Recent Comments:
Army's Land Warrior program back in action {Engadget}
Jun 25th 2007 5:10PM and all this fancy cr*p doesn't mean a thing when the "angle of death pisses in your flintlock". Fancy electronics pasted on 40 year old M16/M4 hulks firing undersized 5.56mm rounds, that's progress !
Ask HDBeat: What are some good HDTV antennas? {Engadget HD}
Aug 18th 2006 2:02PM first things first.
go to www.antennaweb.org and put in your address and zip code. When the results are up, select the digital TV transmissions only. Check what channels the digital TV signals are actually on and the distance to the transmission towers. 15 or 20 miles, a good indoor antenna like the "Silver Sensor" may work well. Over 20 miles and consider a antenna mounted outdoors.
http://www.channelmaster.com/pdf/AntInstallGuide.pdf
Antenna Installation Guide
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ISSUES/erecting_antenna.html
Erecting an Antenna
The ultimate hook-up and explanation guide for a HDTV based home theater {Engadget HD}
Aug 7th 2006 3:01PM and because it's free there is no mention of over-the-air digital TV broadcasts ???
contary to popular mis-conception, cable and satellite are NOT the only source of HD and digital TV programming. Your local broadcaster has it now, but many people never get the information...wonder why ?
Uncompressed OTA signals usually look better than compressed digital cable, and highly compressed satellite downfeed.....but, what the heck, pay those vendors $$$$$ per month for the privilage.
Paramount releasing "The Ultimate Star Trek Movie Collection" on HD DVD {Engadget HD}
Jul 26th 2006 5:53PM Was the original Star Trek shot on film ?
In the 60's, tape was marginal and digital was for certain medical exams.....
If they are remastering from original film stock, that would make sense
Sharp's 8 new HD-ready Aquos LCD TVs {Engadget}
Jun 15th 2006 10:42AM 1. "HD-Ready" means no over-the-air tuner build in.
2. Analog (NTSC) tuners are NOT a feature, they are obsolete and bait for un-informed buyers.
3. So, Sharp is ignoring the FCC mandate to include ATSC tuners in all sets 36" and smaller by July 1, 2006 ????
Quote from FCC:
The Commission’s rules already provide that all large TV sets (36” and larger) must have built-in DTV tuners by July 1, 2005. Those rules also provide that 50% of mid-sized sets (25”-36”) must have DTV tuners by that date, and that all mid-sized sets must have DTV tuners by July 1, 2006. The rules also provide that all receivers with a screen size 13” or more, as well as other all other TV receiving devices (such as VCRs, DVDRs, etc.) must have DTV tuners by July 1, 2007.
NBC's less than perfect Olympic coverage {Engadget HD}
Feb 24th 2006 2:49PM The local NBC affiliate in Lexington, KY discontinued their multi-casting on 18.2 and 18.3 to broadcast the Olympic feed in 1080i format over-the-air. As long as the network feed held up, the viewing was SPECTACULAR. There have been problems with the feed from Italy, and NBC's weird decisions on broadcast timing/content can easily be faulted....BUT....when it worked, it was great.
Terrestrial Digital antenna blends performance with style {Engadget HD}
Feb 21st 2006 11:28AM I wonder why the antenna industry refuses to admit that the FCC now allows VHF DTV broadcasts. They are still hawking their UHF only antennas as HDTV specific antennas, and they are not.
Also, note the promo pictures orientation, suggests it has something to do with satelite reception, instead of vertical and looking like some form of "slab". Interesting.
Redesigned Sharp AQUOS 20-inch LCD in Japan {Engadget HD}
Feb 17th 2006 10:36AM what part of the FCC mandate that ALL new HDTV's less than 36" have built-in ATSC tuners by the middle of 2006 (March 1st or July 1st - depending on the source) did you not read ???
It took the idiots in Washington a while to do it, but they finally are trying to end the bait and switch marketing of display manufacturers who sell "monitors" as TV's and force un-knowing buyers to shell out more money for the extra tuner if they want to see over-the-air broadcasts. The amount of mis-information, or just plain dis-information, in the retail HDTV market is astounding. Most people actually believe you have to shell out big monthly bucks to get HD on cable or satelite and don't even know their local broadcasters probably already have HD OTA broadcasts.
Sorry, Rant mode is now off.....
The best thing about NBC's Olympic coverage {Engadget HD}
Feb 15th 2006 9:47AM "O.K. picture quality" ??
Our local NBC affiliate, WLEX 18 in Lexington, KY, is broadcasting over-the-air in 1080i and the parts of the Olympics that are in HD are SPECTACULAR. WLEX stopped multicasting on 18.2 to get the best signal out they could. Now, I won't comment on NBC's wierd coverage times and total lack of day time coverage (except 4:00 - 5:00pm), but uncompressed over-the-air digital broadcasts are truly worth the effort to receive with an antenna and ATSC tuner.
OTA HD demystified {Engadget HD}
Feb 9th 2006 12:49PM cable from "antenna out" on tuner to "antenna in" on VCR. Feed from VCR will probably have to go to the TV on one of the alternate "VIDEO" in sources. A little bit of a hassle, you will have to switch to that VIDEO mode to see the output from the VCR. VCR will only record the standard definition signal, not HD.
