Purchase an HDTV now or wait for DVI?

[oneshot]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the website and I must say I am impressed at the wealth of knowlede present.  It makes sorting through all the technical mumbo jumbo a bit easier.  I do have a few questions I am hoping to get some help with...

First, I recently decided to purchase a new tv.  So naturally, I started doing some reseach into HDTV.  I visited several retailers and checked out some different models.  However, in doing my research I came across several articles mentioning a DVI-Input.  Some even said if a HDTV is purchased without it, the tv will be obsolete in the near future.  My question is, should I wait to get the HDTV till fall of 2002 when the new models will have the DVI-input.  I don't want to spend $2500-$3000 on something that will be obsolete in a year.

Secondly, I have Time Warner cable.  As I understand it, they offer some HD brocasting.  With this being the case, should I just get an HDTV ready tv or should I spend more and get one with a tuner in it?  I have heard discussions that tuners will be required to be built in all HDTVs in the future.  If so, again, should I wait till these are available so I don't waste money.

Finally, is it even worth it to purchase an HDTV now with the standards still not set and a general lack of HDTV broacasting.  Would it be more wise to just get a good quality regular TV right now, and then in a few years pick up and HDTV?  By then the standards should be set and the technology more up to date.  This is a dilema I am really stuggling with.  

Thanks to all in advance who respond.  Keep up the great job on the site and forums in general.

[Gregg Lengling]

I wouldn't worry about it right now, things move really slow.  I was ready to purchase HDTV in 1991 but it took them 10 years to bring it to market.  I made the mistake of waiting for the VHS/BETA debacle to shake out so I didn't buy a tape deck until 8 years after they came out.  Not going to do that again.  I popped last year.  Whether the set has a built-in receiver or you use a STB isn't going to matter if you have component video in.  You can always change STB's or add a STB. I have the receiver built in my TV but I am also in the process of building up a computer with the HiPix card in it( This is a NTSC/ATSC receiver card) so I can record programming.

I did a lot of research and there is no DVD recorder out there that records HighDef, they just record 480, so I figured I'd go with recording to the hard drive and when someone puts some software together, burn my own DVD's on the computer.

Just my .02 worth.


------------------
Gregg R. Lengling
RCA P61310 61" 16x9
gregg@camelcomm.com

[Kevin Arnold]

This is like the old argument about color tv. Don't buy one until they perfect it. That scared  many people off since there was a continuous drip of stories about how some new variation would make the old ones obsolete. The media loves to play the apocolyptic scenarios, beating the drum about how current standards and equipment will be useless. Truth is, the standard for OTA is set and up and running. Whether over the air or via cable you can enjoy HDTV now and be fairly certain it will work for a long time. As more sets are sold it becomes less and less likely that any basic changes will be made. Years down the road most will add a new set with all new bells and whistles and retire the first set to the bedroom, basement, or whatever. Remember, most reporters doing stories about HDTV don't know much about it.

[This message has been edited by kjarnold (edited 05-09-2002).]

[Matt Heebner]

Here is a link to a similiar question posed earlier in this forum:
 http://www.milwaukeehdtv.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000046.html

I would NOT wait to get a TV based on thid whole DVI scare....and scare is what it is perpetuated by Hollywood. DVI is NOT going to be the standard for HD broadcasts. Hollywood just wants to get everyone worked up over their paranoid copy protection scheme. You could be enjoying HDTV right now...the DVI thing might take years to resolve considering that it's not even a finalized standard. Some manufacturers have come out with DVI inputs, but the chances of those being compatible with a later revision of DVI is very, very slim. So buying a TV with DVI isn't future-proof at all!

I could see DVi being used for pay-per-view, video-on-demand, and special events, but it is not going to be the standard for broadcasting. Just ask Mr.Mark Cuban, owner of HDNet, and probably the single most powerful driving force of HD programming. He has stated publicly, to congress, to Hollywood, and to the makers of HD technology that he will NEVER, and he means NEVER allow his HD programming to be down-rezzed due to DVI, nor will he EVER support DVI. He has stated that he will start making HD STB's capable of recordable HD outputs before he ever supports DVI. With a guy like this on our side (anti-DVI) there is no way this will ever be a possibilty. He said he would never stop fighting against this.

My advice...buy a HDTV, the biggest and best you can afford, get it all set up for OTA HD and DirecTv HD, sit back withy a cold one, and enjoy some amazing looking HD. Wait till you see Bikini Destinations on HDNet. You'll wonder why it took you so long to make this decision!  

Matt



[This message has been edited by Matt Heebner (edited 05-09-2002).]

[JoeK]

There is always a time to wait before jumping in to new technologies. For HDTV that period is over. Now is the moment to get in to HD.

I echo the sentiments of the other posts. The nest 12 months is going to be an exciting time for HDTV in the Milwaukee area. Don't miss it.

[tenth_t2]

Absolutely agree--it's always easy to tell others to spend their money, right?  

However, most of us have in some form or another taken the same steps you're contemplating-- and we're normal everyday people.

It is going to be an exciting year.

Greg O.