"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:05:36 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:
Does anyone know if HD is available via satellite? One of my goals
for the year is to get satellite TV for the boat and then figure out
how to pipe it into the house when we are home, followed closely by
kissing the cable company goodbye.


Both DISH and DirecTV offer HD programming. An HD capable sat receiver is
required. As far as sat TV for the boat and home, not a tough deal to
accomplish. I'm a DISH subscriber. I pay the going rate for my service
package at home, and for an extra $5 per month I can have an additional
receiver access my account. In my case, the additional receiver resides
permanently on the boat. I started with DirecTV years ago with a receiver
only on the boat. I liked the service so well, I wanted to add it to the
house. DirecTV offers the same $5 monthly rate for an additional receiver,
but stipulates that both receivers be attached to the same telephone line.
I have no hard-wired telephone service at the dock in the marina, so DirecTV
wanted to charge me a full service subscription for the second receiver.
Dish has no such restrictions, and was happy to let me have the second
receiver anywhere I wanted it, with only the $5 extra monthly fee. Works
great for me. Before I subscribed to satellite TV, I briefly tried Cox's
digital cable service and didn't care for it. I like the DISH service much
better. I have basic cable going to the less important TV's in the house
and Cox's broadband cable internet service, which is terrific.

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 12:45:02 -0700, "RG" wrote:

Both DISH and DirecTV offer HD programming. An HD capable sat receiver is
required. As far as sat TV for the boat and home, not a tough deal to
accomplish. I'm a DISH subscriber. I pay the going rate for my service
package at home, and for an extra $5 per month I can have an additional
receiver access my account. In my case, the additional receiver resides
permanently on the boat. I started with DirecTV years ago with a receiver
only on the boat. I liked the service so well, I wanted to add it to the
house. DirecTV offers the same $5 monthly rate for an additional receiver,
but stipulates that both receivers be attached to the same telephone line.
I have no hard-wired telephone service at the dock in the marina, so DirecTV
wanted to charge me a full service subscription for the second receiver.
Dish has no such restrictions, and was happy to let me have the second
receiver anywhere I wanted it, with only the $5 extra monthly fee. Works
great for me. Before I subscribed to satellite TV, I briefly tried Cox's
digital cable service and didn't care for it. I like the DISH service much
better. I have basic cable going to the less important TV's in the house
and Cox's broadband cable internet service, which is terrific.

==================

Thanks, good information.

When you say "additional receiver", I assume you mean receiver and
antenna both?

..

When you say "additional receiver", I assume you mean receiver and
antenna both?


Yes. Since the boat is some 50 miles away from home, a second dish is
pretty much a requirement. The cost of the hardware (specially the dish
antennas) is chump change. The cost of the service is directly proportional
to the number of premium channels you subscribe to, just like with cable.
If you are considering the move to a satellite service, by all means get a
receiver with a built-in digital video recorder (same concept as TIVO). I
can tell you that it will absolutely change the way you think about, plan
for, and ultimately watch TV, and all for the better. The nice part of
having the DVR incorporated with the sat receiver is it cuts down on space
requirements and cabling, and you use the native guide for selecting
recording events. Way cool.

On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:13:44 -0700, "RG" wrote:

When you say "additional receiver", I assume you mean receiver and
antenna both?


Yes. Since the boat is some 50 miles away from home, a second dish is
pretty much a requirement. The cost of the hardware (specially the dish
antennas) is chump change. The cost of the service is directly proportional
to the number of premium channels you subscribe to, just like with cable.
If you are considering the move to a satellite service, by all means get a
receiver with a built-in digital video recorder (same concept as TIVO). I
can tell you that it will absolutely change the way you think about, plan
for, and ultimately watch TV, and all for the better. The nice part of
having the DVR incorporated with the sat receiver is it cuts down on space
requirements and cabling, and you use the native guide for selecting
recording events. Way cool.

Thanks again.

JimH wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

Eisboch wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...


JimH wrote:


I guess so. We do not have digital cable or HD tv sets so the S-video
works just fine for us.


Comcast hasn't gone to "digital" cable in your part of the country?


Many subscribers, me included up until a few days ago, just have a basic
cable service meaning there is no cable box. The cable is simply hooked
up to the VHF antenna input on the TV and you use the TV tuner to choose
the channels. In this case, all channels are analog.

Eisboch

We updated a year ago to digital.
Getting ready for the big shift to HDTV in the near future.
(read:...saving for the TV)


When all channels in the US go digital (I believe in 2008 or 2009) there
will be no need to upgrade your TV's to HD if you have cable.


Huh?
HD and digital are two different things.
If you want the best quality picture, you must buy a HD TV which taked
full advantage of the HD signals that most stations are ramping up.

Harry Krause wrote:
Don White wrote:

Eisboch wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

JimH wrote:

I guess so. We do not have digital cable or HD tv sets so the
S-video works just fine for us.


Comcast hasn't gone to "digital" cable in your part of the country?


Many subscribers, me included up until a few days ago, just have a
basic cable service meaning there is no cable box. The cable is
simply hooked up to the VHF antenna input on the TV and you use the
TV tuner to choose the channels. In this case, all channels are analog.

Eisboch

We updated a year ago to digital.
Getting ready for the big shift to HDTV in the near future.
(read:...saving for the TV)



When you are ready to buy, take a long look at the glass tube flat
screen HD TVs before you pay extra for one of the thin screens. It is
still true that the glass tube TVs produce better pictures, and without
your being able to see pixels. And, of course, the viewing angle with a
glass tube TV is still wider than that of an LCD or plasma (overpriced)
screen.


I've been keeping close watch on Consumer Reports magazine (just paid
the $12.00 US so I could search online) for any ecommendations in HD
TVs. Quite a choice between the CRT type, LCDs, Plasma & DLP.
I'll increase my research when I get close to buying one.
My smaller living room (in a WW2 era house) calls for a 32" max.
Anything bigger is getting hard to lug around.

"Don White" wrote in message
...
JimH wrote:
"Don White" wrote in message
...

Eisboch wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...


JimH wrote:


I guess so. We do not have digital cable or HD tv sets so the S-video
works just fine for us.


Comcast hasn't gone to "digital" cable in your part of the country?


Many subscribers, me included up until a few days ago, just have a
basic cable service meaning there is no cable box. The cable is simply
hooked up to the VHF antenna input on the TV and you use the TV tuner to
choose the channels. In this case, all channels are analog.

Eisboch

We updated a year ago to digital.
Getting ready for the big shift to HDTV in the near future.
(read:...saving for the TV)


When all channels in the US go digital (I believe in 2008 or 2009) there
will be no need to upgrade your TV's to HD if you have cable.
Huh?
HD and digital are two different things.

I never said otherwise Don.

Harry Krause wrote:


I happen to have a recent vintage, SONY CRT HD monitor, 34" wide, and it
weighs 200 pounds, plus. It has what SONY calls an FD Trinitron Wega
picture tube. It happens to be the largest size screen that would fit
into the space I had, and when I bought it some months ago, I looked
very carefully at the plasma and LCD screens. To my eyes, the glass tube
monitor looked best. Our local "BestBuy" store has a huge selection of
big screen TVs of all types, and has viewing rooms, too. The plasmas
aren't bad, but they still do not outperform the glass tube models.


Here's what Consumer Reports says...

TV types: Weigh pros, cons, and prices

Today's market offers everything from familiar picture-tube TVs in new
shapes and sizes to jumbo rear-projection sets and flat-panel LCD
displays and plasma TVs that can be mounted on a wall. Each has pros and
cons, and there are vast differences in price. A growing number of the
TVs you'll find in stores are high-definition (HD) models. For more
details on these sets, see our HDTV report.

The main television choices available today a

Conventional picture-tube TVs Picture-tube TVs
The familiar sets with CRTs (cathode-ray tubes).
Quick take: Still tops for picture quality, these offer wide selection
and the best value.
Common screen sizes: 13 to 36 inches.
Typical selling prices: For HD-ready sets--about $800 for a 32-inch 4:3
set; $1,300 for a 34-inch wide-screen model. For standard-definition
analog sets--about $200 to $400 for a 27-inch set; $350 to $600 for a
32-inch model.
Pros: Least expensive type of TV, still the standard for best picture
quality. Mature technology with proven reliability and long life. No
limit on viewing angle.
Cons: Maximum screen size limited to 36 inches. Bulky, at 2 feet deep or
more. Heavy, with larger sets weighing 100 pounds or more.

LCD TVs LCD TVs
Like flat-panel computer displays, these thin sets have a backlight and
thousands of red, green, and blue pixels that open or close to let light
through, creating colorful images.
Quick take: Trendy flat screen with decent picture quality, but larger
screen sizes are more expensive than other types of TVs.
Common screen sizes: 14 to 37-plus inches.
Typical selling prices: About $1,000 to $1,500 for a 26-inch wide-screen
HD-ready set; $1,200 to $2,000 for a 32-inch. Prices could drop sharply
this year.
Pros: Thin and light. Can be wall-mounted. The best (generally HD sets)
are capable of displaying very good, bright images. Antireflective
screen minimizes glare from bright light. No risk of burn-in of static
images.
Cons: Price goes up sharply as screens get bigger. Most sets can't
display deep black or distinguish subtle shades of gray and black.
Fast-moving images may blur. Image may dim as you angle away from center
of screen, especially up and down. Long-term reliability not yet known,
but our initial data indicate low rate of repairs during first year of use.

Plasma TVs Plasma TVs
Flat-panel, big-screen TVs with thousands of red, green, and blue pixels
that are activated by "plasma"; these work somewhat like fluorescent
lights, creating very bright images.
Quick take: Big, bright screens with a real wow factor, but expensive.
Common screen sizes: 42 to 60 inches.
Typical selling prices: About $2,500 to $3,000 for a 42-inch HD-ready
set, $3,500 to $4,500 for a 50-incher.
Pros: Thin and light enough to be wall-mounted. The best (generally HD
sets) are capable of displaying excellent images with high brightness
and contrast and crisp detail. No limit on viewing angle. Bigger sizes
are cheaper than LCD TVs of comparable size.
Cons: Shiny surface can produce annoying reflections in bright lighting.
Brightness dims over time. Use a lot of power and generate a lot of
heat. Fixed items displayed for long periods can leave ghosted image.
Some sets don't include speakers or a tuner. Long-term reliability not
yet known, but our initial data indicate low rate of repairs during
first year of use.
Rear-projection (CRT-based) Rear-projection (CRT-based)
Jumbo sets that beam images onto a screen from three small CRTs
inside.br Quick take: The lowest-cost big screens, but they're space hogs.
Common screen sizes: 47 to 60 inches.
Typical selling prices: About $1,000 for a 51-inch integrated HD set.
Pros: Low price, wide selection, plentiful features. Mature technology
proven to have decent reliability.
Cons: Picture quality ranks lowest overall among all TV types. Big,
bulky, and heavy--more than 200 pounds for largest. Image may dim as you
angle away from center of screen. Shiny surface can produce annoying
reflections. Fixed items displayed for long periods can leave ghosted image.

Rear-projection microdisplays Rear-projection microdisplays
Newer, pricier big-screen sets, most of which use LCD, DLP, or LCoS
technology that allow for fairly slim cabinets.
Quick take: Relative slimness makes them an attractive big-screen
alternative.
Common screen sizes: 47 to 60 inches.
Typical selling prices: $2,200 to $3,000 for a 50-inch LCD- or DLP-based
integrated HDTV.
Pros: Thinner and lighter than CRT-based siblings. Cost less than
comparably sized plasma sets. No risk of burn-in of static images.
Cons: Image on some sets may dim as you angle away from center of
screen. May need to replace the lamp ($300 or more) during the life of
the set. Not as good as picture-tube sets for displaying deep blacks.
Some DLP models suffer from rainbow effect--annoying flashes of color
visible to some viewers. Reliability not yet known.

A front projector. Front projectors (available to subscribers).
A theaterlike experience on a giant screen but you must deal with a
complex setup.
Common screen sizes Screen, bought separately, comes in sizes up to 200
inches. Can use a wall. Projector has 9x12-inch or smaller footprint.
Typical price $1,100 and up for HD projector. Several hundred dollars
for screen.
Pros Picture size and characteristics are most like a theater screen's.
Cons Best viewed in dark room. TV tuner and speakers not included.
Screen affects picture quality and brightness. Most DLP units are
subject to “rainbow effect,” troubling to some viewers; LCD and LCoS
models often cannot render deep black. All three types require periodic
lamp replacement. No data on reliability. Professional installation can
be costly.

On Fri, 06 Jan 2006 21:12:42 GMT, Don White wrote:

Harry Krause wrote:
Don White wrote:

Eisboch wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...

JimH wrote:

I guess so. We do not have digital cable or HD tv sets so the
S-video works just fine for us.


Comcast hasn't gone to "digital" cable in your part of the country?


Many subscribers, me included up until a few days ago, just have a
basic cable service meaning there is no cable box. The cable is
simply hooked up to the VHF antenna input on the TV and you use the
TV tuner to choose the channels. In this case, all channels are analog.

Eisboch

We updated a year ago to digital.
Getting ready for the big shift to HDTV in the near future.
(read:...saving for the TV)



When you are ready to buy, take a long look at the glass tube flat
screen HD TVs before you pay extra for one of the thin screens. It is
still true that the glass tube TVs produce better pictures, and without
your being able to see pixels. And, of course, the viewing angle with a
glass tube TV is still wider than that of an LCD or plasma (overpriced)
screen.


I've been keeping close watch on Consumer Reports magazine (just paid
the $12.00 US so I could search online) for any ecommendations in HD
TVs. Quite a choice between the CRT type, LCDs, Plasma & DLP.
I'll increase my research when I get close to buying one.
My smaller living room (in a WW2 era house) calls for a 32" max.
Anything bigger is getting hard to lug around.

We went with the Sony KV-34XBR910, and absolutely love it. It's over a year old now,
so there may be a new model. This series also came in a 30". Ours is 34"

Something like this. http://tinyurl.com/92sh9

Consumer Reports liked the one we bought, and we've been very happy with it.

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 13:05:36 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:

Same for me for years ... I just wasn't into watching TV that much. But,
at
the constant goading by a few people (who shall remain nameless) to "get
with it before the NFL playoffs start!", I tried the HD routine.

Sounds like you are able to get HD reception on analog cable, or did I
read that incorrectly?

Does anyone know if HD is available via satellite? One of my goals
for the year is to get satellite TV for the boat and then figure out
how to pipe it into the house when we are home, followed closely by
kissing the cable company goodbye.


With cable service the HD programs are on the cable (along with digital,
analog and internet). You need a cable co HD receiver to decode the HD
signal.

Both Direct TV and Dish Network offers HD programming.

Interestingly (and this confused me for a while) some HD TVs have a
built-in HD tuner that will decode broadcasts that are in HD. Broadcasts
meaning the old fashioned transmitter/antenna stuff - not cable or sat. The
Samsung I bought has this and initially I thought I would not need the cable
company box, but it is only for the "on the air" signal.

Eisboch

Eisboch