Novice: HD ready? meaning?

Posted by: Brucie on 09 June 2006

Dear All,

I'm thinking of getting a new TV that will be "HD ready" What does this mean exactly?

does it mean:

1) I can pick up the HD signal but won't necessarily get the HD quality on screen. I'm thinking that just because a TV is HD ready does not necessarily mean the screen can take advantage of it.

2) I can pick up the HD signal AND I get the benefits on screen?

Is plasma or LCD better or is this a massive debate?

Thanks
B

Posted on: 09 June 2006 by Mike1380

HD Ready Website
This should help.

HD ready refers to the ability to show an HD resolution, and appropriate socketry for this signal to be fed to the screen at HD resolutions.

My 11 year old Panasonic is HD Compatible, because I can watch BBC HD programmes on it through a scart socket!

As for plasma v lcd...
First pick a screen size.... then, if that still leaves you with a choice, it's time to look at relative merits.

Personally, out of plasma & lcd I'd pick DLP rear projection or CRT

Posted on: 09 June 2006 by Brucie

Mike 1380,

Thanks for the link. What is CRT and DLP? I know what a rear projection TV is but a DLP one?

Rear pojection TVs are very large and rather fuzzy aren't they?

b

Posted on: 09 June 2006 by Mike1380

CRT = Cathode Ray Tube - conventional telly!
HD Ready CRT sets do exist in certain markets... samsung have just brought one into the UK.
Typically CRT looks better than Plasma and LCD, and are cheaper... IF you can find a screen the size you want.

DLP Digital Light Processing- that's the technology used in most cinema projectors.
The DLP chips are all made by Texas Instruments, but the quality of the image processing technology and lens technology by the different manufacturers who use this kit can vary dramatically.
The best picture I ever saw was on a Sim rear projection DLP set and it wasn't that deep front to back.
Again it's all down to screen size.. if you want a 32 inch screen you can only pick LCD or CRT (if there's an HD ready CRT available in your neck of the woods).
If you hanker for a 50 inch screen then CRT won't be an option, LCD gets expensive at this size, so you'd probably be looking at DLP or Plasma.

Posted on: 09 June 2006 by bwolke

quote:
Originally posted by Mike1380:
My 11 year old Panasonic is HD Compatible, because I can watch BBC HD programmes on it through a scart socket!

Hate to break it to you but a scart cable can not carry a HD signal.

Sure you can watch HD progammes because your decoder downscales them so that the scart cable can carry the signal.

Bas wolke

Posted on: 09 June 2006 by Mike1380

quote:
Hate to break it to you but a scart cable can not carry a HD signal.

Yeah, I didn't say it could.

However, I can still watch BBC HD out of my Telewest TV drive in locally downscaled anamorphic 576 line interlaced RGB through my scart lead, with wonderful Dolby Digital 5.1 surround going through my AV system.

It looks better, (based on Planet Earth) than the same footage downscaled at the BEEB before being broadcast through the ether by whatever method, and it sounds a hell of a lot better.

There you go, you can sleep at night now, seeing as I had no illusions for you to shatter