gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
I don't want to spend money on a TV and a stand and have it come up to a ludicrous amount. Any site where they have great TV and stand packages for under 900-1000?
Any good deals on Canadian HDTVs?
- Thread starter gamemaniaisme
- Start date
best buy and futureshop have sales on all of the time, some better than others. i've been looking into buying an hdtv for a few months (i'm gonna get it once i move in early april, so i've done a lot of research). i'd recommend you do the same...take your time...there are new sales every week. just before christmas, best buy had a 40" 1080p sony bravia on sale for $1349 which was about $650 off the regular price.
you can definately get a quality tv for under $900 or $1000, but if you are patient and look around you could probably save an extra $100.
you can definately get a quality tv for under $900 or $1000, but if you are patient and look around you could probably save an extra $100.
Lone_Prodigy
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My advice is: read some of the reviews, keep a couple of model numbers in mind, then check the flyers every week for deals. Then, price-match it. Even better, check in-store for clearance deals: January is when all the stores clear out last year's inventory so you can get some really good deals (might be demo/open-box though.)
RFD is pretty good for tracking deals, despite all the useless posts you have to wade through.
TVs are one of the big-ticket items that you can negotiate a better price with. Usually if you agree to their overpriced extended warranty and/or buy extra accessories they'll lower the price for you. However, it's pretty difficult to go back later and refund just the warranty/accessories.
RFD is pretty good for tracking deals, despite all the useless posts you have to wade through.
TVs are one of the big-ticket items that you can negotiate a better price with. Usually if you agree to their overpriced extended warranty and/or buy extra accessories they'll lower the price for you. However, it's pretty difficult to go back later and refund just the warranty/accessories.
trying to buy a good tv for a good price in canada was a serious pain in the ass. especially if you consider the 15% tax and 20% extended warranty from FS on top of the list price, ugh. i ended up finding an amazing deal on amazon.com and shipped it to my wife in the states who brought it up with her when she moved, so I guess I was pretty lucky lol.
Princess Zelda
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Like the above have said do your research! It's the most important part of buying a high priced item. Your best weapon is knowing what you want, why, and a price point your willing to pay. You want the most bang for your buck. Don't let the sales people talk you into anything. Take time to think and reaserch what they have said. Be patient, CES just finished all the new 2008 TV will be hitting the stores in a few months with the 2007 on discount.
When looking at the TV don't bother wasting your time at the big box store they don't have them set up properly. Go to the small Audio Video specialized stores. They have the TV's properly fine tuned, with the right inputs and the right lighting atmosphere to look at them. They don't share one HD feed between 50 TV's. You don't have to buy them there just research and look at them.
Also look through the open box items at FS/BB you'll see what TV have potential hardware problems. Ask what the sales reps what TV has the highest return rate. Read in forums how the customer are treated by the company's customer service people. Do they have silly excuses for not fixing a certain problem "Oh that's a feature, not a problem"
Know the company who builds what components for the TV. Just because it says Sony doesn't mean the panel isn't built by LG Philips. LG -Lucky Goldstar has a very interesting company history, worth a read.
Read the forums RFD has a wealth of informative Deals on TV's and opinions and comparisons. Read a lot of reviews AVS forums ect, beware of the Fanboy's they are aplenty.
Accessories like cables can be bought cheap at www.monoprice.com/. Any order below $20 you don't pay duty/tax or the Canada post $5 boarder handling fee. Shipping is fair.
When looking at the TV don't bother wasting your time at the big box store they don't have them set up properly. Go to the small Audio Video specialized stores. They have the TV's properly fine tuned, with the right inputs and the right lighting atmosphere to look at them. They don't share one HD feed between 50 TV's. You don't have to buy them there just research and look at them.
Also look through the open box items at FS/BB you'll see what TV have potential hardware problems. Ask what the sales reps what TV has the highest return rate. Read in forums how the customer are treated by the company's customer service people. Do they have silly excuses for not fixing a certain problem "Oh that's a feature, not a problem"
Know the company who builds what components for the TV. Just because it says Sony doesn't mean the panel isn't built by LG Philips. LG -Lucky Goldstar has a very interesting company history, worth a read.
Read the forums RFD has a wealth of informative Deals on TV's and opinions and comparisons. Read a lot of reviews AVS forums ect, beware of the Fanboy's they are aplenty.
Accessories like cables can be bought cheap at www.monoprice.com/. Any order below $20 you don't pay duty/tax or the Canada post $5 boarder handling fee. Shipping is fair.
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
I think this is a great deal, no...? I have an xbox 360 and a ps3 with component, so is this good? Does it come with a stand?
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10085638
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10085638
Princess Zelda
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Under features specs list information on the TV. Please read it.
Pedestal Stand Included-That's the small bezel on the bottom of the TV in the Picture.
If you need a real TV stand cheap look around or try Ikea.
Pedestal Stand Included-That's the small bezel on the bottom of the TV in the Picture.
If you need a real TV stand cheap look around or try Ikea.
if you want that TV, it meets your requirements, and is in your price range (it should be under as you said 900-1000), its a good tv, keep in mind it does not have an atsc tuner (over the air HD channels are not available, aka free hd)
in my opinion its a great tv, I was looking at it myself but the fact it does not have a coaxial cable input (i would have used it for ps3,xbox360 mainly), is sort of a turn off.
I am personally waiting for this week upcoming flyer, as during the superbowl they have decent 'deals' and are still tryin to clear the 2007 stock
in my opinion its a great tv, I was looking at it myself but the fact it does not have a coaxial cable input (i would have used it for ps3,xbox360 mainly), is sort of a turn off.
I am personally waiting for this week upcoming flyer, as during the superbowl they have decent 'deals' and are still tryin to clear the 2007 stock
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
1. I see that it does not support 1080i, will this make a difference?
2. What does the 10,000 vs 2,000 contrast ratio mean?
3. One of the reviewers complained about the NTSC tuner:
"Found this Toshiba to have a very good picture and sound quality. But the tuner is NTSC only. It is not capable of digital reception. This will be important in early 2009, unless you buy a converter box you will not receive any transmission.Deal or no deal."
What does this imply?
4. Which service plan do I take? 1 year, 2 year, or 3? Which is best bet in your opinions..
Good answers so far, I'm tight on cash but would love this one.
2. What does the 10,000 vs 2,000 contrast ratio mean?
3. One of the reviewers complained about the NTSC tuner:
"Found this Toshiba to have a very good picture and sound quality. But the tuner is NTSC only. It is not capable of digital reception. This will be important in early 2009, unless you buy a converter box you will not receive any transmission.Deal or no deal."
What does this imply?
4. Which service plan do I take? 1 year, 2 year, or 3? Which is best bet in your opinions..
Good answers so far, I'm tight on cash but would love this one.
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
why would you need coaxial for 360 and Playstation 3? I will be using it with all three consoles so I hope it doesn't affect me..
Princess Zelda
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1. Yes. Some TV shows are broadcast at 1080i. A lot of sports is braodcast in 1080i
3. Over the air HD channels are not available, aka free hd (from above). It uses the TV tuner to get the HD reception not from cable or Satellite. This TV doesn't have the ATSC tuner.
No, you wouldn't want to hook up coaxial with an HDTV it would look very bad. You would never use coaxial for a PS3/360/Wii. Another thing go see how this TV displays SD programing. One of the reasons I went with a Panasonic Plasma was the TV can process SD very well. Not all TV stations are available in HD.
3. Over the air HD channels are not available, aka free hd (from above). It uses the TV tuner to get the HD reception not from cable or Satellite. This TV doesn't have the ATSC tuner.
No, you wouldn't want to hook up coaxial with an HDTV it would look very bad. You would never use coaxial for a PS3/360/Wii. Another thing go see how this TV displays SD programing. One of the reasons I went with a Panasonic Plasma was the TV can process SD very well. Not all TV stations are available in HD.
I see that you found the TV I recommended, only it's $100 cheaper now.
Regarding contrast, read this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio (static is another name for true)
You asked for a TV + stand in the $900 - $1000 range. Pick up a $100 stand and this'll be a $700 package.
At 32" you will not see a lick of difference between 720p and 1080p unless you glue the screen to your face, but I'd imagine you're at least 5 feet away so it having 1080p or not is moot.
If the primary reason you want the TV is for your 360 Wii and PS3, The tuner and 1080i mean nothing to you. Why would you display the consoles in 1080i when the TV is just going to downscale it back to 720p? (1366 x 768)
Regarding the PSP, I myself wouldn't get one, but if you want the piece of mind grab the 2 year for $120 (there is no 1 year option, at least not online) If something is going to go wrong with the TV, it'll happen in the first two years I'm sure. Plus even if you add the PSP, you'll still be under your budget at around $820 + tax.
You mention you'll be using all 3 consoles? You have a problem. The TV only has 2 component inputs. Since you're still under your budget at this point this is what I would recommend:
- Assuming you have component cables for all three, you can pick up a component switchbox. (what I wouldn't do)
What I WOULD do is this. If your 360 is newer and has HDMI output, grab a couple 6 foot HDMI cables off of monoprice.com for the 360 and PS3. If the 360 is older and doesn't have HDMI output, grab a VGA cable for your 360 (which is also available at monoprice for under $10). You'll be able to output 1360 x 768 over the VGA cable, which is extremely close to the native resolution of this TV. You'll lose 3 pixels per side, but what you'll gain is less color bleed (almost none) and overall a much better picture than the component cables will give you. Turn on VGA Expanded in the system blade of the 360 and you'll get even better blacks.
So in the end you'll have:
360 -> VGA or HDMI
PS3 -> HDMI
Wii -> Component
You want the best you can do with
Regarding contrast, read this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrast_ratio (static is another name for true)
You asked for a TV + stand in the $900 - $1000 range. Pick up a $100 stand and this'll be a $700 package.
At 32" you will not see a lick of difference between 720p and 1080p unless you glue the screen to your face, but I'd imagine you're at least 5 feet away so it having 1080p or not is moot.
If the primary reason you want the TV is for your 360 Wii and PS3, The tuner and 1080i mean nothing to you. Why would you display the consoles in 1080i when the TV is just going to downscale it back to 720p? (1366 x 768)
Regarding the PSP, I myself wouldn't get one, but if you want the piece of mind grab the 2 year for $120 (there is no 1 year option, at least not online) If something is going to go wrong with the TV, it'll happen in the first two years I'm sure. Plus even if you add the PSP, you'll still be under your budget at around $820 + tax.
You mention you'll be using all 3 consoles? You have a problem. The TV only has 2 component inputs. Since you're still under your budget at this point this is what I would recommend:
- Assuming you have component cables for all three, you can pick up a component switchbox. (what I wouldn't do)
What I WOULD do is this. If your 360 is newer and has HDMI output, grab a couple 6 foot HDMI cables off of monoprice.com for the 360 and PS3. If the 360 is older and doesn't have HDMI output, grab a VGA cable for your 360 (which is also available at monoprice for under $10). You'll be able to output 1360 x 768 over the VGA cable, which is extremely close to the native resolution of this TV. You'll lose 3 pixels per side, but what you'll gain is less color bleed (almost none) and overall a much better picture than the component cables will give you. Turn on VGA Expanded in the system blade of the 360 and you'll get even better blacks.
So in the end you'll have:
360 -> VGA or HDMI
PS3 -> HDMI
Wii -> Component
You want the best you can do with
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Wow, this is very appreciated, thank you all. In fact, I only have component for my PS3 and 360 (composite is fine for wii) but will be looking into monoprice if you truly say the quality is much better with the higher end cables. As for the tuner, I might invest in Illico (Videotron) HD digital cable in the future so will this tv need a conversion box or something? I'm really close to buying this but I really didn't expect to realistically get a TV today. I tallied up everything with tax and with shipping and, with a 2 year plan, it all adds up to 860+... hmmm, I got some serious thinkin' to do here.
[quote name='gamemaniaisme']Wow, this is very appreciated, thank you all. In fact, I only have component for my PS3 and 360 (composite is fine for wii) but will be looking into monoprice if you truly say the quality is much better with the higher end cables. As for the tuner, I might invest in Illico (Videotron) HD digital cable in the future so will this tv need a conversion box or something? I'm really close to buying this but I really didn't expect to realistically get a TV today. I tallied up everything with tax and with shipping and, with a 2 year plan, it all adds up to 860+... hmmm, I got some serious thinkin' to do here.[/quote]
I wouldn't say Monoprice is higher quality then $200 cables, just the same quality. For about 1/20th of the price.
I wouldn't say Monoprice is higher quality then $200 cables, just the same quality. For about 1/20th of the price.
GuardianFlash
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I thought TV tuners is useless here, only in USA they use it?
[quote name='GuardianFlash']I thought TV tuners is useless here, only in USA they use it?[/quote]
More common in the US, but they are used here. Mainly if you are close to the border to get US channels or live in a large city (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa)
More common in the US, but they are used here. Mainly if you are close to the border to get US channels or live in a large city (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa)
[quote name='GuardianFlash']I thought TV tuners is useless here, only in USA they use it?[/quote]
We can use them too. I've used an ATSC tuner and the HD quality is awesome. In fact, it's true HD in the sense that Satellite HD compresses the signal somewhat to send it to you. Free-to-Air HD is the raw feed. As posted above, if you live near a large city you can usually find reception. In Toronto you point it at the CN Tower and pick up CITY TV, CBC, and CTV in HD.
Search the AVS Forums for more info if you have an ATSC tuner, they have links to where to point your antenna depending on where you live.
We can use them too. I've used an ATSC tuner and the HD quality is awesome. In fact, it's true HD in the sense that Satellite HD compresses the signal somewhat to send it to you. Free-to-Air HD is the raw feed. As posted above, if you live near a large city you can usually find reception. In Toronto you point it at the CN Tower and pick up CITY TV, CBC, and CTV in HD.
Search the AVS Forums for more info if you have an ATSC tuner, they have links to where to point your antenna depending on where you live.
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Now that my purchase is inevitable, I'm confused about stands. It comes with a small support, but I can't bloody well place the ruddy thing on the ground, is there a place where I can buy stands compatible, or even made for this particular telly? I've googled it but there are too many choices...
i work in tv sales, (saskatoon - get ya a cheapasstv ) nice plug, now on to the advice, you can get better deals in the store than online, you can't talk down price online. For gaming tv's i think that 1080p is nice. heres my reccomends
Sharp LC32D62U
Sharp LC32GP3U
Sharp LC37D62U
Samsung LNT4061
Sharp LC42D64U
All are 1080p and all are great for gaming. Sharp has a little faster response time, samsung has a little more vibrant colors.
If you're looking to keep in under a grand with a stand it'll be hard, maybe a wall mount. If your gonna spend a grand wait a bit till you can spend 1200 and get that 1080p. my 2 cents.
) nice plug, now on to the advice, you can get better deals in the store than online, you can't talk down price online. For gaming tv's i think that 1080p is nice. heres my reccomendsSharp LC32D62U
Sharp LC32GP3U
Sharp LC37D62U
Samsung LNT4061
Sharp LC42D64U
All are 1080p and all are great for gaming. Sharp has a little faster response time, samsung has a little more vibrant colors.
If you're looking to keep in under a grand with a stand it'll be hard, maybe a wall mount. If your gonna spend a grand wait a bit till you can spend 1200 and get that 1080p. my 2 cents.
scary perry
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The 32" Toshiba at FS for $599 is pretty good. 2x HDMI (360 and PS3) plus the other older style inputs.
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Based on the wonderful info, I have bought the TV from FS at 599.99. It ended up being $677 after the whole thing (store pickup and no product plan). I'm just planning on slapping it on my living room table. As for the cables, is hdmi really superior to component, at least enough to buy the cable? I heard vga isn't worth it, but any final thoughts are welcomed. Tx again!
darkandlong
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[quote name='gamemaniaisme']Based on the wonderful info, I have bought the TV from FS at 599.99. It ended up being $677 after the whole thing (store pickup and no product plan). I'm just planning on slapping it on my living room table. As for the cables, is hdmi really superior to component, at least enough to buy the cable? I heard vga isn't worth it, but any final thoughts are welcomed. Tx again![/quote]
HDMI is digital to digital and will be the best signal period. Don't overpay for HDMI cables either. www.monoprice.com is cheap and you get it in about a week if you can wait. They ship to Canada. You shouldn't have to pay more then 10 bucks for an HDMI cable. Same for optical cables. Its all digital so it doesn't matter if the cable was assembled by teenage virgin girls from platinum created by rare alien spaceship debris. The only time where cable quality will come into play is if you need to send the signal over a long distance (something like 15 feet or more I think, but don't quote me on that).
VGA is typically better then component (depends on the device though), but both are digital to analog conversions, so skip 'em.
HDMI>DVI>VGA>Component>S-Video>Composite/RCAs
HDMI is digital to digital and will be the best signal period. Don't overpay for HDMI cables either. www.monoprice.com is cheap and you get it in about a week if you can wait. They ship to Canada. You shouldn't have to pay more then 10 bucks for an HDMI cable. Same for optical cables. Its all digital so it doesn't matter if the cable was assembled by teenage virgin girls from platinum created by rare alien spaceship debris. The only time where cable quality will come into play is if you need to send the signal over a long distance (something like 15 feet or more I think, but don't quote me on that).
VGA is typically better then component (depends on the device though), but both are digital to analog conversions, so skip 'em.
HDMI>DVI>VGA>Component>S-Video>Composite/RCAs
[quote name='KidChaos']i work in tv sales, (saskatoon - get ya a cheapasstv ) nice plug, now on to the advice, you can get better deals in the store than online, you can't talk down price online. For gaming tv's i think that 1080p is nice. heres my reccomends
Sharp LC32D62U
Sharp LC32GP3U
Sharp LC37D62U
Sharp LC42D64U
[/quote]
My father-in-law just bought a Sharp Aquos after Christmas, worst purchase ever. He had the horizontal line problem the moment he turned it on. I checked online to see if that was a major problem with the TV, and there is plenty of forum chatter about that issue. Sharp offers different fixes for the problem, but nothing seems to work.
Stay away from the Aquos line. Period.
) nice plug, now on to the advice, you can get better deals in the store than online, you can't talk down price online. For gaming tv's i think that 1080p is nice. heres my reccomendsSharp LC32D62U
Sharp LC32GP3U
Sharp LC37D62U
Sharp LC42D64U
[/quote]
My father-in-law just bought a Sharp Aquos after Christmas, worst purchase ever. He had the horizontal line problem the moment he turned it on. I checked online to see if that was a major problem with the TV, and there is plenty of forum chatter about that issue. Sharp offers different fixes for the problem, but nothing seems to work.
Stay away from the Aquos line. Period.
Princess Zelda
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gamemaniaisme, I hope you understand with this TV for watching HDTV is limited because of the lack of 1080i you will not be able to watch a lot of channels in HD.
Only Fox, ABC and ESPN broadcast in 720P. NBC, CBS, CNN, Discovery HD, CBC, CTV, City TV are all 1080i.
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.
Only Fox, ABC and ESPN broadcast in 720P. NBC, CBS, CNN, Discovery HD, CBC, CTV, City TV are all 1080i.
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.
darkandlong
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[quote name='Princess Zelda']gamemaniaisme, I hope you understand with this TV for watching HDTV is limited because of the lack of 1080i you will not be able to watch a lot of channels in HD.
Only Fox, ABC and ESPN broadcast in 720P. NBC, CBS, CNN, Discovery HD, CBC, CTV, City TV are all 1080i.
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.[/quote]
No offense, but that is a totally incorrect statement. It will simply take the 1080i and de-interlace/scale it.
Only Fox, ABC and ESPN broadcast in 720P. NBC, CBS, CNN, Discovery HD, CBC, CTV, City TV are all 1080i.
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.[/quote]
No offense, but that is a totally incorrect statement. It will simply take the 1080i and de-interlace/scale it.
Princess Zelda
CAGiversary!
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Even with the issue stated about 1080i, the channel being converted to 720p looks good, right? I mean it is still HD, isn't it?
Princess Zelda
CAGiversary!
The RFD guys finally found the deal, they are getting slow lately
There's plenty of impressions for you: http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=544287
There's plenty of impressions for you: http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=544287
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Yeah, good thing too, cause I'm usually the one who gets there last. If RFD had picked up on that, it would have been sold out by now. As for my PS3's HDMI, which of these is the best one listed?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?spcDB=10240&spcWord=Video+Cable+%2D+%3Cb%3EHDMI+%3C%2Fb%3E&keyword=hdmi
http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?spcDB=10240&spcWord=Video+Cable+%2D+%3Cb%3EHDMI+%3C%2Fb%3E&keyword=hdmi
Princess Zelda
CAGiversary!
Product ID: 3992
HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 6ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated) - BLACK
$5.24
I'm using a sinular one for my 360. Get the right length to how far away your PS3 will be from the TV.
They also have Wii Component cables for $6.39
I found a noticeable difference with Wii when I switch cables. Also gave me Widescreen support for a few of my GC games.
HDMI 1.3a Category 2 Certified Cable 28AWG - 6ft w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated) - BLACK
$5.24
I'm using a sinular one for my 360. Get the right length to how far away your PS3 will be from the TV.
They also have Wii Component cables for $6.39
I found a noticeable difference with Wii when I switch cables. Also gave me Widescreen support for a few of my GC games.
gamemaniaisme
CAG Veteran
Nice one, tx. Hmmm... my Wii is collecting dust and I'm *gasp* not interested in SSBB, but 6-7 dollars is a good deal... Well I'll see. Can't wait for this baby to get here, all stores in my vicinity are not stocked so I paid 50 bucks shipping
Peace, I usually don't get this much help from other forums! I guess what they say about us Canadians is well founded.
Peace, I usually don't get this much help from other forums! I guess what they say about us Canadians is well founded.
GuardianFlash
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Only Fox, ABC and ESPN broadcast in 720P. NBC, CBS, CNN, Discovery HD, CBC, CTV, City TV are all 1080i.
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.[/quote]
I have a HDTV that supports 720p and 1080i. I do not have the Shaw HD Cable Box, only the standard Box. Those channels channels I see that says it's broadcasted in HD, such as Smallville. When I press info on the remote it says HD. Am I really watching it in HD even if I don't have the HD box?
Also, my computer came with a built in TV tuner. If I plug a cable from the wall outlet or cable box, would I be able to get HD channels and watch them in HD?
Is TV tuner same as ATSC tuner? Would I be able to get wireless signals to watch TV without plugging in a cable?
If you just want it for blu-ray movies and games it will do that but as a TV no.[/quote]
I have a HDTV that supports 720p and 1080i. I do not have the Shaw HD Cable Box, only the standard Box. Those channels channels I see that says it's broadcasted in HD, such as Smallville. When I press info on the remote it says HD. Am I really watching it in HD even if I don't have the HD box?
Also, my computer came with a built in TV tuner. If I plug a cable from the wall outlet or cable box, would I be able to get HD channels and watch them in HD?
Is TV tuner same as ATSC tuner? Would I be able to get wireless signals to watch TV without plugging in a cable?
darkandlong
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[quote name='GuardianFlash']I have a HDTV that supports 720p and 1080i. I do not have the Shaw HD Cable Box, only the standard Box. Those channels channels I see that says it's broadcasted in HD, such as Smallville. When I press info on the remote it says HD. Am I really watching it in HD even if I don't have the HD box?[/quote]
No, you need the HD box and you need to subscribe to the HD service. Its just informing you that the show you're watching is available in HD. If you do have an HDTV you really should try it out. I have a hard time going back to anything SD after watching HD programming.
Without knowing your TV card its hard to say. I'd assume no though - especially because you'd need an HD feed and that brings up the need to subscribe to their HD service again.
In this area I don't know much and I might be wrong, but here's my guess: No. Even ATSC tuners need antennas/disches pointed towards a source for "free" HD. Again, this whole "tuner" stuff is a bit beyond my knowledge, I've never looked into it.
No, you need the HD box and you need to subscribe to the HD service. Its just informing you that the show you're watching is available in HD. If you do have an HDTV you really should try it out. I have a hard time going back to anything SD after watching HD programming.
Without knowing your TV card its hard to say. I'd assume no though - especially because you'd need an HD feed and that brings up the need to subscribe to their HD service again.
In this area I don't know much and I might be wrong, but here's my guess: No. Even ATSC tuners need antennas/disches pointed towards a source for "free" HD. Again, this whole "tuner" stuff is a bit beyond my knowledge, I've never looked into it.
bread's done