HDTV question

[playball31580]

I'm so pumped up as I got a DLP flatscreen HDTV as my wedding present. I'm going to order DIRECTV to get all those HDTV premimum channels that they have to offer. Can't wait to see the Tide in action on HDTV especially CBS, even though I'm already going to three games this upcoming season. I was wondering that if those Monster HDMI cords make that much of a difference with the clear HDTV picture or am I just better off having what I have with the cords that come with the HDTV along with my HD receiver from DIRECTV? I plan on going to Best Buy to ask them, but I figure I ask you Bama fans that have HDTV. If there is anything else that you recommend I should have/buy to really pimp out the picture of my HDTV screen, I'm all ears for it as I am already looking forward to my Saturdays this fall watching college football.

Roll Tide Roll!

 

[theBIGyowski]

I purchased a new HDTV several months ago and I can tell you that you can't get anything better than HDMI...if you have it. Check your TV to see if you can use the HDMI cable. I know that if you are getting a High Definition Tivo (which I have and highly recommend) then you can use the HDMI cable that comes with it. The advantages of HDMI over Monster component cables are that HDMI holds the digital signal from source to the TV and the other advantage is that you get picture and sound in one small cable. HDMI looks like a larger USB cable. Component cables, while very high in quality, must turn a digial signal into an analog signal to go through the cables, which your TV must turn back into a digital signal. HDMI is just a cleaner way to do this. I don't know if your HDTV has speakers...but mine has incredible speakers with virtual surround sound...and I am definitely taking advantage of having both video and audio in one cable.

So...if I were you...I would use the HDMI cable...and it comes with an HD Tivo if you are gonna use DirecTV. Just trust me that you want the HD Tivo...especially for Bama football.

RTR!!!

 

[theBIGyowski]

Another thing to note...

I don't know about St. Louis...but in Birmingham and surrounding areas you have to have an HD Antenna to pick up your local channels in HD. DirecTV does not offer local channels in HD yet. A technician for DirecTV did tell me last week that they will be offering local channels in HD in my area late this summer. It's a one-time cost of $100 because they have to add something to the satellite dish. I don't know if they already have this where you live or if you are getting it soon. Just a heads up. I have an HD Antenna right now getting me FOX, CBS, NBC, etc. and it was a one time cost of $60 because it's just like having rabbit ears on an old TV...so you don't pay anything after the antenna.

This was far too long-winded...hope it helps though.

RTR!!!

 

[DzynKingRTR]

i bought one as well. it is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my old tv sits in another room collecting dust.

 

[bamanut_aj]

Comcast HD is far better than any dish, if you can get Comcast.

 

[playball31580]

I purchased a new HDTV several months ago and I can tell you that you can't get anything better than HDMI...if you have it. Check your TV to see if you can use the HDMI cable. I know that if you are getting a High Definition Tivo (which I have and highly recommend) then you can use the HDMI cable that comes with it. The advantages of HDMI over Monster component cables are that HDMI holds the digital signal from source to the TV and the other advantage is that you get picture and sound in one small cable. HDMI looks like a larger USB cable. Component cables, while very high in quality, must turn a digial signal into an analog signal to go through the cables, which your TV must turn back into a digital signal. HDMI is just a cleaner way to do this. I don't know if your HDTV has speakers...but mine has incredible speakers with virtual surround sound...and I am definitely taking advantage of having both video and audio in one cable.

So...if I were you...I would use the HDMI cable...and it comes with an HD Tivo if you are gonna use DirecTV. Just trust me that you want the HD Tivo...especially for Bama football.

RTR!!!

How much does it cost for HD Tivo (and is the HD Tivo in any relation to the DirecTV HD receiver box? and do they have it at Best Buy? I don't know yet if my t.v. has HDMI cables as I will check it out. I'm not going to hook up anything yet until I move into my new house within the next two weeks before the wedding. Mine has speakers on each side, so hopefully the surround sound will be incredible once I finally hook it up.

 

[playball31580]

Another thing to note...

I don't know about St. Louis...but in Birmingham and surrounding areas you have to have an HD Antenna to pick up your local channels in HD. DirecTV does not offer local channels in HD yet. A technician for DirecTV did tell me last week that they will be offering local channels in HD in my area late this summer. It's a one-time cost of $100 because they have to add something to the satellite dish. I don't know if they already have this where you live or if you are getting it soon. Just a heads up. I have an HD Antenna right now getting me FOX, CBS, NBC, etc. and it was a one time cost of $60 because it's just like having rabbit ears on an old TV...so you don't pay anything after the antenna.

This was far too long-winded...hope it helps though.

RTR!!!

Here in St. Louis, we don't need the HD antennas to pick up the local channels in HD. That's what the DirecTV people tell me back here as I won't need one. All together, I will have 13 HD channels on my DirecTv which is better than what they are offering for Charter Communications Cable package here in St. Louis which is only 8 channels.

 

[GORILLA BALL]

if you want to spend the money i would go with the monster cables.

 

[uafan4life]

Comcast HD is far better than any dish, if you can get Comcast.

Not in North Alabama it's not. Not even close.

 

[UAEngineer113]

When it comes to cables and accessories, you get what you pay for.

Garbage in...garbage out.

 

[TexasBammer]

Verizon FIOS has a huge selection of HD channels standard, and low costs and you can get College Gameday. However, the only way to get the NFL Sunday Ticket is through DirecTV, so don't forget that if you are also an NFL fan.

 

[BEATtutorsee]

When it comes to cables and accessories, you get what you pay for.

Garbage in...garbage out.

Very good point. It's good to find deals, but don't sacrifice quality for the sake of saving a few bucks. Especially when it comes to electronics.

 

[uafan4life]

Very good point. It's good to find deals, but don't sacrifice quality for the sake of saving a few bucks. Especially when it comes to electronics.

The sad thing is the markup on AV cables. An AV installer, if he does any volume at all, can get the kind of proconnect cables (custom fit compression) that you make your own Component cables and ready made HDMI cables better than those monster cables at worst buy, for about 1/10 the price.

 

[UAEngineer113]

Yea, if you can get cables from a professional installer then you're good. Monster Cables are DEFINITELY worth the money if you can't get custom cables though. I've worked part-time in electronics sales for over 3 years.

 

[theBIGyowski]

I got my HD Tivo through DirecTV. It will replace your HD receiver. It cost me a whole lot of money...and I kinda wish I had bought it instead of "rented" it from DirecTV...but it is 100% covered by them since it's rented and I don't have to worry about anything ever messing up without being able to fix it for free. Tivo is definitely something you want to look into at some point. To be able to record anything you want, pause live TV, and rewind things you are watching to watch them again is something amazing...especially stuff in HD.

I can promise you that HDMI is better than the best component cables you can buy...as long as your TV will support it. I think HDMI cables can run you from about $50 for the cheap ones to probably $150 for the best. I guess the difference is in the length and the name on the box. But trsut me that you want HDMI.

I also looked at Digital Cable in my area and it wasn't as good of a deal as DirecTV. Another plus with DirecTV (and Dish Network) is that you can take your receiver anywhere and have your DirecTV with you. All you need is a satellite dish that you can either buy cheap somewhere or just rent. I might even do something like that this fall for a Bama game or two because those rabbit ears just don't do the trick when you want a good picture on the Quad.

Congrats on the upcoming wedding and enjoy your new TV!

RTR!!!

 

[UAEngineer113]

Probably the biggest upside to having cable is the free network HD channels. If your HDTV has a built in ATSC tuner (usually just called an HD Tuner), if you're on cable you can pick up all the local networks in high-definition. Cable companies are required by law to carry network HD channels for free.

We run Comcast at my part-time job and Monday nights are always AWESOME. :biggrin2: CBS doesn't always broadcast their college football games in HD, so some of the games weren't that great.

 

[CrimsonCT]

Monster Cables are DEFINITELY worth the money if you can't get custom cables though.

Monster AV Cables (and essentially everything they make) are hideously overpriced for the quality offered. True, they make good products, but you can get far better cables for the same price, or similar ones for far less.

For Home Theater, I love Dayton Audio. Link to their primary distributor (excellent company, I might add... scroll down to see the cables). I've had great experience with Dayton, and so has every other user I've talked to.

For *really* cheap cables that are still supposedly high quality (at least the HDMI), check Monoprice.com. The Home Theater forums I visit have apparently conducted blind tests comparing these to more expenive alternatives, without any discernable difference. I've never used these, but they seem to praise even the cheapest cables with thin shielding.

 

[BayouBama75]

I live in Atlanta and bought as HD Tivo from Circuit City last September (they will work with DirecTV). DirecTV had to come out and installed a new Dish. But I could not get the local channels in HD. I tried to get the local channel to sign a wavier so I could get other HD channels and only FOX let me. So I have Fox HD (out of NY) but no HD for other Network channels. Still have ESPN and ESPN2 and a couple of other HD channels they give you. Since I wasn't getting many channels, DirecTV wavied the HD charges for 6 months. After 6 months they started to charge me again so I called and stated that I couldn't get the Atlanta Channels still. They said that they were now able to get those channels but they were on a different satellite so I would need a new Dish. (the last one was only 6 months old). After much discussion, I found out that the HD Tivo ($400) I had purchased 6 months ago would not work with this particular satellite.

I told them I would sand pat for now with what I have and I have a credit again for the next 6 months because my Tivo was more important than the HD.

I love the quaily of the picture with DirecTV but you need to be careful on sinking money in the HD Tivo receivers if it doesn't give you what you want right now... Just like all computers, they make more money when you have to upgrade.

 

[Bamafanman]

I'm so pumped up as I got a DLP flatscreen HDTV as my wedding present. I'm going to order DIRECTV to get all those HDTV premimum channels that they have to offer. Can't wait to see the Tide in action on HDTV especially CBS, even though I'm already going to three games this upcoming season. I was wondering that if those Monster HDMI cords make that much of a difference with the clear HDTV picture or am I just better off having what I have with the cords that come with the HDTV along with my HD receiver from DIRECTV? I plan on going to Best Buy to ask them, but I figure I ask you Bama fans that have HDTV. If there is anything else that you recommend I should have/buy to really pimp out the picture of my HDTV screen, I'm all ears for it as I am already looking forward to my Saturdays this fall watching college football.

Roll Tide Roll!

I recently worked at a Best BUy home theater department, and I can tell you for a fact they do make a difference. The cheaper ones even make some difference, but if you're oing to spend that kind of money for a TV, the cables make a difference. So see you didnt have to go to Best Buy to get their answer. Trust me if you went in there anyway they would have tried to tell you you need alot of other stuff too ie. power center and what not(which you may but I dont know what all you have). Anyway good luck, I hope it looks sweet.

 

[Bamafanman]

Monster AV Cables (and essentially everything they make) are hideously overpriced for the quality offered. True, they make good products, but you can get far better cables for the same price, or similar ones for far less.

For Home Theater, I love Dayton Audio. Link to their primary distributor (excellent company, I might add... scroll down to see the cables). I've had great experience with Dayton, and so has every other user I've talked to.

For *really* cheap cables that are still supposedly high quality (at least the HDMI), check Monoprice.com. The Home Theater forums I visit have apparently conducted blind tests comparing these to more expenive alternatives, without any discernable difference. I've never used these, but they seem to praise even the cheapest cables with thin shielding.

I agree with the overpriced part..... Its mostly store markup though. When I was at best buy I could buy those cables for around 30 bucks of the regular 120 price tag. Best Buy makes a KILLING on markup of cables and tv acces. That and service plans. Dont ever let those crazy people talk you into one of their installations... find a friend to do it even if you have to pay him cheap. They charging up to 800 -1000 for an installation is crazy even if it is professional looking. Well, unless you have money growing out your ears.