HDTV Broadcast Questions

[hershon]

I finally got my HD Receiver/Box/Tuner whatever you call it from the cable company this morning so I can now watch HD Broadcasts (I have standard package right now which includes networks, Discovery & HBO & Showtime- I might upgrade later).

My question for you guys is, while the picture was fantastic, the entire screen was filled up only on Discovery, HBO & Showtime (this was about 11:00 AM) while the network shows including the commercials also had a great picture, there were, though unobtrusive, black bars on the left and right of the picture. I called up the cable company and they said that meant those were non HDTV broadcasts. Are they right? For some reason on the 1081 broadcasts or input I could only change format to HDTV expand and the picture looked too distorted so I reverted back to standard 1081. On a different input on my TV I can do 480 stretch, zoom , expand and about 9 things total but for 1081 input I can only do HDTV standard & expand. Is this all correct or do I need to get a technician to fine tune my TV?

In regards to my DVD, it appears I can only play this on an input that allows 480 not 1081picture. Is this correct?

[BRANDONH]

The black bars are normal when viewing Non-HD signals.
Plug the composite out on DVD to composite in on the TV.
The TV will select the input signal as 480p automatically if you have a progressive scan DVD player.
If you do not have a progressive scan DVD the TV will use the built in line doubler.

[JeffKnob]

You are getting the bars on the sides during many shows on the broadcast channels because not all of the shows on the broadcast channels are in HD. They will only be in HD if they say they are.

You will only be able to display in 480i or 480p when viewing a DVD. DVD's are not in a HD format. Maybe in a couple years they will have decided on the new format for home video (BluRay or HD-DVD...I think that is right) and that will be HD. You can buy DVD players that upconvert the 480 lines to 1080 or 720 but I am not sure how well that works because you are essentially having the player guess on 600 lines to get it from 480 line to 1080 lines.

[hershon]

Thanks for your input, appreciate it.

You are getting the bars on the sides during many shows on the broadcast channels because not all of the shows on the broadcast channels are in HD. They will only be in HD if they say they are.

You will only be able to display in 480i or 480p when viewing a DVD. DVD's are not in a HD format. Maybe in a couple years they will have decided on the new format for home video (BluRay or HD-DVD...I think that is right) and that will be HD. You can buy DVD players that upconvert the 480 lines to 1080 or 720 but I am not sure how well that works because you are essentially having the player guess on 600 lines to get it from 480 line to 1080 lines.

[BRANDONH]

Your welcome.
Hd net has good hd programming. It is all the time HD.
Now that you have HD do you wonder now how you ever lived with out it?
I can't stand low definition now that I have HD.
check out these sites:
http://www.hdtv.net/
http://www.titantv.com

[hershon]

I really haven't had much time to look at it but will tonight. If I become addicted to it, is it worth buying a 27" one (for my bedroom) and if so any under $700 you'd recommend?

Your welcome.
Hd net has good hd programming. It is all the time HD.
Now that you have HD do you wonder now how you ever lived with out it?
I can't stand low definition now that I have HD.
check out these sites:
http://www.hdtv.net/
http://www.titantv.com

[BRANDONH]

I really haven't had much time to look at it but will tonight. If I become addicted to it, is it worth buying a 27" one (for my bedroom) and if so any under $700 you'd recommend?

Here are some to look at for under 700.00
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&skuId=6407836

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....&skuId=6423738

[traut]

...the entire screen was filled up only on Discovery, HBO & Showtime (this was about 11:00 AM) while the network shows including the commercials also had a great picture, there were, though unobtrusive, black bars on the left and right of the picture. I called up the cable company and they said that meant those were non HDTV broadcasts.

Hersh,

There should be a seperate channel for HD for each of the networks. Are you tuning into the "new" channels, or the old ones that you used to use? For instance, my cable company (Comcast) broadcasts standard definition networks on channels 4, 5, 8 and 11, but the HD channels are in the 600s. My friend, who gets his over the air, has to tune in to channels 4.1, 5.1, 8.1, etc. You may be viewing the SD channels for the networks. Most of the higher rated prime time shows broadcast in HD, so if you're not seeing anything in HD on the networks, you're probably viewing the wrong channels.

[hershon]

Thanks for your response. There are seperate HD channels for NBC, Fox, Etc. even TNT for some bizarre reason and I take it, like my man said previously, the shows which are not broadcast in HDTV have the bars. For instance, I watched "Lost" on ABC last night and it was perfect- full screen ,etc. This morning some news show on that channel had the bars on the side. What I can't figure out is that the "regular non HD shows" on the HD channel look alot better (even with the bars) than the same show on the regular cable channel. IE, I think my HDTV ABC channel is 1107 or something like that and if I watch a show on that channel, the picture even though its not an HD broadcast looks alot better than the same show on channel 7 (even if I stretch, zoom, etc.). Albeit the 1107 channel is on 1081 channel/input and the 7 channel is on the 480 input. Appologize if I'm not articulating this well, the terminology is new to me.

As someone posted earlier, once you have HDTV you'll never go back, the picture is that good. The only thing I'm having a slight problem on, it may be a mental one, for some reason I need to have some lights on in the room when watching HDTV at night, with the lights all out and the room pitch black somehow I don't enjoy the picture as much as I do with some lighting on in my place. Anyone experience this as well and what did you do, if you did?

Hersh,

There should be a seperate channel for HD for each of the networks. Are you tuning into the "new" channels, or the old ones that you used to use? For instance, my cable company (Comcast) broadcasts standard definition networks on channels 4, 5, 8 and 11, but the HD channels are in the 600s. My friend, who gets his over the air, has to tune in to channels 4.1, 5.1, 8.1, etc. You may be viewing the SD channels for the networks. Most of the higher rated prime time shows broadcast in HD, so if you're not seeing anything in HD on the networks, you're probably viewing the wrong channels.

[BRANDONH]

The only thing I'm having a slight problem on, it may be a mental one, for some reason I need to have some lights on in the room when watching HDTV at night, with the lights all out and the room pitch black somehow I don't enjoy the picture as much as I do with some lighting on in my place. Anyone experience this as well and what did you do, if you did?

Avia Guide to Home Theater Home theater information and setup DVD

http://www.enotalone.com/electronics/630551982X.html

check out the above link

[hershon]

Thanks for all your help Brandon. One question for you though which I still don't understand- on my HD Cable service, there are about 10 or so HD channels which differ from the regular channels- IE ABC HD is 1107 and ABC regular is 7. When I'm on the HD ABC channel fro example, while I see shows like "Lost" on the full widescreen HD broadcast, at times I see other shows with the slight black bars but that same show's picture if I switch to the regular ABC channel, still looks 1000 times better on the HD channel. Does that mean it is broadcasting at HD even with black side bars? If not, why do I get a much better picture on the HD channel then the regular channel for a non HD broadcast?

Avia Guide to Home Theater Home theater information and setup DVD

http://www.enotalone.com/electronics/630551982X.html

check out the above link

[BRANDONH]

When I'm on the HD ABC channel fro example, while I see shows like "Lost" on the full widescreen HD broadcast, at times I see other shows with the slight black bars but that same show's picture if I switch to the regular ABC channel, still looks 1000 times better on the HD channel. Does that mean it is broadcasting at HD even with black side bars? If not, why do I get a much better picture on the HD channel then the regular channel for a non HD broadcast?

I think I understand your question:
When viewing a non-hd signal on say the ABC HD channel 1107 is the picture better because it is a digital signal and the ABC standard channel 7 is an analog signal.
Digital beats analog (because of band width) that's why the HD channel looks better even when viewing a non-hd source (black bars).