BS: High Definition

Subject: BS: High Definition
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 11:27 AM

HD defintion: its like cosmic man

After looking into how to record high def shows from cable tv or satillite onto a computer it was doable but rather problematic but I found a simple familiar way to record HD.

With an old digital VCR I can record up to 2 1/2 hours of HD on a 8 hour VCR tape.
6 hour tapes will record almost 2 hors of HD.

One thing about HD is that classics look better but you can also see how cheesy the movie sets really are. Seeing the Wizard of OZ in HD but still I noticed all the live exotic birds more than before.

Shows like sunrise earth can really fool the eye into believing you are looking out a real window. If the technology ever gets fmore than than 20 frames a second in combination with HD the illusion of reality will be complete.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 12:13 PM

"...the illusion of reality will be complete."

well, when they figure out how to include the smells, too, I'll be impressed.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 12:28 PM

You don't get smells or breezes through a glass window, so the illusion of "looking out a real window" wouldn't need those refinements.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 02:31 PM

Would you guys like to join the NAHS national association of hair splitters ;)



contrast rations of up to 15,000 to 1 also lend spectatcular daytime clarity.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 03:12 PM

I felt like a deer in the headlights the other day--I walked up to an HD TV display in Sears that finally caught my attention. Beautiful, but so expensive!

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 03:15 PM

I may be a founding member of the NAHS...(that is the Reformed Eastern branch, isn't it...which only splits confirmed metaphorical hairs?)

But, yeah, Don...I have seen some of those expensive toys in the stores. I may get one...oh, about 2022....by which time they'll do it in holographic projections that you can step into!

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 03:54 PM

1,488 dollars on Amazon will get a top of the line 40 inch 15000 to 1 contrast ratio Samsung.

Other similar sized lcd hd tvs are priced around 700.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 06:57 PM

Surely hairsplitting is as at least as basic a component of the Mudcat as folk music.

Maybe I'll start a thread "What is hairsplitting?"...
....................................

The attraction of flat tellies to me wouldn't be better pictures - the pictures I get already are quite as good as I want, and far better than the quality of most of the programmes available through the set. It'd be that it'd take up a lot less space. And that's not really worth shelling out all that money until the existing set gives up the ghost.

Or unless the phasing out of analog signals in a few years means I have to get something new - which should mean that the prices should be lower by then, because of economies of scale for the manufacturers if everyone needs new sets.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 08:16 PM

"HD TV is being pushed at us and are given no option. We didn't ask for it, never mind want it..."

Hmmm, as was Stereo, Quadrophonic sound, 5.1, 7.1, ...

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 08:40 PM

McGrath, TV in the UK has been better than US television for decades. For us, high definition makes much more of a difference.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Greg B
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 09:33 PM

At risk of seeming a commercial slave--- I have to say I love
it and have been for a couple of years. 52-inch LCD projection
Hitachi downstairs, and 28-inch LCD upstairs. Downstairs, we have
the 'home theater' sound as well. Oh, and the Comcast cable
company's DVR.

Just last week, they cut my cable bill by $40.00/month to just
try their digital phone service (I've had Vonage as my only phone
service, over Comcast's cable modem for years) for a year. OK.
Since they threw in HBO, Showtime, and Starz, PLUS the DVR for
free for a year.

I just wish there were more folk music in HD and digital audio.

That Silly Wizard live tape would be awesome, re-mastered in
HD and Dolby 7.1 audio.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 09:39 PM

1488 dollars or 700......makes little difference to me, as I consider seriously how often I can afford to eat out. ☺

The circulating pump on our radiant heat system died 2 weeks ago....it cost slightly more than $1488 to replace. THAT shot any notions of replacing appliances arbitrarily.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Greg B
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 10:12 PM

Jeezus--- $1488 for a little pump? I've replaced those for a less than
$200 DIY. Two bolts on the mount, two on the flange, and three wires.
Half hour of labor. Even used to keep a spare on the shelf, just in
case.

Thanks, Papa, me grand-dad who taught me to just do it myself rather
than getting a serviceman in.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 01:54 AM

I have contemplated going another direction--I have a large enough living room, with beautiful paneling and a picture rail that I could hang a slim screen on the wall, to be lowered to use with a projector. The HD TVs are coming down enough that they almost compete with the modestly priced projectors that would cover 4 - 5 feet of screen space on the wall.

But like Bill, it's a treat when we can occasionally go out to eat a modest meal. The cash for a toy like that is a long way off. I will have to spring for the converter for a television that isn't connected to the satellite feed.

I had planned to pay off credit cards a couple of years ago and then possibly get the projector. But we had a burglary, in which three thugs helped themselves to enough appliances and computers in my household and damaged the door on the way in that I was obligated to perform repairs (deductible) and replace what was stolen (much covered by insurance, but not all. The guys were seen but never caught and the projector plans were put on hold. I have two dogs now, and the expenses that go with them. I think I enjoy the dogs more than the television viewing.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 04:56 AM

I had a month free trial (with free install - which is why I took it!) of Foxtel Cable.

It was appalling - they didn't give me the magazine, so I had no idea what was on - when you pay $100 a month for the package I tried - then the mag costs $3.50 a month too... BTW Fox News is really gross... :-)

I won't be getting it - I cancelled my private health package which was less than that because I can't afford that... I would need the max package because the few channels I did watch were in all the 'extra' packages...

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 07:24 AM

"TV in the UK has been better than US television for decades." I knew that it seems generally agreed that that applies to the content of the programmes (which is a pretty grim thought, given the general quality of UK TV) - but does it apply to the quality of the pictures as well? If so that's pretty weird, when you think of it. I mean America's supposed to be pretty good at that technological stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: GUEST,Dazbo at work
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 07:49 AM

Given that I'm perfectly happy with my 24" widescreen telly with now wish to 'upgrade' to a super-duper sized screen, how much difference does HD make to the picture on a smaller screen TV? All the demos I've seen are for the really big screens which admittedly do look good alongside big screen TVs not showing HD but not that much of an improvement over the smaller screen I've got at home.

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 11:13 AM

"I've replaced those for a less than
$200 DIY. Two bolts on the mount, two on the flange, and three wires.
Half hour of labor"

*grin*..would that it had been that easy! This was a big, 50 year old motor/circulating pump. The 'new' model was over $700, and was 2" shorter between the flanges on 1½" iron pipe. (Looks like this red one

There were no adaptor flanges, so it required removing a 2½ ft. section of iron pipe, replacing it with copper (price 2ft of threaded copper pipe)!, and THEN replacing the flanges, as they were not 'exactly' a fit....and the iron pipe required 2 men and a big pipe wrench and an hour of intense wrenching to loosen.....and to get the flange off the lower piece of pipe, it had to be removed and *I* had to stand on it while the plumber leaned on the LARGE wrench. There was about 4 hours labor total, and I watched most of it. (They didn't charge me for 2 trips to the supply house, trying to find the right parts.)

Subject: RE: BS: High Definition
From: Greg B
Date: 21 Nov 07 - 12:01 PM

Yep, that BandG pump seems to be the standard of the industry.

My first one lasted a good 20 years; I replaced it when it got
noisy.