Journal Sentinal Sunday December 8

[Gregg Lengling]

Joseph  I don't know why you would want a transcoder..unless you wanted to run your computer on the big screen.  The HiDTV and the others all have component and RGB outputs...so all you need is a computer...you can watch on the computer and/or feed it to the HD set.  

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Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
(Built in DTC100 w/Directv)
HiDTV Pro 2 computer reciever card
glengling@ameritech.net

[rnelson]

 

Originally posted by kjnorman:
I may be a TW cable customer, but I am certainly no supporter of their service.

This only goes to show how important it is do to you're homework beforehand as I did.  I divorced myself from TW and didn't want to get back into bed with them so I made sure that I purchased a TV that had the digital tuner built in that wouldn't require the STB or TWC.
Spread the word spend the extra cash to get a true HDTV that will not require either a STB or TWC.

[Joseph S]

 

Joseph I don't know why you would want a transcoder..unless you wanted to run your computer on the big screen.

That's exactly what I do. I used it prior for region free DVD, now I use it for both DVD and HDTV. I can play DVD s at 1440 X 540P or better. If only I had the time to finally get the red push, geometry, and convergence correct. I did correct HDTV overscan, but it is overcompensated for the Gamecube and PS2. Suggestion: buy DVI enabled sets and projectors and avoid this mess.

[Joseph S]

Here's Part 3:

link

I think this piece needed far more research.

1)More of the "Black Bar" garbage with zero explanation on aspect ratio.

 

For my set, there's a button on the remote that lets you widen the picture to fill the screen, which is recommended to prevent those bars from being burned into the picture.

[Insert Puking smiley] Who made this recommendation? He's using a direct view set not plasma or RPTV, this shouldn't be an issue with appropriate contrast settings.

2)  

A push of another button puts DVD pictures on the screen.

I sure hope he set up the DVD player for a WS set and isn't getting unintended distorted AR.


3)As for the programming, he completely left out CBS which is unacceptable. PBS may not have much, but they do have content. Just because he can't see them doesn't mean they shouldn't be mentioned as the alternative if you don't go the cable route. He also failed to mention that Showtime HD almost always broadcasts programs in their Original Aspect Ratio unlike HBOHD. In a bizarre comment on the programming available on Showtime he mentioned that their original programming is 4x3. I don't see what the problem is. The Showtime HD content is superior to all others and the fact that their original stuff isn't HD doesn't take away from all that it offers. He mentions the movies, but not that Showtime has a fairly strict OAR policy. HBO is known for their original stuff, Showtime isn't.

 HDNET was also not mentioned and neither was DiscoveryHD. This sort of information deserves mention if a customer is to make an informed decision on whether they go OTA, Satellite, or Cable. Just because he went one way doesn't mean you don't inform people of the benefits or pitfalls of the other paths.

4)Zero mention of the pops, blips, etc in the Time Warner Locals and PBS station. Either he got a new box or we're all hearing things. This has to be mentioned. Quality of service is just as important as the quantity.

Part 1 was mediocre. Part 2 was good. Part 3 is a hack job at best. It's one thing to give your experiences, but those of us with TW HD know that there are serious problems as of today and none were mentioned. I find it hard to believe that this was a story of his true experience with HD. As a columnist, I believe he had an obligation to state what other programming is available to the community. This comes across as a TW puff piece with little to no facts involved.

[This message has been edited by Joseph S (edited 12-10-2002).]

[ReesR]

I was going to wait until part 4 to comment but decided to say a few words now.

What I found most interesting was the word "experimental" was so far totally missing.  As most of us know from his "interactive chat" a number of weeks ago, he was saying that HDTV was simply for the early adopters etc.  Does this mean that when Tim puts his money on the table then it is no longer experimental?  Hmmmmm.

Also, he spent 996 words giving a somewhat positive approach to the whole world of HDTV.  The wow factor etc.  Then in the last 22 words he kills it by saying:

 "But is all this enough to justify plunking down a couple thousand bucks just to have a clearer view through that window?"

Yes Tim, that is what High Definition is all about.  He himself said it quite well when he said:

"That loop of public TV video keeps pulling me back to Channel 710."

Well, DUH.  

Let's see what he says in installment #4.

Maybe that is where we will see the word "experimental".

  Stay Tuned  

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Rees Roberts
Racine, WI
reesr@wi.net

HDTV Receiver:  Sony KD-34XBR2 16X9
Bi-directional AntennaCraft VHF Yagi Model #2260P
+
2 Winegard PR9022 UHF yagi's pointing N & S
Antennas at about 30 feet
Samsung SIR-TS160 HD Directv receiver

[kjnorman]

 

Originally posted by lummox:
The upgrade is with the OS (operating system) for their cable system...it is not a box problem...it is a system problem.

This is not correct Gregg. The problem is supposed to be specific to the SA 3100HD decoder box, and the fix is in the OS for the box and is from Scientific Atlanta, not TW.  TW can remotely update the boxes through the cable system are are doing this this morning (may even be done).

It will be interesting to see if there is any improvement tonight (though I may not notice as I'll be watching Live from Bagdad on HBOHD rather than the locals tonight).

Kerry

[mr_yeti]

Alright kids, let's give the man a little breathing room. He's a journalist, not an experimenter. His job is to review television, not praise everything he watches, and as a reviewer, he is primarily concerned with content.

I should note at this point that I use Time Warner cable to receive my HD signals, and let's be honest with ourselves here: the content leaves something to be desired. Yes, HBO HD is nice when there's a movie worth watching on, but I can only watch "Summer Catch" a certain number of times (that number is zero, if you're wondering). The Sopranos is truly wonderful in HD, and Mr. Cuprisin says as much in this article. And, yes, the loop on channel 710 is absolutely gorgeous, but it hardly qualifies as "content." As a showcase for what HDTV can do, it is exemplary, and I don't understand why retail chains in the area don't have that playing on at least some of their HD-capable TVs at all times. But, honestly, who sits down with a bowl of popcorn and watches footage of flower gardens and trains (always with the trains. why?)?

As for CBS, you cannot review that which you cannot see. I agree that it is important to mention CBS as something available to those who choose to receive their signals OTA, but beyond that, our friend is not even remotely qualified to say anything about the content aside from the fact that it exists. The same goes for HDNet and Discovery HD. He does not have access to these channels, so he does not comment on them. Is there a better way to have done this? Yes, but would you want a journalist covering the U.S. Congress to be reporting from Seattle? Perhaps an informative sidebar listing all available HD stations would be helpful, but links were included in the sidebar to several sites (including this one) where an interested party can find all the information they want, and then some, about HDTV.

When I got my HDTV hooked up, there were many around the office and amongst my friends who had no idea what I was talking about or why I was so excited. They didn't even know what HD was. This article is for those people. In order to get excited about something, you need to know what it is without, in the case of people not as technologically savvy as many of the members here are, an overload of information.

Baby steps, friends, baby steps. This thing isn't going to happen overnight, and I think we should all root for Time Warner to get their act together with CBS 58, and hopefully HDNet, Discovery HD, and ESPN HD in the spring. Then, perhaps, HD will have won over Mr. Cuprisin's heart, and there will be a high-profile advocate for HD in the Milwaukee Area.

I can't wait to read his review of the Super Bowl in HD. Sports is the killer app for HD, and every TV columnist has to watch the big game, right?

[This message has been edited by mr_yeti (edited 12-10-2002).]

[mr_yeti]

Kerry:

Live from Baghdad was outstanding in HD. Be sure to turn it up when the bombs start dropping. The sound quality is wonderful, and Helena Bonham Carter is just too cute.

[mcq]

 

Originally posted by mr_yeti:
As for CBS, you cannot review that which you cannot see. I agree that it is important to mention CBS as something available to those who choose to receive their signals OTA, but beyond that, our friend is not even remotely qualified to say anything about the content aside from the fact that it exists. The same goes for HDNet and Discovery HD. He does not have access to these channels, so he does not comment on them. Is there a better way to have done this? Yes, but would you want a journalist covering the U.S. Congress to be reporting from Seattle? Perhaps an informative sidebar listing all available HD stations would be helpful, but links were included in the sidebar to several sites (including this one) where an interested party can find all the information they want, and then some, about HDTV.

As THE TV reporter for the entire MKE-Metro area in the largest single medium, it is his job and responsibility to put himself in the position of getting and watching everything that is available. Shame on the JS Company for not giving him the tools.  

By far, the best HDTV series are the CSI stories. I know that these are converted from film, but WOW. The action shots, slow motion shots and scenery is simply out of this world...(well in the other worlds of Miami and Las Vegas anyway   ). I feel bad that Tim cannot watch these on a regular basis. Maybe he shoulda invested in HD computer card so that he may record these shows. He is absolutely correct about SHREK though. That was more than amazing!

mr_yeti, I expect the Seattle journalist to get off his butt and get to Washington so that he may do his readers a better service. Your analogy only supports my argument!?

I suspect that TWC "comps" Tim's Column and that other technology's would have to come out of Tim's own pocket. I hope that I am wrong on this.

[mcq]

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would it be a violation of "Fair Use" if I emailed CSI to Tim C?

[mr_yeti]

My point was that this article can only serve to heighten awareness of HDTV. As for the Seattle reporter going to Washington, DC, there are budgetary constraints involved in any such venture. Newspapers are not the most profitable of businesses, and oftentimes do not have the budget to do everything they'd like to. It would be nice if they could provide the equipment for him to see everything there is to see, but the simple fact is that they did not.

I should also bring up the point that this article is written from the perspecive of a person who wants HDTV, but needs to have it meet certain financial and practical criteria. Mr. Cuprisin is sharing his experiences going through this process with a fairly wide audience who would otherwise have no idea (or worse, a wrong idea) what you were talking about when you mention HD to them.

[This message has been edited by mr_yeti (edited 12-10-2002).]

[Gregg Lengling]

Yes I think you could construe it to be illegal.  Besides how would he play it back...I don't think he has any equipment to play the transport stream.

[mcq]

 

Originally posted by lummox:
Yes I think you could construe it to be illegal.  Besides how would he play it back...I don't think he has any equipment to play the transport stream.

Do you lose quality when you convert the TP files to MPEG ?? I've never converted anything so I would not know.

If I record the same shows to tape and "loan" it to my brother, is this a violation?? What's the difference if I record them vs he records them himself. Isn't the spirit of the law to reward the owner of the copyright? Maybe if he fast forwards through the commercials he is vioalting the spirit of of the law. This "Fair Use" is going to get real dicey over the next several years!

[mcq]

My point was that this article can only serve to heighten awareness of HDTV.

-->Agreed, and pretty much doing a fine job.

 As for the Seattle reporter going to Washington, DC, there are budgetary constraints involved in any such venture. Newspapers are not the most profitable of businesses, and oftentimes do not have the budget to do everything they'd like to.

-->Serve your customers or get out of the business.  See that's the problem with one major metro newspaper, the masses get just one point of view.

It would be nice if they could provide the equipment for him to see everything there is to see, but the simple fact is that they did not.

--> Again Shame on the JS company. They make money (Well not yet) from the same HDTV medium Tim is paid to follow/review.

I should also bring up the point that this article is written from the perspecive of a person who wants HDTV, but needs to have it meet certain financial and practical criteria.

-->Those are fairly subjective criteria. While Tim's experience is a good one, it only relates to one person...Tim. Unfortunately, many of the unsuspecting public will take his word as gospel and blindly make some of the same decsions. He really needs to have, and have reviewed all of the viewing options and choices if he is going to be the "representative" of the industry. I am not blaming him. As a matter of fact I have been painting him in the most positive light, lately. After all he's "one of us" now    This is a continuation of the dialog we have had earlier. I am begining to see the some enthusiam in our single largest media role model. I am just confused as to why a person in his position isn't addicated to this new medium. If it were me, it would be less of a job and more of a vocation.

Mr. Cuprisin is sharing his experiences going through this process with a fairly wide audience who would otherwise have no idea (or worse, a wrong idea) what you were talking about when you mention HD to them.

-->As good as an effort Tim is making, as I said above, it's one point of view. And I totally agree that his efforts may bring the general awareness up. The more people ask or do research the better for society collectively.


BTW weekending 12/4/02, CBS had 13 of the top twenty rated TV shows. Many of those are in HD, as CBS is the most committed and dedicated network regarding HDTV. Am I only person to see irony, (hipocrisy?) in this. What does the "TMJ" in WTMJ stand for....hmmmm???

[This message has been edited by mcq (edited 12-10-2002).]

[ReesR]

I have to agree with mcq.  Tim C's reporting on just a portion of the options does not give ALL the readers the overview required of the subject.  He should get satellite and over the air so he would understand the differences first hand.

He also does not explain what "could" happen in the future.  How multicasting could provide programming based on your zip code etc.  Different communities, for example, could get different newscasts based on their zip code.  Different advertising models could be provided likewise providing broadcasters with yet more opportunity for revenue increases for the same programming.  And so it goes.  Maybe this will be in installment #4.

mr_yeti, I understand your wanting to give him some room.  But please understand that there has been less than steller understanding coming from his camp in recent memory.  He just doesn't want to become "one of us".  He appears to want to be "above us" preaching from his pulpit.  Why else would he insult his viewers (my opinion) by making their own minds up for them when he says "But is all this enough to justify plunking down a couple thousand bucks just to have a clearer view through that window?"

Those of us who have made the investment are overjoyed by what it provides.

Rees