Is HDTV the worst thing that's ever happened to TV?

Discussion in 'TV' started by relaxxx, May 19, 2009.

  1. odon

    odon Slightly Popular

    Messages:
    17,597
    Likes Received:
    9
    Yeah...I know of BBCAmericas past.
    It does seem to favour shows that are likely going to sell well on DVD...

    lol...bemusement, not riot.
     
  2. SlimSunny

    SlimSunny Member

    Messages:
    95
    Likes Received:
    2
    Did you know that RCA developed HDTV back in the 1950s? There was no market for it then, so they didn't do anything with it and eventually sold it.

    1950s technology, with modern manufacturing capability...?

    Yeah, I smell a ripoff.
     
  3. zillagod

    zillagod Member

    Messages:
    831
    Likes Received:
    1
    I have a 7 foot satellite dish and have had it since the late 80's. Now, I have seen the transition from analog to digital, and believe me, an analog backhaul was the best picture there ever was. Sure beat the compressed digital picture, and still does. But unfortunately, too many tv stations came along, and analog took up to much bandwidth. On one satellite for instance, it will have 24 transponders, and back in the day, that carried one tv station per transponder, or one live backhaul per transponder for news, sports, etc. Nowadays, you can fit up to 36 stations per transponder, by digital compression. 36x24=864. So now, you have the capacity to put over 800 tv stations on one satellite, and for the US, we have over 20 satellites for tv alone in our line of sight. Some of those transponders are also used for cell phone communications and internet and conference calling and such things. But nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever beat the quality of an analog picture. Especially when you can receive it directly from the source(backhaul), before it goes to the tv station and is re-distributed. Our need to move forward with all our other electronics made us suffer for less quality with the advent of digital.
     
  4. MattB

    MattB Member

    Messages:
    585
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have an antenna and I'm kind of torn. I love the vivid color and sharper image, but I actually have less channells than before the switch.
     
  5. sunfighter

    sunfighter Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

    Messages:
    3,814
    Likes Received:
    286
    Here in Boston, I pay Comcast about $85 a month for HD with a very nice DVR. We have lots of HD channels and the quality on all of them is good, except TBS. Most of the On-Demand programming is not HD. I almost never watch non-HD channels anymore.

    I love the following HD shows: Rescue Me, Californication, Big Love, Weeds, True Blood, House, and Red Sox Baseball on NESN.
     
  6. Istar

    Istar Member

    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    0
    For the people useing off air, It probably will suck.. The digital switchover normally tends to have less channels, or People are looking for specific ones that are now not comeing in.

    High Def however, Only a few channels are HD, Is much better. But Since the old 480i signal looks like crap on the new TV's, it becomes a 50/50 on upgradeing. Once more stations are HD it will be a better choice.
     
  7. SlimSunny

    SlimSunny Member

    Messages:
    95
    Likes Received:
    2
    /
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. SlimSunny

    SlimSunny Member

    Messages:
    95
    Likes Received:
    2
    I was just thinking about that the other day.

    Sales of Long-Playing Records have increased steadily for the past few years, for the same exact reasons. Digital media makes compromises in the reproduction of the (audio or video) image. Instead of a continuous stream of information, which is an actual magnetic, chemical or physical impression of the original, it chops up the source information into little bits of data containing only ones and zeroes. And then it spits them back at you in fast succession, so that you THINK it's a continuous stream.

    I never really noticed it until I started listening to my LPs again, but I noticed it particularly one day when I was watching an old The Wild Wild West episode on DVR.

    I sometimes imagine...

    If an alien civilization were to land on Earth after we have finished up making ourselves extinct, our history will appear to have ended in the late 1990s. If they don't use the same computer technology, they will not be able to see anything we've created for the past ten years.

    A record you can drag a cactus needle stuck through the bottom of a paper cup and listen to. Acetate film can be held up to light and the image seen.

    How the f**k can you derive beauty or art from a flash drive or a CD-ROM?
     
  9. sunfighter

    sunfighter Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

    Messages:
    3,814
    Likes Received:
    286
    Even Neil Young, who hated digital music, finally came around on digital and is releasing his Archive.

    There's nothing wrong with digital that a higher bit rate or bandwidth won't cure.

    Analog doesn't last.
     
  10. Rudenoodle

    Rudenoodle Minister of propaganda Lifetime Supporter

    Messages:
    3,726
    Likes Received:
    11
    Most T.V's let you manually adjust the format in order to fit the screen, of course you might get a funny angle or two every now and then but hey, those are the laws of physics.
     
  11. sunfighter

    sunfighter Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

    Messages:
    3,814
    Likes Received:
    286
    On my Samsung, every channel is shown automatically in the correct aspect ratio, except TBS which always shows commercials wrong, but I blame incompetence at TBS.
     
  12. Didymus Doppelgänger

    Didymus Doppelgänger Misfit Lover

    Messages:
    2,943
    Likes Received:
    8
    No, glenn beck is the worst thing to ever happen to tv.
     
  13. moondaddy

    moondaddy Member

    Messages:
    227
    Likes Received:
    1
    I have to say HDTV has been really good for my viewing because it ended it. We got a converter box and that gave us like only one channel and then the fucker conked out after the warrantee ran out so I've actually been reading and playing guitar more and working on projects more and I don't have all that garbage going into my brain anymore so it's been win win for me.
     
  14. desperad0

    desperad0 Member

    Messages:
    145
    Likes Received:
    2
    There are only two things that bothers me about HDTV. The aspect ratio issues seem to be never-ending, and it takes too long to change channels. My old TV on analog cable switches stations at least three times faster.
     
  15. Skizm

    Skizm Member

    Messages:
    872
    Likes Received:
    0
    Get high and watch HDTV... It's fucking hypnotizing.
     
  16. Mrs. White

    Mrs. White Member

    Messages:
    73
    Likes Received:
    1
    I don't believe in having television channels at home. I have 2 children and they don't need to watch that garbage. I do however have a 52" 1080P HDTV. Even after getting my 47" stolen in my house burglary 2 months ago, I got another one. I wasn't planning on it, but for $600 I couldn't pass it up.

    Cars on blue-ray, is something else. I love watching movies on it, way more then a traditional tv.
     
  17. Giancarlo

    Giancarlo Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    1
    I do love HDTV. I got a smaller 32" Element HDTV... and a Blu-ray player... and it works like a charm. And the HD channels look way better... though I must say, I've had enough of SyFy channel... hahah... some of the movies on there are AWFUL. Anyways, I'm pleased with HD. I'm glad it existed. You know such technology existed in Japan and even Mexico years ago, and they are way ahead of us?
     
  18. sunfighter

    sunfighter Hip Forums Supporter HipForums Supporter

    Messages:
    3,814
    Likes Received:
    286
    They were way ahead of us.
     
  19. Giancarlo

    Giancarlo Member

    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    1
    No I wouldn't use past tense. Even their HD programming is way more advanced then what we have now.
     
  20. Dave_techie

    Dave_techie I call Sheniangans

    Messages:
    14,932
    Likes Received:
    3
    Some of the mechanisms of popular ATSC tuners are shit.

    Some of the firmware is shit

    Some of the business practices being used in this time of transition are shit

    but HD isn't evil
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice