Digital tv.To buy or not to buy?

Inforapennyinforapound

Currently have a Toshiba analogue tv.Wide screen and good working order.

Been looking at these wonderful lcd integrated digital tv's and am very tempted.

It will be tragic to dispose of current tv,but many people must be in same situation.
Anyway,i see that in just 6 months or so tv's have improved(i.e built in hd etc) and cheaper prices.

Is it likely that there will be other major updates in the next few months does anyone know? I realise that technology is moving fast so i may wait a few more months before splashing £500.00 or so.

Thanks

moonrakerz

Inforapennyinforapound wrote: »

Currently have a Toshiba analogue tv.Wide screen and good working order.

Been looking at these wonderful lcd integrated digital tv's and am very tempted.

It will be tragic to dispose of current tv,but many people must be in same situation.
Anyway,i see that in just 6 months or so tv's have improved(i.e built in hd etc) and cheaper prices.

Is it likely that there will be other major updates in the next few months does anyone know? I realise that technology is moving fast so i may wait a few more months before splashing £500.00 or so.

Thanks

Be aware that it is almost certain that all the TVs you have seen in showrooms are showing an HD picture.
SD on a modern LCD or Plasma TV can be quite a let down.

macman

Inforapennyinforapound wrote: »

Currently have a Toshiba analogue tv.Wide screen and good working order.

Been looking at these wonderful lcd integrated digital tv's and am very tempted.

It will be tragic to dispose of current tv,but many people must be in same situation.
Anyway,i see that in just 6 months or so tv's have improved(i.e built in hd etc) and cheaper prices.

Is it likely that there will be other major updates in the next few months does anyone know? I realise that technology is moving fast so i may wait a few more months before splashing £500.00 or so.

Thanks

When is your area switching over? Can you already get digital TV in your area? Once the switch happens you have no choice. But if you are happy with your current TV and don't want HD etc yet , why not just get a Freeview box until you decide to upgrade your TV.
The next big thing will be HD on Freeview, but I don't see that being integrated into TV's for a while yet. However the boxes may be on the market early in 2010-certainly in time for the World Cup.

Curveygirl

macman wrote: »

Once the switch happens you have no choice.

Not sure if I've misunderstood your meaning here. Once switchover happens, you still have the choice to just get a digibox. No one should have to sopend more than about £20 unless they want to.

Inforapennyinforapound

Useful info so far.

macman,im a bit confused about hd.
You say that it will be integrated into tv's eventually?

What does this mean? Most tv's are 'hd ready' from what i can see,so when freeview broadcasts in hd then theses sets will receive in hd?

So,what does'integrated hd in freeview ' mean.?

Inforapennyinforapound

BTW our area goes digital in 2011.

macman

Curveygirl wrote: »

Not sure if I've misunderstood your meaning here. Once switchover happens, you still have the choice to just get a digibox. No one should have to sopend more than about £20 unless they want to.

What I meant was, at that point you either need to get a digibox or a new TV.

macman

Inforapennyinforapound wrote: »

Useful info so far.

macman,im a bit confused about hd.
You say that it will be integrated into tv's eventually?

What does this mean? Most tv's are 'hd ready' from what i can see,so when freeview broadcasts in hd then theses sets will receive in hd?

So,what does'integrated hd in freeview ' mean.?

HD Ready means that the TV can display HD pictures, for example by linking them to a Blu-Ray player or a suitable satellite receiver. But since the built in digital tuners are Freeview SD only, they can't decode Freeview HD when it eventually arrives. That will require a new Freeview HD box. Then presumably some time after that date TV's will become available with built in Freeview HD tuners.
If you want HD now, the only routes available are Sky HD or Freesat HD (i.e. satellite, rather than aerial).

Inforapennyinforapound

macman wrote: »

HD Ready means that the TV can display HD pictures, for example by linking them to a Blu-Ray player or a suitable satellite receiver. But since the built in digital tuners are Freeview SD only, they can't decode Freeview HD when it eventually arrives. That will require a new Freeview HD box. Then presumably some time after that date TV's will become available with built in Freeview HD tuners.
If you want HD now, the only routes available are Sky HD or Freesat HD (i.e. satellite, rather than aerial).

This is so confusing.

So all these sets sold as 'hd ready' will not receive freeview hd when it is broadcast?
What will all the people who have bought these sets do to enable them to receive freeview in hd then?
I believe in November that the first freeview hd transmission will be broadcast somewhere in England but who on earth will be able to see it?

Everyone who has bought new sets will have to buy another new set with freeview enabled hd.It feels almost like a 'con' to say they are 'hd ready'!!

Think i will wait..............

macman

TV's marked 'HD Ready' can show HD pictures from another source such as Blu-Ray, Sky HD or Freesat HD (the latter 2 via a suitable box), but not Freeview HD. When most of them were bought, Freeview HD wasn't even a possibility.
If you want Freeview HD you will need a Freeview HD box (when they are available), not a new TV.
Or you can buy a TV with integrated Freesat now to avoid the need for a separate Freesat HD tuner. That's the best and cheapest way into HD at this moment.

Inforapennyinforapound

macman thanks for your time in trying to get this through to me but it still seems a bit of a mess in my head.

I know that i can get hd with freesat,sky et al......

So,my question is: I buy an integrated freeview digital hd ready tv now,then in 6 months time(for example) freeview broadcast some channels in hd.How do i receive them in hd?

From what i understand i wont be able to get them?