My Samsung SIR-T165 HDTV receiver has arrived! (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

Hmmm... Interesting. I just noticed that I should also be able to get FOX now according to www.antennaweb.org. Cool! Does anyone know what "FCC Extension" means under Live Date w/ the antenna/broadcast search at that site? That's what it says for NBC and WB in the NYC area.
That's too bad about the discontinued antennas. Guess I'll check the local stores to see if I can find a good indoor alternative.
_Man_

 

[Patrick Sun]

I'm sure people at work would wonder why I spent time online researching and sourcing antennas...
The thing about FCC extension stuff might be referring to the loss of the broadcast antennas from the WTC tragedy from 9/11. I'm not sure how many channels are now back up and running w/r/t HDTV broadcasts in NYC.
More datapoints: I was watching Antz and Final Fantasy on DVD in 480p and I did not notice the slight waviness at the bottom of the picture today. I wonder if the T165 stabilizes after a while with its upconversion of 480p to 1080i.
Direct connect of the component cables into the TV looks just a tad better (but I can't state an opinion on the correct OAR since my RPTV doesn't do the 16x9 squeeze for 480p input) but I will get by on the T165's upconversion so I can watch DVDs in the correct OAR with 16x9 squeeze applied to it.
But I did notice that the upconversion is not instaneous, there is a very slight delay in the sync of the video output with the audio output (with the video lagging the audio, of course). I noticed it on Antz but as you let the scene run longer, the video upconversion seems to practically catch up with the audio. For regular non-animated fare, the problem isn't that much of a nuisance either.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Doug_B wrote:
This was done to accommodate your TV's limitation of squeeze only on 1080i input, correct? For those of us with displays that support 720p, it appears that the T165 can output a 720p signal. Unfortunately, it appears from the manual that the only way to set the output resolution for component output is via a rear "Resolution Select Switch". I guess this is the way you get 1080i out for ABC. Wish there was at least a way to change the resolution with the remote, but it doesn't appear that there is.

Doug, I was wondering what you would use for 720p and took a look at your HT page, but don't see any display for 720p (or even 480p). Are you planning to get a new TV that does 720p (or 768p) natively?
Most CRT-based displays do not handle 720p natively, but upconvert to 1080i from what I read.
BTW, your audio setup seems quite overwhelming compared to the 35" TV. I've never heard of Soundline Audio before, but then, I haven't kept up w/ the audiophile scene in a long time. Do planar ribbon speakers really work well for HT sound? Just wondering...
RE: the FCC extention thing, I hope NBC and WB don't use the 9/11 tragedy as an excuse to delay HD OTA broadcasts. It looks like CBS, FOX and PBS are up and running now while everything else is expected around 5/03, except NBC and WB.
_Man_

 

[Leif Wall]

I'm also wondering what "FCC Extension" means. As that's what it lists the HD CBS station near me. With PBS and NBC coming this year, I may indeed pick up a Samsung STB soon.

 

[Doug_B]

Man-Fai,

BTW, your audio setup seems quite overwhelming compared to the 35" TV. I've never heard of Soundline Audio before, but then, I haven't kept up w/ the audiophile scene in a long time. Do planar ribbon speakers really work well for HT sound? Just wondering

I was very happy to kick the measly 35 incher out of the room . The Soundlines use a popular manufacturer of the ribbon driver known as Bohlender-Graebener. IMO, planar ribbons work well for any type of audio, period. The mains are great with musical scores on film, and the center speaker does great with dialog, esp. when not glued to the top of the TV. Do note that my primary intent for going with the Soundlines (or for any speaker I would have selected) was for 2 channel audio.
You're welcome to visit if you're ever interested in checking out the system.
Doug

 

[Patrick Sun]

Actually there are just over 1 million pixels with 1080i resolution, and just under 1 million pixels with 720p (I didn't remember the math, but you can figure it out if you're so inclined), so it's basically a wash between the 2 resolutions, and the human eye can't really tell the difference easily.

Good grief, HDTV even makes Jay Leno watchable! It's amazing how lifelike the Tonight Show broadcast is, and the color palette on that show is good demo material for HDTV.