So my HDTV is only a couple weeks old now. I'm sitting here watching PBS (Wired Science, if you're wondering what show) in gorgeous crystal clear 1080i with Dolby Digital surround sound... and I'm getting it over a pair of fucking rabbit ears.
I only get a couple of digital (ATSC) channels with my antenna (only a couple of the local broadcasters have made the switch to digital), but those I do get come in perfectly clear. I mean, this makes my digital cable look like horse shit, and it's completely free. I can't get over it. I never thought I'd use rabbit ears again, but here I am. It's some weird mish-mash of old and new technology and it's totally fucking awesome.
So here's the question... why the the hell isn't everyone doing this? Why is the FCC mandated digital switch-over date constantly pushed back? I mean, the sound and image are great even in standard def. Everyone could use those same old antennas, get a new tuner and viola. Perfect picture, perfect sound. Just makes no damn sense to me. OTA digital television is the best thing ever.
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Find someone with a HDTV that only does 480i/p and 1080i with component inputs. Watch what happens when you plug a PS3 in and you want to play in 720. Watch what happens when you have a box that requires HDCP.
I knew someone who bought an HDTV, and got digital cable, and then PLUGGED THE COAX INTO THE TV. He thought HD = 16:9. He went almost two years paying for HD content, not even realizing he never even saw it.
I too am a poor college student, but I recently snagged myself a 32" LCD HDTV for about 500 wingwangs. Not much different than what a poor college student would pay for a goddamn video game console these days.
Erm... coax can carry an HD signal afaik. And that's what Wikipedia tells me.
Edit: A quick look tells me, yes this is true, but also that most cable boxes won't output the signal over it.
I only get the local channels and PBS in HD though. If the cable company's basic HD subscription didn't suck so much my family would probably get it.
It seems like almost everybody who has an HDTV doesn't know what the hell they're doing with it. A lot of them don't get HD content on their TVs, stretch the aspect ratio, and have their shit hooked up with composite cables.
Stores and cable/satellite companies need to do a better job educating customers about HD. The results of Best Buy's HD survey don't reflect well on the company: http://consumerist.com/consumer/survey-says/best-buy-says-you-dont-know-what-youre-doing-with-hd-303617.php
I'll end up fixing it up for him, but I'm a damn engineer and it takes me research to figure out what all this shit means if I don't keep up with it.
We get digital cable but no HD is offered, not even QAM, from our po-dunk small town provider. Not much choice living out in the sticks. None the less, OTA is still fantastic, I just wish I got more channels. Those other local stations need to make the switch, damnit.
I wonder why people get so confused about HD. It's not really that hard to understand. Maybe it's a generational thing...