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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2008-01-09          150089

Well my my brother just got a 50" plasma TV last week and got Directv HDTV yesterday. He hooked it up to his Bose system for surround sound. So he now takes the somewhat unusual position for him as the entertainment technology leader in our family.

Have you taken the plunge? Planning too?

Plazma or LCD?
720P or 1080P?
Dish or DirecTV, Cable ?

Wiring? I heard that the new HDTV satellite dish is quite large and has 5 cables coming out of it. I only have two wires routed from the roof to the basement where I have my distribution panel to all the rooms. I have a zimwell switch at the panel in the basement. I read that a switch is built into the slimline Directv HDTV dish. It has 5 LNB's one for OA. OA I think stands for Off Air? Not sure what that is, would I even use it? So I was wondering if their is a way to take the five cables from the dish and multiplex them with a swrich in the attic down to two cables that run to the basement to my distribution panel where another switch would demultiplex them for distribution? Possible?

Since my dish is on the gable of my roof the size could be ugly, might need chimney mount.

The biggest barrier is my wife, though she is petite and around 100 pounds, she carries more weight than I do when it comes to interior design issues. She is wed to keeping the 32" TV in the custom cabinet we bought 15 years ago. Has anyone tried hypnotism to aid their spouse in forgetting about that old TV cabinet? Any strategies?



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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-09          150090

I've been looking at it, but will likely hold off till technology and prices settle a bit.

I already have HDTV (1080p on a big screen) if I watch a DVD.

In my case the TV is part of the Man Cave, she's not a big TV fan, so it's my call what equipment we watch. Although, she has given me the go ahead on a smaller LCD TV for the front room, that way we can sit in front of the fire and still watch TV.

Best of luck. ....

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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2008-01-09          150096

We have a 32" HDTV ready CRT TV that is around five years old. It works fine and easily fits into our built-in entertainment center cabinet so we're happy. When it dies we'll probably get a 40" LCD and be happy. 40" is the largest that will fit in a cabinet and a major remodel is not in the cards. I've heard that Plasma TVs have a much shorter lifespan than LCD and that would be a major deciding factor in which technology to buy. ....

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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-09          150098

A note to anyone thinking about a flat screen (LCD or plasma).

At the consumer electronics expo. in Las Vegas this week they just announced a new wireless protocol for televisions being promoted by a group of manufacturers including LG Electronics, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and Intel called WirelessHD.

In basic terms, if you buy one of these new TV's all you have to do is plug it in to electricity, there is no need to run any other cables to it at all.

There are also several other companies are also promoting similar ideas. In fact LG and NetFlix has just announced a deal whereby the new LG TV's will be able to receive a movie on demand directly from the internet via wireless technology also.

Best of luck. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2008-01-14          150212


Sony at 50" with hdtv to keep the little lady busy. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2008-01-15          150219

We really don't have a room long enough for the really big screen TV. Brother in law and one son have them but their living rooms are like 30 ft. long. Far as the HDTV, we are happy with what we have now so we are just going to wait till maybe the prices go down. For right now we have a cable system with two boxes in both houses on just common 27 inch, (I think) TV's. Mrs. likes movies and sports on her box, I watch History, Discovery, Speed, CNN, RFD, the rest is mostly garbage in my judgement. Frank. ....

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2008-01-15          150225

Sony Bravia 40 inch LCD 720p. No cable or satellite, so get our HD broadcast over-the-air through our antenna. Got an upconverting DVD player for the DVD's and that was well worth it. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-15          150227

The other question is, how will the elimination of traditional analog TV signals next year affect the way people watch TV?

Anybody here who watches local stations off an antennae planning on switching to cable or satellite or something else because of the change?

Best of luck. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2008-01-15          150231

C-span addressed the issue last night in a program and it sounds like a mess. As of February 17, 2009 no analog broadcasts will be done. The government has sold these frequencies for other uses after this date. I have 5 old style TV's. It is my understanding that even with cable, we will need a converter box. For those less fortunate, the government will distribute coupons to the needy for a discounted price for the box. The coupon is only good for 3 months to get the purchase. No body is selling the box yet. The manufacturers and retailers are looking forward into cashing in on this deal. Atleast 15 millon people need to get a box or purchase a new TV.

Our local cable company wants to sell us an up-graded service and include the box for $6.00 per month. I can't imagine how much the box will cost for signal conversion when purchasing it. The cable company wants to rent me the box now and give me a digital image. Wonder where they are getting the box now since none are available on the retail market. Figure its smoke and mirrors.

I don't need a digital picture. We have a limited cable agreement and only get 78 channels. 20 minutes of every hour are ads, we get many unwanted channels and lots of sports which I'm not into. I don't need a clearer picture. Likewise, commercials don't need to be clearer. Beyond the stuff previously mentioned, the rest is reruns anyway.

I could rent a video every evening and limit my viewing to 1 1/2 hours and be further ahead. For news, etc. I can go to the internet. Unfortunately, I don't think there will be any deals as Murf as hoped for, until after the deadline is over for a while. ....

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randywatson
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 109 texas
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2008-01-15          150234

I did the deed a while back upgraded from an 15 yr old tv to a new, pioneer 50 plasma, yamaha receiver for surround with automatic upgrade to near high def of any imput, direct tv TVo hd package, but not the 5 lnb, only HD on several stations not lots of stations, out fit cost a bundle but wife loves tv and movies,

as far as the step down from 5 to two back to 5, I'm not sure ask direct tv service to see what they say but I think when I was adding a line from my current dish for tvo, they told me on the new 5 lnb dish it would be stepped down to two lines to feed the receiver and you would have the high def on lotsa of stations.

Have not made that large dish upgrade yet.

Oh yea, almost forgot, the new entertaiment center ho hold all the crap...

....

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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY
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2008-01-16          150250

Art I meant to get to this quicker.

The TV keeps the little lady busy?

Is that you sitting in the chair in front of it snapping your fingers and grunting every so often so she can get you a snack or beverage?

I do pause the movie for mine while she fetches something... ....

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Flat Screen TV and HDTV got it or going to get it

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2008-01-21          150489


When dinner is done, she heads on into the living room and turns on the big box. She pretty much stays there unless she moves in and takes over the computer in the side room and plays her games and watches a 20".
When I do sit in front of a TV I have about ten to fifteen minutes before I fall asleep. That includes all but car or educational shows but I still might fall asleep during a commercial. I have enough trouble finding the time to live my life much less watch someone elses. ....

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