Washington, D.C.
(February 22, 2007)
--
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 column called, "Ask Swanni!"
Q. Just signed up for the newsletter. It is wonderful! I am suggesting it to my friends. Question: Is the new Oppo DVD player which will upconvert to 1080p a worthwhile investment? -- Alan M.
I own the Oppo DV-981 HD player and it's terrific. I have it connected to a Vizio 1080p 47-inch 1080p LCD and my standard DVDs have never looked better. The colors are deeper and richer and details are much sharper.
Now, having said that, while Oppo upconverters improve the picture, they do not offer high-def images. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being high-def, I would put the Oppo picture at 8 with a standard DVD player at 5. With some Oppo players under $200 -- $300-800 less than HDTV DVD players -- that's something to consider.
Q. When will daytime talk shows be in HDTV? Like Regis & Kelly; Montel Williams and so on. -- Brad H.
You might see Oprah go high-def before year's end -- and maybe Regis & Kelly. But don't expect the others anytime soon. Syndicated shows are often transmitted to local stations in large blocks and some stations don't have the equipment to handle that in high-def, which requires more storage capacity.
Q. Why is there such a large price difference between a 40-inch LCD HDTV and a 47-inch LCD HDTV? -- Nelson C.
Although the screen size difference is only seven inches, it is more costly to manufacture and ship the larger set. However, marketing is another reason for the price increase. Manufacturers know that they can charge more for the larger-screen HDTV so they do. The consumer's perception is that bigger is better.
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Q. Why doesn't DIRECTV just add the Voom HD channels now?! -- Alan P.
Voom has 15 different high-def channels, which can now be seen on EchoStar's Dish Network. However, DIRECTV does not have satellite room to add Voom at this time. Maybe later this year when it launches at least one new satellite to expand its high-def capacity.
Q. Where are those Laser TVs we keep hearing about? -- Brian K.
The latest word is that two well-known manufacturers may launch Laser TVs this holiday season. Laser TVs purportedly will offer a sharper picture than LCD or Plasma, but we'll see, won't we?
Q. Will the Oscars be in HD this Sunday? -- Steve R. Yes, ABC will begin high-def coverage at 8 p.m. ET with the "Red Carpet" arrivals. The awards show will commence at 8:30 p.m.
Q. I live in St. Louis and my cable company (Charter) does not offer CBS or ABC in HD. How come? -- Andrew N.
Charter has not reached an agreement with the local stations to carry their high-def feeds. By federal law, a TV provider can not offer a local station's signal without its permission.
Unfortunately, your problem is shared by cable subscribers in several other cities.
Q. If 1080p is "Full HD," why would they even sell a HDTV that's 1080i or 720p? -- Peter L.
Many new HDTVs are called 'Full HD," which means they can display 1080p high-def images. However, there is currently no programming available in 1080p except for HDTV DVDs. So there's nothing wrong with buying a 1080i and/or 720p HDTV. Plus, some question whether the average viewer can really tell the difference between 1080p and 1080i or 720p.
Q. With the Digital TV transition coming in 2009, won't high-def tuners get cheaper? I have a HDTV that doesn't have a tuner and I would like to get one to pull in local signals with an antenna. -- Mark R.
The early estimate is that Digital TV converter boxes, which will allow analog TVs to display digital signals when all TV stations go digital on February 17, 2009, will be around $50-75. So I think you can expect high-def tuners to be slightly more than that at that time.
So, from time to time, I will publish my responses here in this column called, "Ask Swanni!"
Q. Just signed up for the newsletter. It is wonderful! I am suggesting it to my friends. Question: Is the new Oppo DVD player which will upconvert to 1080p a worthwhile investment? -- Alan M.
I own the Oppo DV-981 HD player and it's terrific. I have it connected to a Vizio 1080p 47-inch 1080p LCD and my standard DVDs have never looked better. The colors are deeper and richer and details are much sharper.
Now, having said that, while Oppo upconverters improve the picture, they do not offer high-def images. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being high-def, I would put the Oppo picture at 8 with a standard DVD player at 5. With some Oppo players under $200 -- $300-800 less than HDTV DVD players -- that's something to consider.
Q. When will daytime talk shows be in HDTV? Like Regis & Kelly; Montel Williams and so on. -- Brad H.
You might see Oprah go high-def before year's end -- and maybe Regis & Kelly. But don't expect the others anytime soon. Syndicated shows are often transmitted to local stations in large blocks and some stations don't have the equipment to handle that in high-def, which requires more storage capacity.
Q. Why is there such a large price difference between a 40-inch LCD HDTV and a 47-inch LCD HDTV? -- Nelson C.
Although the screen size difference is only seven inches, it is more costly to manufacture and ship the larger set. However, marketing is another reason for the price increase. Manufacturers know that they can charge more for the larger-screen HDTV so they do. The consumer's perception is that bigger is better.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Q. Why doesn't DIRECTV just add the Voom HD channels now?! -- Alan P.
Voom has 15 different high-def channels, which can now be seen on EchoStar's Dish Network. However, DIRECTV does not have satellite room to add Voom at this time. Maybe later this year when it launches at least one new satellite to expand its high-def capacity.
Q. Where are those Laser TVs we keep hearing about? -- Brian K.
The latest word is that two well-known manufacturers may launch Laser TVs this holiday season. Laser TVs purportedly will offer a sharper picture than LCD or Plasma, but we'll see, won't we?
Q. Will the Oscars be in HD this Sunday? -- Steve R. Yes, ABC will begin high-def coverage at 8 p.m. ET with the "Red Carpet" arrivals. The awards show will commence at 8:30 p.m.
Q. I live in St. Louis and my cable company (Charter) does not offer CBS or ABC in HD. How come? -- Andrew N.
Charter has not reached an agreement with the local stations to carry their high-def feeds. By federal law, a TV provider can not offer a local station's signal without its permission.
Unfortunately, your problem is shared by cable subscribers in several other cities.
Q. If 1080p is "Full HD," why would they even sell a HDTV that's 1080i or 720p? -- Peter L.
Many new HDTVs are called 'Full HD," which means they can display 1080p high-def images. However, there is currently no programming available in 1080p except for HDTV DVDs. So there's nothing wrong with buying a 1080i and/or 720p HDTV. Plus, some question whether the average viewer can really tell the difference between 1080p and 1080i or 720p.
Q. With the Digital TV transition coming in 2009, won't high-def tuners get cheaper? I have a HDTV that doesn't have a tuner and I would like to get one to pull in local signals with an antenna. -- Mark R.
The early estimate is that Digital TV converter boxes, which will allow analog TVs to display digital signals when all TV stations go digital on February 17, 2009, will be around $50-75. So I think you can expect high-def tuners to be slightly more than that at that time.