch the TV and do without. Her response is to say she wants a plasma TV. Needless to say I'm going to lose the battle over whether we get a new TV. I have her talked down to a 36" Sony HDTV ready model (KV36HS510). My local BestBuy wants $1,700.00 for this monster. Here are my questions (assume I want to protect my investment and reasonably maximize the performance capabilities of the set, but not mortgage the house):

    1. BestBuy wants to sell me a $199.00 Monster Cable power strip. Is one this expensive necessary? If it is, do you have any other recommendations?
    2. They also want to sell me Monster Cable interconnects for my DVD Player (Panasonic DVD RV32) for $90.00 and my VCR (Sharp VCH 960) for $35.00. Are these going to improve the picture? If so, are there cheaper interconnects that are as good or better than these or others that cost as much, but are better?
    3. We live out in the country and do not have nor do we intend to get cable or satellite service. Any HDTV signals we get would come from an off-air antenna. Is there any point to getting an HDTV in this circumstance? If it is, what kind of tuner (or whatever you call it) and antenna should I get to capture the HDTV signal.
    4. BestBuy also wants to sell me a service plan for $250.00. I think I had to get our old RCA TV repaired once in 18 years. Am I likely to need this service plan?
    5. Have you got any other advice?

    Thanks in advance for your help.
     
  2. Clay

    Clay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saratoga, CA
    I love HDTV.
    I bought the Sony KV800XBR.
    I suggest the Sony widescreen instead of the soon to be obsolete size of 4x3.
    You could get the Sony like mine for $1999 list new model number yet 34" HDTV.
    I got the Sony tuner it is now the SAT300. Yet without cable or direct tv, I suggest you get an off the air antenna only.
    Antenna: I suggest a $100 Channel master. I got the UHF only since that is how all HDTV signals come in. You may want to get the biggest Yagi for 2-13 (VHF)plus all UHF channels (14-99).
    Jay Leno in HDTV is so clear it makes you realize that DVDs are not as clear as HDTV.
    I imagine you will get some stations in HDTV over the air. All the HDTV I watch is over the air off the UFH antenna ($100 list) and I paid about $68. It is the flat one about 4'x3' with a bunch of small bow ties on one side. It is directional.

    I got Circuit city to throw in the extended warranty for free. I would not pay for it.

    I would not pay for the monster plug thing. I do not have on on my new HDTV.
    I would not pay for the special cables either.
    You will want component cables for the DVD. You do not need a progressive scan DVD player since the TV will double the lines for you.
    I bought the cheapest component tributaries cables for about $60.
    Radio shack also has a new line of cables that looks pretty good.

    My wife also wants a plasma too.

    Good luck. Try to get a 10% off coupon for the day you buy like getting a best buy credit card or something then buy the receiver at the same time.

    Also Sony usually comes out with the new TV lines in July so the sale should be coming soon.

    I use the DVI connector for the receiver to the TV the cable comes with the receiver.

    If you search around you can find the stations available in your area. post your zip code and one of use will search for you on google or??

    My TV weighs 200 lbs so you may want to consider the stand.
     
  3. vibes

    vibes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minnesota
    1. You're probably referring to the Monster Power Bar, which is a "clean power" power strip. Best Buy sells a ton of these, but they're not necessary, especially if you're not a videophile. I would get a decent surge protector, though. Best Buy sells several Monster and Acoustic Research (AR) models from $19-$49. One of these should suit your purposes.
    2. Monster Cable interconnects are not necessary. I think you'll want to get component video cables, but if you don't want to spend the money for the Monster brand, look for Acoustic Research brand cables at Best Buy. Much cheaper, still good quality.
    3. If you're buying from Best Buy, I believe they only carry two HDTV tuners (a Samsung and an RCA, I think). You're probably not going to get any off-air signals out in the country, so I wouldn't buy this. As far as whether or not an HDTV is necessary, movies do look a lot better on them, and it's not a bad idea to buy a TV that already has the capability to display the picture format of the future.
    4. As far as the service plan goes, it's up to you. It's a nice precaution, but a pricey one. Anyone here ever heard of anyone using a Best Buy service plan to get their TV repaired? I haven't.
    5. You may be able to get the TV shipped to you free if you buy it at bestbuy.com, as opposed to buying it in the store. There is free shipping on most items at their site. You may also want to check out some of the newer CRT HDTV's coming out that have built-in HD tuners. I know there are a couple of Samsung models that have built-in tuners on their site, one of them being a $699 30" widescreen model.

    Good luck, and have fun. My wife and I have really enjoyed our Panasonic 32" CRT HDTV since we bought it three years ago.
     
  4. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    I will definitely echo what Clay and vibes suggested.

    Your biggest choice is really 16x9 or 4x3. I bought my first 16x9 aspect ratio TV in 1998 (Toshiba 40" rear projection) and will never go back to "square". After watching DVDs and HD with no or minimal black bars, it's very hard to watch any movies on the 4X3 sets.

    Also, I strongly suggest getting a TV with a built in over-the-air HD tuner. I don't think the model you're considering has this, correct me if I'm wrong. Do some research and see how far away your house is from the TV towers. If you're within 50 miles and have a good line of sight, you can probably easily get HD with an inexpensive antenna.

    Very soon, it will be the law that TVs will HAVE to have the tuner built in. In fact, there are several inexpensive models now that have this. WalMart (!) has two TVs now that you should consider, the 30" widescreen Sanyo, and 32" 4x3 Sanyo that both have HD-built in and retail for $747 each. They have no serious flaws, and all the features you'll need. Don't spend $1700 for a TV (Sony) to not even be able to watch HD when you bring it home. There's plenty of models with HD tuners out there now.

    Yeah, skip the expensive Monster brand power strip and cables. I'm not even sure you can get a "surge protector" for under $100, the kind that actually cuts off power when there's a under/over voltage sensed. Those $10-$100 strips you see at the store are just "taps" and basically glorified extender outlets with no protection besides tripping off if the connected components draw too much juice. Look for the word "tap" on the back of these, if it says that, it's not doing you any good. Skip the high-dollar cables too.

    I would pass on the service plan as well.. They make sense for big, expensive rear projection models in the $2000+ range, but tubes are pretty reliable.
     
  5. JorgeGvb

    JorgeGvb Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia Beach
    I have a Sony 36" that I bought a few years ago and I love it. I bought mine from www.Crutchfield.com. The price was right and they had free shipping when I bought it. It was delivered in set up right in my family room.

    I have a Sony SAT-HD200 HDTV Tuner. This is an excellent tuner and it was a great improvement over the HD100. If you are going to buy upgraded cables, I would pass on the Monster cables too. They are pretty expensive. The AR cables at BB are fine and are a lot less money. Of course, you could just get the cheap black RCA cables.

    I bought the Monster Power Strip you mentioned. However, I got it on eBay for about a 1/3 of the price that BB wanted. It was brand new, so bought it.

    If you want to learn more about HDTV, I would highly recommend visiting www.AVSForum.com. They have a lot of excellent forums about this topic. There also is a local area section forum. You might be able to find other folks in your area that sponsor a thread. We have an excellent one in my area. It is worth checking out.

    Hope it helps!
    Jorge
     
  6. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    I used to be opposed to buying service plans, but it really paid off when I had a problem with a new refrigerator that I bought from Sears. Even though I bought the service plan, I still had to battle up the line before they eventually gave me a brand new refrigerator. (long story short, they sent repair crew to my house twice, even though they knew that the part would not be in stock for over a month. I had to resort to the "lemon law")

    I wish that I had paid the extra $50 when I bought my All-in-One HP printer. For no apparant reason, it stopped working and it was only 15 months old. They estimated it would cost $246 to fix it! I opted to buy a new one for $199 plus the $50 for a 3 year contract.

    I bought a 27" Sony at Circuit City. For $90 I got 3 years worth of servicing where they will replace the television if there is a problem (I still have to lug it to the store, but it is worth the piece of mind. It covers the remote control also, which is about a $40 item)

    I have found that Circuit City's service plans are cheaper than other store's plans.

    I also bought the plan from Sears when I bought my Yamaha AV Receiver recently.
     
  7. merkinmuffley

    merkinmuffley Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Murphysboro, IL
    Thanks for all the great information. I see that Sony is offering a new wide-screen with an integrated tuner in July (KD-34XBR960) with a list price of $2,199.99. I think I'll wait and check that one out. Again, I appreciate the time all of you took to respond to my questions.
     
  8. Clay

    Clay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saratoga, CA
  9. merkinmuffley

    merkinmuffley Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Murphysboro, IL
    Thanks again. I see that 2 of the commercial stations I get ota are listed and, although it is not listed, my local public television station recently switched to digital transmission.
     
  10. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I currently have a SONY XBR Hi-Def tube that I love. Up until now, I have been using component cables from my Hi-Def cable box to my TV. Recently Comcast in my area has upgraded their software to where the DVI port is now active. Sounds like a DIV cable is at least $100....pretty pricey. It is worth it re pic quality to utilize the DVI port????
     
  11. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    Since you have a tube-based CRT TV, going from component video cables to DVI won't make a difference. Save that $100 towards a really nice DVD player!
     
  12. b&w

    b&w Forum Resident

    What exact model do you have...
     
  13. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    KV-30XBR910
     
  14. Rolf Erickson

    Rolf Erickson New Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Don't waste $ on silly cables and power accessories. Those are just high profit centers for the retailers. The guys on the thread are totally correct. Get the cheaper products and spend the $ on stuff that makes a difference. I own a 40" Sony tube TV from about 3 years ago. VEGA. with component in. Wonderful, I don't like the state of development yet on "flat" screen tech. The plasma is not yet stable, in a few years it goes bad, Dimmer, with poorer color, and other problems.. LCD has other probs, like Pixel death. Growing more with time, starts to get bad in a few years. Highly annoying for anyone who is a Quality Freak, like we are.. Ordinary Schnooks won't care much, But we are different...
     
  15. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Generally, I don't buy into this stuff about overprised cables and the like...but since the DVI connection is a different technology than component, I am wondering if that technology makes the picture better or if it is a waste of money in this instance...
     
  16. b&w

    b&w Forum Resident

    Thats one of Sony native 16X9 tubes. In my experience with that TV and the 34inch Sony's you will see a difference on HD material with a dvi cable. This is not voodoo technology or silly cables. It is a legitimate technology that improves picture quality over other cable types/connections. First of all you don't have to spend $100. I am including a link to a site I buy from. I am confident enough to use the cables in installations so that will tell you what I think of the quality. Just go with the shortest length that is reasonable for you so a meter or two and then figure out what ends you need by the chart at the bottom. Be aware that you might have to do a little tweaking to the settings vs component cables. Also of course this is all just my opinion. Good luck and post on here as to what you do as I am curious. Oh and I should give my customary plug for video essentials or avia and calibration, you have a great tv and should get 100% of the picture you can.
     
  17. SamS

    SamS Forum Legend

    Location:
    Texas
    In my experience, DVI/HDMI connections make the most difference in display devices that can accept the digital signal and display it digitally (DLP), one ones that the digital DVI/HDMI signal matches the native scan rate of a fixed pixel display (LCOS, LCD). Since your set displays scan lines in an analog manner, the "digital bits" that travel down that DVI wire have to be converted to analog eventually for your set to display them. The only way DVI will be better than component video is if your TV has a better digital->analog converter than your HD set-top box. Also, you may check your Sony regarding picture adjustments when using a DVI input. I don't recall about your particular model, but many sets lock out picture controls like color, tint and formatting options when using DVI input.

    Stick with component IMO.
     
  18. Jay Casey

    Jay Casey New Member

    Location:
    City, State
    Here is a link that will tell you what stations are in your area, as well as where and how far away they are. It will also help you select an antenna.

    www.antennaweb.org

    I have a 55" 16 X 9 Mitsubishi that has the built-in digital tuner (a MUST HAVE, IMHO) that picks up all digital signals over the air. In my area, all major networks broadcast prime time in HDTV over the air. NASCAR and Monday Night Football are incredible, and PBS has an all HDTV channel here that broadcasts some really good concerts (with surround soundtrack). Once you go digital/HDTV, you'll never go back to analog!!!
     
  19. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I undertsand that the digital-analog converter on my set is supposed to be very good...I would guess better than the cable box....
     
  20. b&w

    b&w Forum Resident

    I am curious if you actually have viewed any of the Sony 16X9 tube XBR900 series tvs? I'll say it again, from my own experience with these exact tvs there is a difference for the better between component and dvi with an HD source. You can read reviews about the 16X9 XBR900 series from the SGTHT, Perfect Vision, Secrets of Home Theater that all say they have seen differences for the better between dvi and component inputs with these tvs. I would suggest rpdugan you go over to the www.avsforum.com and do some searching through there tube tv area. You can even post your question there so people who actually have your tv can give there comments. For the $30 or $40 it will cost you for a cable it's well worth it in my opinion. Good luck...
     
  21. Pinknik

    Pinknik Senior Member

    I own the Monster power strip and I like it. It's rugged and has plenty of outlets on it. Has ground lifting/surge protecting coax ins on it as well, which helped clean up the analog cable signal I have, AND removed the hum I was getting on my tube amp. However, what you might want to look into, was the supposed fact that Monster makes the exact same power strip for COMPUTER USE, and it costs much less, even new, than the AUDIO version. I read this somewhere, so I can't confirm it, but if it's true, I think it'd be worth the price.
     
  22. macready

    macready New Member

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    I would highly recommend Monster Video 3 cables, they are some of the best video cables available. Regardless of what others say, quality video cables are very important.
     
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