why buy HD?

[admin_exported]

I'm not deliberately trying to be contentious here but it's a question i keep asking myself so i figured why not ask it here? I've been looking at upgrading my old 28" CRT widescreen now for a couple or years and everytime I look into it i'm put off by a number of things:

Firstly there is the cost. This is less of an issue now than it was say 12 months ago but LCD/Plasma TVs are still expensive relative to the equivelant CRT. Not only that the image quality is (according to friends of mine who are "in the know") still isn't as good.

Secondly there is the rate of change with regard to technology. LCD or Plasma? Or should i wait for SED even? I get even more confused when i see in TV reviews in this mag (which i really like by the way) that TV's with picture quality that would have got 5 stars last year now only get 3 stars.

Thirdly there is the extremely limited number of HD sources available. SKY HD has some HD programming but for £120/year on top of the normal subscription for a very limited subset of programmes actually in HD is that really value for money? Then there is the HD DVD/Blu Ray battle, i really dont want to spend £400 on a player + the costs of getting my favourite films on the new format only to see it die in 18 months.

Even the HDMI standard keeps moving on, potentially i could end up with a TV that wont support HDMI 1.3b in 6 months.

Basically I'm as unsure now as i was 2 years ago so until things settle down (or my TV goes pop) the only thing i think i can do is wait.

I'm interested in anyone elses point of view tho. Maybe i'm worrying about nothing?

(P.S. Are Clare's eyes really that blue?)

 

[Anonymous]

Its a good question - the AV market seems to be very much like computers nowadays and the only way I can retort is to ask - are you still running windows 95?

 

[Anonymous]

It all depends on what is priority for you. Don't get me wrong: I love watching movies, but personally I don't see a major benefit in splashing a lot of money on a hd-screen plus all the home cinema kit. I do hear a major difference, though, in (sound) quality in hifi components with half of that money spent, so that is where my money would go...
To me the best of these flat screens is the amount of space they need. But if this doesn't bother you with your current tv , why change?

"Thirdly there is the extremely limited number of HD sources available.
SKY HD has some HD programming but for £120/year on top of the normal
subscription for a very limited subset of programmes actually in HD is
that really value for money? Then there is the HD DVD/Blu Ray battle, i
really dont want to spend £400 on a player + the costs of getting my
favourite films on the new format only to see it die in 18 months."

[quote
user="doopydug"]Its a good question - the AV market seems to be very
much like computers nowadays and the only way I can retort is to ask - are you
still running windows 95?[/quote]

If that is the case, why
not get yourself a media center pc !? This gives you all the flexibility you
may ever need. You could start with just a dvd-player and a good videocard.
Upgrade the pc later when you're more convinced about the advantages of hd
content -you could try it out downloading from www.wmvhd.com. Prices on hddvd
and/or bluray players should have dropped by then.

Maybe you want to read this
about a WHF reader told about his new media center pc. It might solve half of your problems.

http://whathifi.com/forums/p/550/1668.aspx#1668

Concerning the upgrading of the flatscreens- it will never stop. It's just a way of marketing new products. It's for you to decide what is good enough for you.

Best wishes and good luck

"(P.S. Are Clare's eyes really that blue?)" Now that is a really tricky question, one that's even harder to answer...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply,

I do like watching a HiDef picture on a good quality TV, to me the improved picture quality is amazing, what i'm not convinced by is the expense of upgrading particularly if i'm going to need to refresh in a few years time. I take the point about PC upgrades but i feel that it's not quite the same as there are fixed standards for PCs (x86 compatible chipset) my worry is that if Sky change to a new version of HD i'm left with a room warmer.

I have thought about a media centre PC (actually a mythTV box that runs on linux)
but never got round to building one.

Of course the really important question is regarding Clare's blue eyes.. but some questions have no answer.