Need some TV advice

[phenrichs]

For those that have upgraded to HDTV I have a couple questions.

We are going to buy a new tv. Phillips 42" LCD. I know I will have to upgrade my cable from basic cord sticking out of the wall to digital in order to hook it up and to view hd channels. What other considerations are there for hooking thing up? My DVD player does not have hdmi outs, do I need some sort of box to plug all my other stuff into that will convert it to the hdmi or is that overkill? I think my dvd has Rca plug outputs and maybe svideo. I guess I won't know for sure until I strip down the entertainment center but I was hoping for some best practice advice.

Thanks

[blowndodge]

If your DVD player is not "Blue ray" your not going to see DVD's come out in HD anyway. You should have RCA blue red and yellow cables and/or S video coming out of your DVD player that you should be able to plug into your new TV, obviously bypassing the HDMI cable and then using the source button on your remote to watch DVD's.

Also if your on a Satellite you'll need a new dish and converter box to watch HD channels.

[dantama]

You are a decade ahead of me.

My "good" tv is one I got used from a brother 10 years ago, it's a 19 inch with a remote that some of the buttons never worked too well on.

The other tv is an old 13 incher with a good remote.

Perhaps in another decade my brother will pass an HDTV down to me?

[phenrichs]

Yeah the one we have now is the one my wife got as a graduation present before she went to college. 11 years ago. Still works ok and will go in the basement.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Dan Lund

You are a decade ahead of me.

My "good" tv is one I got used from a brother 10 years ago, it's a 19 inch with a remote that some of the buttons never worked too well on.

The other tv is an old 13 incher with a good remote.

Perhaps in another decade my brother will pass an HDTV down to me?

Note to self: Don't ask Dan Lund about home theater equipment.

[jasperboy]

If your TV is 1080(i or p) capable then HDMI is necessary to get the full effect. If it is only 720 than the Red/Blue/Green are probably good enough. I'd dedicate the HD cable/satellite box to the highest input as I assume you watch more TV than movies. As stated it really takes BlueRay to get the optimal DVD picture, however there are upconverting DVD players that do improve a standard DVD picture. My TV has dual HDMI's so I have the cable box and the DVD player hooked up to them.

[phenrichs]

I think the one I am looking at has 3 hdmi. What is this upconverter I have been hearing about? Does the RBG plug into it and then come out hdmi? Pretty bad that the computer geek/IT specialist can't hook up his own tv, ha ha.

Man Dan you need to jump into this century dude. He probably still has a tape deck in his car. :)

[taranis]

Originally Posted by OP

For those that have upgraded to HDTV I have a couple questions.

We are going to buy a new tv. Phillips 42" LCD. I know I will have to upgrade my cable from basic cord sticking out of the wall to digital in order to hook it up and to view hd channels. What other considerations are there for hooking thing up? My DVD player does not have hdmi outs, do I need some sort of box to plug all my other stuff into that will convert it to the hdmi or is that overkill? I think my dvd has Rca plug outputs and maybe svideo. I guess I won't know for sure until I strip down the entertainment center but I was hoping for some best practice advice.

Thanks

Guess it all depends on how much you want to spend. HDMI is best for full 1080i/p HD but I've been fine with 720p - actually, I can't tell the difference. HDMI also passes all-digital video and sound over one cable.

If your DVD player is progressive-scan, that's pretty good for an HDTV - I'm not a huge fan on Blue-Ray and HDDVD - not enough of a quality difference there to justify the price. Anyway, you can tell if it's progressive scan if it has the composite hookups on the back (R/G/B). If it only has component and S-Video, it's time for a new DVD player.

Using the composite outputs from DVD to your HDTV is a good way to start out if you're strapped for cash. I would not buy an upconverter box - they don't equal the quality of a true high-definition video signal. I would simply hook up the component cables directly to your home theater receiver or the TV and let that do the up-conversion for you.

There are plenty of reviews online for HD DVD players of either standard if you're in the market, just goggle them.

As for sound, you have several options. I'm running fiber out of my set-top DVR to a Bose system and love it.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by OP

Man Dan you need to jump into this century dude. He probably still has a tape deck in his car. :)

Nope...I have had the stock stereo that comes in the car from the factory for about the 5-10 past cars I've owned.

Have an old beat up boom box for a home stereo though :)

[socwkbiker]

Originally Posted by OP

For those that have upgraded to HDTV I have a couple questions.

We are going to buy a new tv. Phillips 42" LCD. I know I will have to upgrade my cable from basic cord sticking out of the wall to digital in order to hook it up and to view hd channels. What other considerations are there for hooking thing up? My DVD player does not have hdmi outs, do I need some sort of box to plug all my other stuff into that will convert it to the hdmi or is that overkill? I think my dvd has Rca plug outputs and maybe svideo. I guess I won't know for sure until I strip down the entertainment center but I was hoping for some best practice advice.

Thanks

Once you get the new t.v. you will already have digital capability so all you will have to do with your cable is change your service. If you have an old converter box they will have to change the equipment. And the others are right, the only way to see dvd's in HD is with blue ray or with a dvd converter.

[lw]

Originally Posted by jasperboy

If your TV is 1080(i or p) capable then HDMI is necessary to get the full effect. If it is only 720 than the Red/Blue/Green are probably good enough. I'd dedicate the HD cable/satellite box to the highest input as I assume you watch more TV than movies. As stated it really takes BlueRay to get the optimal DVD picture, however there are upconverting DVD players that do improve a standard DVD picture. My TV has dual HDMI's so I have the cable box and the DVD player hooked up to them.

This thread is waaaaay too A/V club for me

We just switched to a bundled service from AT&T to address the digital issue. Finally got off dialup internet connection and I really like the DVR they provided. Anybody have a use for a couple of Dish Network receiver boxes?

[lw]

Originally Posted by OP

Man Dan you need to jump into this century dude. He probably still has a tape deck in his car. :)

Not in the car, but my garage stereo has a turntable, twin casette and even an 8-track player. . .