Question:
My sister is selling a very large HDTV and i was wondering if its any use to me in the UK? am i going to be able to use it for watching normal TV? is HDTV ever coming to t he uk too?
I think I read in the last couple of days that tvs in the US (that's where I'm guessing your sister and tv are) don't actually accept PAL sources so wouldn't be that much use unless you can get hold of a PAL -> NTSC converter
Lektropacks (http://www.lektropacks.co.uk) used to have PAL -> NTSC adaptors..take a look.
HDTV will some day come to Europe however it wont be any time this side of hell freezing over.
Don't bother, the standards are all different and you would not be able to make use of the HDTV side of things in the UK ever (except mayb eprogressive scan NTSC discs).
Even with a converter it would not be as good as a UK one.
HDTV is a no go in Europe for a long time. The reason being that the big upgrade choice to a new TV system has been...
1. Widescreen digital HTDV, or
2. Widescreen low-res digital TV (effectively same resolution as PAL).
Option 1 was picked by the Yanks and has resulted in very few widescreen sets being sold over there because HDTV sets are so expensive (they all buy massive cheap 4:3 projection sets), and why anamorphic DVDs don't mean so much to them.
Option 2 was picked by the Europeans as a means of rolling out cheap widescreen sets and digital TV. Bonus is we've pushed forward anamorphic DVDs, but the downside is it's pretty much too late to convince people to upgrade again to yet another TV system when they've already pushed them into cheap low-res digital TV. Advantage to the broadcaster is little expense to upgrade equipment as everything is the same resolution as before but just in widescreen, plus for the consumer digital TV is able to still pump out antiquated PAL signals.
HDTV is only any use for the US digital TV HDTV formats (which aren't based on NTSC, PAL, etc). No HD-DVDs yet. Blue laser technology (which allows for high capacity DVDs) is ready to roll with HD-DVDs but it'll be a long way off before they reach mass-market even in the US (though George Lucas said once that he was waiting for HD-DVD to release Star Wars).
I hope they don't launch HDTV if the present blocky digital tv pics are anything to go by,what would be the point?
I mean I'm happier with the BBC's higher bitrates,but the bitrates of DTV have been dissapointing really.
You certainly won't see HDTV via DTT as there isn't the room in the present channel lineup.
The BBC are the pioneers of technology and I can't see them launching HDTV on Sky for instance and possibly alienate DTT/analogue viewers.
I would prefer to see higher bitrates on the present DTV platforms,as DTV can be superb quality.
Answers:
I think I read in the last couple of days that tvs in the US (that's where I'm guessing your sister and tv are) don't actually accept PAL sources so wouldn't be that much use unless you can get hold of a PAL -> NTSC converter
Answers:
Lektropacks (http://www.lektropacks.co.uk) used to have PAL -> NTSC adaptors..take a look.
Answers:
HDTV will some day come to Europe however it wont be any time this side of hell freezing over.
Answers:
Don't bother, the standards are all different and you would not be able to make use of the HDTV side of things in the UK ever (except mayb eprogressive scan NTSC discs).
Even with a converter it would not be as good as a UK one.
Answers:
HDTV is a no go in Europe for a long time. The reason being that the big upgrade choice to a new TV system has been...
1. Widescreen digital HTDV, or
2. Widescreen low-res digital TV (effectively same resolution as PAL).
Option 1 was picked by the Yanks and has resulted in very few widescreen sets being sold over there because HDTV sets are so expensive (they all buy massive cheap 4:3 projection sets), and why anamorphic DVDs don't mean so much to them.
Option 2 was picked by the Europeans as a means of rolling out cheap widescreen sets and digital TV. Bonus is we've pushed forward anamorphic DVDs, but the downside is it's pretty much too late to convince people to upgrade again to yet another TV system when they've already pushed them into cheap low-res digital TV. Advantage to the broadcaster is little expense to upgrade equipment as everything is the same resolution as before but just in widescreen, plus for the consumer digital TV is able to still pump out antiquated PAL signals.
HDTV is only any use for the US digital TV HDTV formats (which aren't based on NTSC, PAL, etc). No HD-DVDs yet. Blue laser technology (which allows for high capacity DVDs) is ready to roll with HD-DVDs but it'll be a long way off before they reach mass-market even in the US (though George Lucas said once that he was waiting for HD-DVD to release Star Wars).
Answers:
I hope they don't launch HDTV if the present blocky digital tv pics are anything to go by,what would be the point?
I mean I'm happier with the BBC's higher bitrates,but the bitrates of DTV have been dissapointing really.
You certainly won't see HDTV via DTT as there isn't the room in the present channel lineup.
The BBC are the pioneers of technology and I can't see them launching HDTV on Sky for instance and possibly alienate DTT/analogue viewers.
I would prefer to see higher bitrates on the present DTV platforms,as DTV can be superb quality.
1 2