Washington, D.C. (October 5, 2006)
--
I get scores of e-mails every
week from readers asking everything from whether they
should buy a new HDTV to when will their TV provider
add new high-def channels.
So, from time to time, I will publish my responses here in this new column called, 'Ask Swanni'
Q. Swanni, I have Comcast cable and I keep reading that my box should be connected with a HDMI cable. Does it really improve the picture or is this just another scheme to sell me a worthless cable? - Sandy W.
Sandy, the HDMI cable does indeed improve the high-def picture. However, earlier model HDTVs do not have HDMI or DVI ports in the back. (You can connect a HDMI to HDMI cable or HDMI to DVI cable, depending upon your set's connections.) So check the back of your TV before you go out and buy one.
Q. Should I get an over the air antenna for my local HDTV channels. My cousin, the geek in the family, says the picture is better -- Guy S.
Maybe. Sorry to be vague, but in some cities, you can get a better picture by using an off-air antenna but not in others. It depends on various factors, such as signal strength, how your local stations transmit the digital/HD feeds and even the quality of your satellite provider or local cable operator. I would suggest asking some high-def owners in your area to get their opinions.
Q. Has any celebrity ever contacted you about how you rip them apart for the way they look in HDTV? Jennie C.
Yes, For instance, Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack on The Sopranos, didn't like my comment that I need an "Audience Protection Program" when he appears on screen. But I assured him that it was all in good fun. Right, Vince?
Q. What do you think of the picture on the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray HDTV DVDs? -- Tony B.
In most cases, the picture is beautiful. But like most new technologies, the high-def DVD industry is still working out the kinks. Not every disc offers the sharp picture that you would expect from a HDTV DVD. But there should be more consistency in the next year or so.
Q. I'm confused. There seems to be a lot of debate over DIRECTV's new HD DVR. CNET says it's great, but some of your HD Observers have trashed it. Should I wait to buy one? -- Don E.
I think the differences in opinion can be attributed to the fact that the DIRECTV HR20 HD DVR is new. So, there may be a few lemons in the initial shipment. Maybe even several lemons. But based on CNET's review, it sounds like the set-top has great potential as a high-def recorder. Personally, I haven't used one yet, but plan to soon.
Q. You wrote that the ABC station in Omaha, Nebraska is not letting Cox Cable show its HDTV feed. Did you know it's happening in Oklahoma City, too, where I live? Is there anything we can do about it? -- Judy P.
Several local stations across the country are preventing cable operators from carrying their HDTV signals because they want more programming fees or other considerations. I would suggest writing a letter to your congressmen, the FCC, your local station, anyone who matters. The government and the broadcast industry needs to hear that high-def owners are angry and won't take it anymore.
Q. Would you recommend getting HDTV on a PC? -- Ben S.
No, I wouldn't because I believe high-def is best viewed on a big-screen. But some PC owners like to watch HDTV on their little screens so to each his own.
Q. Just curious, when did you get your first HDTV? John Q.
November 7, 2001. I remember the day well. Watching TV has never been the same.
Q. Is your cat still watching HDTV? My tabby, Sammy, watches all the time. -- Susie R.
Yes, indeed. Snoopy, my six-year-old domestic feline, is still watching HDTV. (See: My Cat Is Watching HDTV!) She still seems to like baseball and nature shows the best. I'm still amazed by the whole thing.
If you have a question for Swanni, send it to:
swann@tvpredictions.com
So, from time to time, I will publish my responses here in this new column called, 'Ask Swanni'
Q. Swanni, I have Comcast cable and I keep reading that my box should be connected with a HDMI cable. Does it really improve the picture or is this just another scheme to sell me a worthless cable? - Sandy W.
Sandy, the HDMI cable does indeed improve the high-def picture. However, earlier model HDTVs do not have HDMI or DVI ports in the back. (You can connect a HDMI to HDMI cable or HDMI to DVI cable, depending upon your set's connections.) So check the back of your TV before you go out and buy one.
Q. Should I get an over the air antenna for my local HDTV channels. My cousin, the geek in the family, says the picture is better -- Guy S.
Maybe. Sorry to be vague, but in some cities, you can get a better picture by using an off-air antenna but not in others. It depends on various factors, such as signal strength, how your local stations transmit the digital/HD feeds and even the quality of your satellite provider or local cable operator. I would suggest asking some high-def owners in your area to get their opinions.
Q. Has any celebrity ever contacted you about how you rip them apart for the way they look in HDTV? Jennie C.
Yes, For instance, Vince Curatola, who plays Johnny Sack on The Sopranos, didn't like my comment that I need an "Audience Protection Program" when he appears on screen. But I assured him that it was all in good fun. Right, Vince?
Q. What do you think of the picture on the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray HDTV DVDs? -- Tony B.
In most cases, the picture is beautiful. But like most new technologies, the high-def DVD industry is still working out the kinks. Not every disc offers the sharp picture that you would expect from a HDTV DVD. But there should be more consistency in the next year or so.
Q. I'm confused. There seems to be a lot of debate over DIRECTV's new HD DVR. CNET says it's great, but some of your HD Observers have trashed it. Should I wait to buy one? -- Don E.
I think the differences in opinion can be attributed to the fact that the DIRECTV HR20 HD DVR is new. So, there may be a few lemons in the initial shipment. Maybe even several lemons. But based on CNET's review, it sounds like the set-top has great potential as a high-def recorder. Personally, I haven't used one yet, but plan to soon.
Q. You wrote that the ABC station in Omaha, Nebraska is not letting Cox Cable show its HDTV feed. Did you know it's happening in Oklahoma City, too, where I live? Is there anything we can do about it? -- Judy P.
Several local stations across the country are preventing cable operators from carrying their HDTV signals because they want more programming fees or other considerations. I would suggest writing a letter to your congressmen, the FCC, your local station, anyone who matters. The government and the broadcast industry needs to hear that high-def owners are angry and won't take it anymore.
Q. Would you recommend getting HDTV on a PC? -- Ben S.
No, I wouldn't because I believe high-def is best viewed on a big-screen. But some PC owners like to watch HDTV on their little screens so to each his own.
Q. Just curious, when did you get your first HDTV? John Q.
November 7, 2001. I remember the day well. Watching TV has never been the same.
Q. Is your cat still watching HDTV? My tabby, Sammy, watches all the time. -- Susie R.
Yes, indeed. Snoopy, my six-year-old domestic feline, is still watching HDTV. (See: My Cat Is Watching HDTV!) She still seems to like baseball and nature shows the best. I'm still amazed by the whole thing.
If you have a question for Swanni, send it to:
swann@tvpredictions.com