HD on SD TV (1 Viewer)

[Tom Pielech]

I am currently in the process of upgrading our home theater to a HD setup. I currently have a 7 year old Sony WEGA and Direct TV service. Would you recommend that I upgrade my DirectTV service to HD service first and then install the HD TV?

Also, would the DTV HD channels look better than my current SD service on my current TV?

Thanks, I have been a long time lurker on this forum and appreciate the wisdom of the members of this forum.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Six of one, half-a-dozen of the other. If you upgrade your service first, you pay a few extra bucks a month for no gain and you shell out for and HD receiver or DVR. OTOH, you're immediately ready to go the day your HDTV arrives. If you get the TV first your current DVDs will look a lot better, but most of your TV channels will look worse on your HDTV. (That is just the nature of things with an HD set being fed marginal source material.)

If you're going to do both in fairly quick succession (say within the same month) I'd say get the new satellite service first so you can enjoy your HDTV almost as soon as it is plugged in. (Realisitically you'll need to adjust the picture first with Digital Video Essentials or Avia Guide to Home Theater or a similar consumer calibration disc.)


Doubtful. They would be downconverted to NTSC analog before being sent to your TV and I doubt starting out as "HD signals" would make any real difference in the final image. OTOH, I've never seen an HD cable or satellite channel displayed on an SDTV, so I can't say for sure.

Regards,

Joe

 

[JeremyErwin]

They'll look about as good as a DVD, and probably no better.

 

[Tom Pielech]

Thanks for the advice. I will be doing things in quick order (within the same month) so I will probably go ahead and upgrade my directTV service in advance. I like the idea of being able to plug the new HDTV right into HD service right away.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Just don't forget the calibration before you start watching or you're apt to have the "new HD owner near coronary" when you first look at you TV signal on the thing. And welcome to the world of HD.

Regards,

Joe