To HDTV or Not to HDTV? 478
fishrokka asks: "I'm considering buying an HDTV, but before I jump in I wanted to get Slashdot's opinion. The demos I've seen at
stores look great, but is it worth the extra money? I would love to
hear some real-life experiences..." I have yet to actually go
out and see a demo of HDTV, but from what I hear, it's markedly better
than the current analog technology. Although there are HDTV
broadcasts to be found today, the FCC deadline for adoption of the format is not until sometime in 2006. Are the current HDTV implementations worth the pricetags, especially when one can limp along
with their existing TVs for another 4 years?
Re:I think it's a bad idea... (Score:5, Funny)
I'm scared! (Score:4, Funny)
Everyone I know who has done so has, to a man, come back to me and said "It's amazing - you don't know what you're missing!"
Yep, that's right, I don't know what I'm missing. I know my NeverTwicetheSameColor TV sucks, but I'm not sure just how bad. If I find
out, it's liable to be an expensive revelation.
Ignorance is bliss
existing tv is limping along? (Score:3, Funny)
invest that $10,000 you're about to spend on a brain cell wastage device in a good cause like a donation to the EFF [eff.org] so that you can actually record some of those digital HDTV broadcasts in the future...
HDTV & Australia (Score:3, Funny)
http://www.chaser.com.au/show_story.asp?ID=349&ED= 44&NAME=None
Digital TV passes exciting tenth subscriber milestone
CANBERRA, Wednesday: Television executives celebrated with Federal Communications Minister Richard Alston after Australia's new digital TV networks chalked up their tenth subscriber earlier this week. "They said we'd never make it to double figures, but we've shown them," Alston said. "And what's even better is that we've shown them in high-quality widescreen!"
Alston believes that the future is bright. "We taxpayers gave all of that free broadcasting spectrum to the Packers, and it's inconceivable that public-spirited people like them would give us nothing in return," he said.
The new subscriber, Bertrand Williams, joins an exclusive club of digital TV owners including Alston himself, John Howard and the Packer family. Mr Williams is also unique because he is the first subscriber who has actually paid for their set. Williams says he was convinced to buy one of the extremely expensive digital televisions after a salesperson at the SonyCentral store in Chatswood told him that conventional televisions would soon become obsolete.
"I should have asked her for more details before I paid for it," Williams said. "Her subsequent estimate of 2030 might be wrong, though - some experts have said digital TV may become dominant as early as 2025."
But Williams' family says it was a good decision nonetheless. "Digital TV is really cool, it has heaps of great features" his teenage son Billy said. "Because it's widescreen, I can get much more out of the cricket. You can see much more grass on either side of the batsman. Plus you can change camera angles, although when I try that, I generally find myself watching Stumpcam while someone takes a brilliant catch in the deep."
Williams' daughter Louise has also really enjoyed the widescreen technology, which she says makes it far easier to fit all five Backstreet Boys onscreen at the same time Alston claims that digital TV is already incredibly popular, at least at his place. "Once you've tried digital, it's hard to go back," Alston insists. Williams agrees, saying that he has tried, but the shop insisted that his TV was completely non-refundable.
Re:I think it's a bad idea... (Score:3, Funny)
Replace the drek currently on TV with XXX high-resolution porn and see how quickly the public changes its mind. They'll want just one extremely high resolution channel.
Re:I'm scared! (Score:2, Funny)
I work in the broadcast industry! I'm at a small market tv station somewhere in Florida. We have yet to purchase ANY HDTV or digital gear. We are waiting for the FCC to get off their lazy butts and grant us a digital channel. The cost of a digital transmitter is in the millions, and their decision determines just how many millions we will have to spend! On top of that, the Chairman of the FCC has stated that Television is a waste of bandwidth! Well I feel so much better for picking this career path now!
Yes, buy a Digital High Definition Television so I can keep my job!