A couple of questions to kick off my HDTV research... Over the air...is this just for people who do not have satelite or digital cable? I have Dish Network...would I still need a roof antenna for HD local broadcasts? Tuner...Do I need an expensive set top tuner or built in tuner or would an upgrade on my Dish network reciever do the job?...or do I need both. Prices...how far do you see them falling and how soon...what do you see a high quality appx.50" wide HDTV monitor going for in June?...August?...October?...Christmas? Any suggestions on models to watch out for a good deal on...(80% TV but dont mind the strech mode Ive seen in Circit City 20% DVD currently but a new set will change the ratio) What new features should I hold off for? Background- my next TV will be wide HDTV...no interem purchases are possible.
1) Yes, you'll still need an antenna for OTA broadcasts - At least until DISH/DirecTV starts carrying your local HD broadcasts, which may never happen due to bandwidth restrictions. 2) If you want to receive both OTA and satelite, you'll need a HD receiver that can tune both types - There are some "OTA-only" tuners, and will not work with DISH/DirecTV receivers. But most DirecTV/Dish receivers tune both OTA and their respective service. 3) I've seen 53" sets going for as low as 1800 new (Sony HS20/30 series). 4) Hold off for sets that are equipped with a HDCP compliant DVI port. Right now, HDCP doesn't make analog HD obsolete, because it doesn't apply to analog - only digital DVI. BUT, DTCP is the thing to watch out for, which has all the provisions for "image-constraint" on analog outputs. If you don't have a HDCP/DVI port, you may be forced to watch a down-rezed signal for certain content. There is talk about digital watermarking, which will do away with the need to use image constraint, but until it's singed and sealed, I consider DTCP to be a threat to current HDTV owners. You'll be ok if you have a HDCP/DVI port, as you'll be able to avoid any DTCP restrictions. -Ryan Dinan
