Don't make these 5 HDTV mistakes
by Kevin C. Tofel 
posted Nov 8th 2005 at 8:39PM
Yeah, I should be watching "Bones" like I said I would in my daily HDTV picks;
but you know us, we just can't get enough of this stuff! I just had to
share this list of five "mistakes" that ABC has summed up nicely. We've
presented all of these here at some time or another, but in light of
some comments from our "Truth in HDTV Advertising" post, I get the feeling there's some confusion out there. Here's the list from ABC, along with our thoughts and explanations. What you would add?1. Bigger is better. Well that all depends on how far you'll be sitting from your set. The general rule of thumb I use is that the optimal viewing distance is 1.5 to 2 times the diagonal measurement of a set. Example: For a 60-inch screen, that comes out to 7.5- to 10-feet as optimal. Don't forget that if two screens display the same native resolution, they have the same number of pixels; the bigger the screen in that case, the bigger the pixels.
2. Flatter is better. This is completely dependent on your room. I opted for chunky CRT sets for my house, because at the time, they were the only displays capable of native 1080i. My rooms can also support a set that's 25-inches deep. If your room can't give up that much floor space then a PDP or LCD is likely the ticket. Be sure to check out the slimmer CRTs now hitting the shelves and don't forget that thin SED sets are due out next year.
3. Ignore the source. It's a must to determine where your video source will come from and what resolution that source will be. There are plenty of choices for your high-def signal: cable, satellite ore even free over-the-air signals. Check which types of inputs your set has and what it will need based on the source your choose.
4. If it's digital, it's HDTV. No, no, NO! Digital TV or DTV has 18 different sub-sets of specifications including SDTV, EDTV and HDTV. HDTV is 720p or better. Oh and for all of the folks commenting on me calling out Best Buy on the HDTV that isn't an HDTV, ABC seems to agree with me: "If a display can’t support at least 720 pixels (vertical) by 1280 pixels (horizontal), it’s not true HDTV."
5. Why touch the controls? Dudes and dudettes: you must calibrate the set or at least check important settings like: brightness, contrast, tint, color and sharpness. You can pay someone to calibrate the set or you can spend a few bucks more for a calibration DVD. We've often referred folks to our free and easy method as well.
So did ABC hit all of the major mistakes? Can you share any HDTV mistakes with the readers so they don't repeat them?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Billy Schaer @ Nov 8th 2005 10:35PM
Just because a set can display 1080, doesn't mean it's resolution IS 1920x1080
Wilbur Pan @ Nov 9th 2005 7:31AM
This is a copy of a comment I made on the "Truth in HDTV advertising" article:
I may be stupid here, but I've been combing over the ATSC website as well as the federal government's DTV website, and nowhere can I find any regulation regarding horizontal resolution in the HDTV standard. Now, for a 16:9 screen it's easy to do the math and come up with 1280x720 or 1920x1080 assuming square pixels, but, again, nowhere on the government's website can I find a reference to this. I can't findany reference to square pixels, either. The only reference I've found so far is defining vertical resolution.
Can anyone point to where horizontal resolution is specified for HDTV by the feds? Thanks.
Travis @ Nov 9th 2005 2:51PM
Good call by #1...I have friends that are convinced that just because tvs say they support 1080i/p theyre actually going to display in that resolution, when most of the stuff they are looking at is actually only 1024x768 and will have to downgrade 1080 sources to 720p.
Eagle117 @ Nov 9th 2005 10:54AM
This may not be HDTV related, but something that is often overlooked is that if your receiver is capable of doing Dolby Digital or DTS decoding, change your DVD player audio output to Bitstream instead of PCM. This needs to be done even if you are connecting over a digital cable. Makes a world of difference.
Cecil @ Nov 9th 2005 11:01AM
A 1080p set CANNOT accept a 1080p signal. It just upconverts everything to that res. This IS going to change though. - true
There are two so far that do however. HP has got a DLP that does, and JVC will have a new LCOS model coming out at the end of the month that is supposed to. We will see this in other sets next year. - true
Cablecard will not give you a guide, VOD, etc. - true
Sets with CableCard WILL NOT except the new CableCard 2.0 next year that will give you all of those things you miss over the 1.0. - true
CableCard 2.0 even will not work when you cable provider switches to MPEG-4. - true
So basically, CableCard is worthless. - true
Cable carries the locals in HD - not always true
Multipath is a real problem for DTV OTA broadcasts. - true more often than not
HD is only broadcast on UHF - not true
In fact, the UHF channels are on loan, when the changeover happens, the stations will have DTV on their regular frequency. Guess what, current ATSC set tops are having real problems tuning DTV on VHF.
Just FYI off the top of my head
Cecil @ Nov 9th 2005 11:07AM
But in the format of TFA - heres a big one
CABLE WILL LOOK BETTER - Not at all. Analog Cable is going to look like complete crap. SDTV Digital Cable and DirecTV as well, as you can now see the MPEG artifacts clear as day. This stuff was normally hidden by the low-res and scanlines of regular TV. Also, nothing at all analog is 16x9 so get used to squished looking people, or black bars on the sides.
Jellodyne @ Nov 9th 2005 4:59PM
I would a couple of cable related items add to the list:
1. spending more that $20 for a DVI or HMDI cable. This can be a very easy $200 mistake at some of the box stores -- many don't even have a sanely priced digital video cable.
2. Hooking the cable box up with svideo or oh-good-lord-not composite cables when component or better box is avaiable for their cable company for the asking.
ah802 @ Nov 10th 2005 9:49AM
What's with those black bars on the side or top... TV stations are not broadcasting wide aspect yet,(for the most part) so you need some sort of aspect/zoom button to enjoy a widescreen and standard aspects to the full.
bobRch @ Nov 10th 2005 9:28AM
instead of dealing with all this BULL****
just download tv WITHOUT COMERCIALS
thanks to the pirates :D - good job.. at least someone is looking out for OUR BEST INTERESTS = having a good time.
playback on computer connected to projector :D
turn up sub and shake the walls.
anon @ Nov 9th 2005 11:02PM
#7 Good call. Cable's are one of the biggest scams around. NEVER buy Monster cable and never pay more than $30 for a HDMI cable.
HDjanitor @ Nov 10th 2005 12:49AM
#5 I think the DTV stations currently on UHF will NOT switch over to the VHF frequency currently used for analog. That VHF frequency is what the government is eager to auction away.
college student @ Nov 10th 2005 9:40AM
just download tv WITHOUT COMERCIALS
thanks to the pirates :D - good job.. at least someone is looking out for OUR BEST INTERESTS = having a good time.
playback on computer connected to projector :D
turn up sub and shake the walls
richard dimiceli @ Nov 10th 2005 12:26PM
I have the tv listed below just as a spare tv Is it a good hdtv, I only paid $ 500.00 for it the pictures looks great to me unless I am missing something i am planing to use it for ps2,ps3,xbox360 etc because the wife wants me off the 55 inch tv so any comments let me know thanks
Toshiba 30" Widescreen HD-Ready Flat-Tube TV with HDMI Input
Model: 30HF85
Adam @ Nov 10th 2005 12:16PM
Actually... #5 & #11... The post-DTV channel core will be what is currently 2-51. VHF Low channels (2-6) are absolutely horrendous for DTV. They are the most suseptible to multi-path and nother interference. Most of those stations WILL NOT stay on their VHF low allocation. In fact, I know that in Chicago WBBM-DT which is currently on 3, with analog on 2, is taking Ch. 11 I believe as they negotiataed w/ WTTW who is now taking their original DT allotment, iirc. Of course, it is all moot due to PSIP since stations can map whatever channel number they want to their actual channel.
Btw.. If the FCC were smart, they'd just eliminate the 2-6 portion of the band and give it to FM radio.
-A
freestufftimes.com @ Nov 13th 2005 10:29AM
This should be sent to every employee of best buy and circuit city.
Loran Harding @ Nov 14th 2005 5:53PM
Eagle117 tells us above on Nov 9, 2005 that if your receiver can decode Dolby Digital or DTS that you should change your dvd player over from PCM to Bitstream. True enough, but I just bought the great Panasonic S97 dvd player and will buy its companion, the sa-XR70 all-digital surround receiver. Reading the S97 owners manual yesterday, I note that if the component you have connected to the dvd player cannot decode Dolby Digital or DTS and you send Bitstream to it, you will get a piercing noise that can damage your speakers and your hearing, so look out! "If the bitstream is output to the equipment without a decoder, high levels of noise can be output and may damage your speakers and hearing". p.16, Under "Audio Tab", see "Dolby Digital" and "DTS Digital Surround" there.