Cyprus-Forum.com

[iceman]

You have a choice of buying a HD digital TV with a built in digital tuner or a separate top-set box which is a receiver box that looks like a DVD player. Now they are manufacturing very small ones and ones that can actually plug un the back of the TVs.

If your TV is "HD ready" or "compatible", you definitely need a top-set box. If your TV is HDTV then you do not need an extra tuner (top-set box), the TV has one built in - that is why they are more expensive!

If youhave a normal TV (not an HD-compatible or an HD-ready one, then although the recption of the stations broadcasting digitally will be crisper and better, you will not have the true benefits of receiving HD digital transmission, where the picture quality is greatly enhanced...

Bloody hell Oz...didnt know you had a degree on electronics also
Not every HDTV set necessarily has digital tuner for terrestrial digital reception...so you still need a separate set-top box (not top-set) on these models..
HD broadcasting on terrestrial digital still has a long way to go...HD transmissions in Europe are only limited to satellite transmissions at the moment..and even they have a very limited content in HD format..

[bigOz]

You have a choice of buying a HD digital TV with a built in digital tuner or a separate top-set box which is a receiver box that looks like a DVD player. Now they are manufacturing very small ones and ones that can actually plug un the back of the TVs.

If your TV is "HD ready" or "compatible", you definitely need a top-set box. If your TV is HDTV then you do not need an extra tuner (top-set box), the TV has one built in - that is why they are more expensive!

If youhave a normal TV (not an HD-compatible or an HD-ready one, then although the recption of the stations broadcasting digitally will be crisper and better, you will not have the true benefits of receiving HD digital transmission, where the picture quality is greatly enhanced...

Bloody hell Oz...didnt know you had a degree on electronics also
Not every HDTV set necessarily has digital tuner for terrestrial digital reception...so you still need a separate set-top box (not top-set) on these models..
HD broadcasting on terrestrial digital still has a long way to go...HD transmissions in Europe are only limited to satellite transmissions at the moment..and even they have a very limited content in HD format..

iceman! Since you last saw me, in addition to what I already have - I have manged to squeeze in a university (O.U.) diploma in computers & programming (including C++ programming), half a dozen eCommerce and online marketing certificates (including media management and Search Engine Optimisation) etc. etc. I just cannot stop idle!

By the way, UK is replacing all terrestial with digital transmission as from next year. I think most Western Europe is already following suit. If unsure it might be best to buy a HD ready/compatible TV and a top set (which are really not too expensive). That way you can enjoy both terrestial and digital transmissions.

Also the DVD industry has already moved towards digital production, so it does help to have at least HD ready TV... (i am off now!)

[rulla]

yes ty for the info ev1 but i read in the paper that the radio sgnals we are geting now via our satelite dishes will be stopped.what i would like to know is how are we going to get the signal through the phone or special antenas what ~there will be no more satelite sgnals as they are going to use the radio waves we get now for other things!

[devil]

Also the DVD industry has already moved towards digital production

Well, well, well, is that so? Well, I never! I suppose you think that earlier DVDs are analogue? Now, let me see, what does DVD stand for? Ah! I've got it! DIGITAL Versatile Disk.

[bigOz]

Also the DVD industry has already moved towards digital production

Well, well, well, is that so? Well, I never! I suppose you think that earlier DVDs are analogue? Now, let me see, what does DVD stand for? Ah! I've got it! DIGITAL Versatile Disk.

My apologies I meant to write HD-DVD, implying that increasingly more films on DVDs will be in HD format with better quality picture that can be viewed on HDTV. My mistake!

[devil]

And if HD-DVD drops dead, as did 8-track, Betacam and other great new technologies? There is absolutely no guarantee that it will survive the war with BluRay. If it loses, you will have an expensive piece of useless equipment on your hands. I recommend that no one invests in either for the moment, until we see which direction the war is going. In any case, there are BIG problems with both in that the picture quality can degrade rapidly with fast movements (function of the H.264 implementation of MPEG-4, combined with the copy protection). Not to mention that the commercial media are horrendously expensive.

I have been for many years been a video buff: I have two expensive 3-CCD mini-DV cams and professional editing/authoring equipment. I've been watching progress and I can assure you that I am far from ready to buy an HD cam: HD is still far too iffy with too many incompatible variants. My editing software is HD-compatible but it won't accept AVCHD camcorder inputs. The situation is far too chaotic and I foresee it will take AT LEAST a year before the dust settles.

[Sotos]

yes ty for the info ev1 but i read in the paper that the radio sgnals we are geting now via our satelite dishes will be stopped.what i would like to know is how are we going to get the signal through the phone or special antenas what ~there will be no more satelite sgnals as they are going to use the radio waves we get now for other things!

Have you tried internet radio? If you have ADSL it can be pretty good I hope they will not manage to kill it thought

[nigeyboy]

I've asked this in another forum but am still confused ! If I bring over a UK HDTV with inbuilt digital tuner what will i receive ? If I hook it up to a 2.7m dish will i get UK sky tv. The main reason for asking is if I put 3 TVs in one house can I watch 3 different channels at once. I know that's acyually impossible unless you can see round corners but you get my drift !!

Thanks

Nigeyboy

[iceman]

I've asked this in another forum but am still confused ! If I bring over a UK HDTV with inbuilt digital tuner what will i receive ? If I hook it up to a 2.7m dish will i get UK sky tv. The main reason for asking is if I put 3 TVs in one house can I watch 3 different channels at once. I know that's acyually impossible unless you can see round corners but you get my drift !!

Not sure about it but i dont think the local terrestrial stations have switched over to digital transmissions in Cyprus yet...I know that they will all switch over by 2012...So your UK HD ready TV with inbuilt digital tuner will not be much use on terrestrial channels...
If you get yourself a SKY HD box and a subscribtion you can view SKY HD channels on your HD ready TV..
If you want to watch different channels on different TV's then you need a separate skybox for each TV and a quad LNB on your dish.....

[bigOz]

And if HD-DVD drops dead, as did 8-track, Betacam and other great new technologies? There is absolutely no guarantee that it will survive the war with BluRay. If it loses, you will have an expensive piece of useless equipment on your hands. I recommend that no one invests in either for the moment, until we see which direction the war is going. In any case, there are BIG problems with both in that the picture quality can degrade rapidly with fast movements (function of the H.264 implementation of MPEG-4, combined with the copy protection). Not to mention that the commercial media are horrendously expensive.

If you go by technological developments becoming obsolete because of new products coming out, then we should all stop buying anything! Unfortunately, electronics companies' survival depends on manufacturing new products and innovations. Otherwise , once the marhet saturates they'll have to close shop.

As for HD and Blue-Ray Disc players, there is at least one company (LG) who has already manufactured a player that is compatible with both. It has already gone on sale in U.S.A. and will probably be available for sale in Europe soon. Expensive but impressive - the price is bound to come down after the initial frenzy, especially if some other manufacturers make a move in the same direction. See:
http://www.tvpredictions.com/lgdualprice010707.htm

Who knows, 3 years from now 3D TV might be coming out, I am not going to stop watching TV until then!