I want HDTV

[Konaguy]

Re: I want HDTV

I'm wondering what the picture quality of HDTV will be like over DSL lines. Most of the video I've seen on the 'Net seems to be grainy compared to what I get on my HDTV on the only HD channel I watch (thanks, KITV). I don't seem to get any noticeable difference on ESPN, despite its continual promotion of its programming in HD.

Good question. HawTel is certainly going to have to upgrade the DSL
speeds to facilitiate IPTV. So it remains to be seen what the quality
is going to be of their IPTV service.

[808htfan]

Re: I want HDTV

Erika,

Your article mentioned that our local affiliates are broadcasting HD over-the-air. Do you know if KGMB and KHON are broadcasting primetime shows that way? Previously they were only doing live events, mostly sports. Has that changed?

Thanks!

[Erika Engle]

Re: I want HDTV

Erika,

Your article mentioned that our local affiliates are broadcasting HD over-the-air. Do you know if KGMB and KHON are broadcasting primetime shows that way? Previously they were only doing live events, mostly sports. Has that changed?

Thanks!

I don't know how many/which are doing TRUE HD, if any. The feeds come in well before the shows are broadcast locally and I don't recall anyone saying they had HD equipment on which to record the network feeds for HD playback during prime.
The shows may be "upconverted," but it's been so many weeks since I wrote that story (okay, so I took a shot at brand X) ... that I no longer have a grasp of which, if any, they are. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[808htfan]

Re: I want HDTV

I don't know how many/which are doing TRUE HD, if any. The feeds come in well before the shows are broadcast locally and I don't recall anyone saying they had HD equipment on which to record the network feeds for HD playback during prime.
The shows may be "upconverted," but it's been so many weeks since I wrote that story (okay, so I took a shot at brand X) ... that I no longer have a grasp of which, if any, they are. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

That's ok, thanks Erika.

[Ninja]

Re: I want HDTV

At least you read 'em before you use 'em as wrap. Thank you!

Just doing my part to be "green" and recycle!
Besides, once you clean 'em and cut 'em, can hardly take the ink(you do use soy ink, don't you).


By the way, I did forget to thank you for the great article you wrote.

[TuNnL]

Re: I want HDTV

We have a Sony 27" WEGA HD TV with the HD Oceanic box, but reading Oceanic's on-screen guide is no way to quickly figure out what if anything we might want to watch in HD is on.

Are you sure about this? I thought Sony didn’t make a 27” WEGA HDTV. I thought I had the smallest one at 30”. Do you have a CRT or is it a flatscreen (plasma, LCD, DLP, or LcoS)?

[tvguy]

Re: I want HDTV

Great article by Erika in Sunday's paper.....

http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/10/b...s/story01.html

Hawaii needs to catch up with the mainland when it comes to HDTV broadcasting. Can't wait for the day to see something like Merrie Monarch broadcast in HD

[craigwatanabe]

Re: I want HDTV

If you use butchers' paper to wrap fish in, does it become fishmongers' paper?

I'm wondering what the picture quality of HDTV will be like over DSL lines. Most of the video I've seen on the 'Net seems to be grainy compared to what I get on my HDTV on the only HD channel I watch (thanks, KITV). I don't seem to get any noticeable difference on ESPN, despite its continual promotion of its programming in HD.

I never use the Star Bulletin as fish wrap...only the Advertiser and if I absolutely have to use the SB to line the bottom of my lovebird's cage I make sure Erika's column is never used. Only page one and the editorials (typically where my comments can be found)

[Ninja]

Re: I want HDTV

KHET has joined the party. The much delayed KHET-DT went on the air today.
Currently they multi-cast with 2 channels, 11.1 KHET-HD and 11.2 KHET-SD.

For those with DTV tuners, if a channel scan doesn't locate KHET, it transmits digitally on Ch.18.

[Konaguy]

Re: I want HDTV

KHET has joined the party. The much delayed KHET-DT went on the air today.
Currently they multi-cast with 2 channels, 11.1 KHET-HD and 11.2 KHET-SD.

For those with DTV tuners, if a channel scan doesn't locate KHET, it transmits digitally on Ch.18.

I wonder when Oceanic will carry KHET-HD ?

[TuNnL]

Re: I want HDTV

Great article by Erika in Sunday's paper.....

http://starbulletin.com/2006/09/10/b...s/story01.html

Hawaii needs to catch up with the mainland when it comes to HDTV broadcasting. Can't wait for the day to see something like Merrie Monarch broadcast in HD

I have to be a second cheerleader for Erika. Thanks for penning this important information. The public really needs to know the state of the state of HD.

[hebeasor]

Re: I want HDTV

I recently jumped into HDTV. Got a brand new Sony LCD. Plugged my cable into the back to see what DTV / HD channels came up. Nothing more than what I get on Digital Cable except for HKITV and HKHNL. Decided to subscribe to the HD package from Oceanic. So far I am happy with it with the exception of a baseball game or two being blacked out on iNHD (but that's another story altogether).

I have been able to catch some of the football games in Hi-Def. WOW!, what a difference. I think I can even see the individual blades of grass grow :-).

Anyhoo, I e-mailed KGMB and KHON to find out when we can expect their HD content on Oceanic. I got an e-mail back from KGMB stating that since they are offering their content OTA for free, Oceanic should not be charging the masses for it, KGMB is looking for some payback. I really don't think OTWC is charging us for the local HD content. What they are charging us for in the HD pack is the channels like ESPN-HD, iNHD, HDNet, etc. I don't need the HD pack to get HKITV and HKHNL.

I never got a response back from KHON.

[Ninja]

Re: I want HDTV

hebeasor,

What part of Oahu do you live?
If you live in town or areas where you can see the skyline, you may be able to receive KGMB and KHON's OTA digital signal. The Sony's in addition to the QAM tuner for cable offers OTA digital tuner as well.

I'm suprised that you didn't get an automated response from KHON.

[TuNnL]

Re: I want HDTV

I got an e-mail back from KGMB stating that since they are offering their content OTA for free, Oceanic should not be charging the masses for it, KGMB is looking for some payback. I really don't think OTWC is charging us for the local HD content. What they are charging us for in the HD pack is the channels like ESPN-HD, iNHD, HDNet, etc. I don't need the HD pack to get HKITV and HKHNL.

I never got a response back from KHON.

All I know is there is a big difference between HKITV and HKHNL. HKITV is definitely HD-quality. For me, the jury is still out on HKHNL. I can’t tell whether they just don’t have the equipment or are doing the TNT-thang. (I have no doubt HTNT is not HD, and simply stretched to conform to a 16:9 screen. What a shibai!!!) Obviously, they don’t have a single HD camera at KHNL since all five of their daily newscasts as well as their “Home Team” sports events are straight 4:3. Have never seen a single frame of local HD on their station.

As far as your assertion about HD charges for the broadcast networks by Oceanic, you are purely speculating, hebeasor. All five networks have a solid breadth of quality HD programming unavailable to the likes of ESPN-HD or HDNet.

[pzarquon]

Re: I want HDTV

The timing couldn't have been worse. Or better? We woke up this morning to enjoy some Superbowl pre-show babbling, but when we hit the power button on our trusty, old, wood-cabinet tube TV, it just made a pop sound and smelled like burning plastic. We could hear fine, but the picture was gone forever.

We ended up setting up our 14" TV from upstairs for the big game, then went down to Best Buy to shop for a new TV. We picked up a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD HDTV. (We could've gotten a 42" Plasma, but frankly it would've looked ridiculous in our living room.) We even got a $80 "upsampling" DVD player to sharpen up our DVDs. And that, folks, looks fantastic.

But now I have an HDTV display in a totally analog, SDTV living room. We don't even have digital cable. So I need to learn more about what's going on.

First of all, where are the Over-The-Air (OTA) HD signals? How does one get a channel like "11.1"? The TV has a built-in OTA tuner, but didn't find anything, as far as I can tell, just SD TV signals. Are we just out of luck living out in the boonies in Mililani?

Secondly, I guess I need to step up to digital cable for HDTV from Oceanic? Or no? There's no way to get HDTV via barebones analog cable service, is there? The Sharp does have a tuner, as I mentioned, but I guess that doesn't neccessarily mean any HDTV channels are out there as-is.

Thirdly, if I do step up to digital cable, and pay for one of those boxes (I don't hear much about CableCards), would that kill the analog signal already coming in from Oceanic? That is, if I have cable jacks in the living room, den, and bedroom, but only have a digital cable box for the living room, can the TVs in the other rooms get the basic analog cable signal like they are now?

My apologies if these are HDTV 101 questions. I didn't expect to own a HDTV display quite so soon!