Info and forum posts by 'davo171066'
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Joined on: Sunday, 6th March 2005, 11:51, Last used: Saturday, 22nd September 2007, 20:41
Access Level: Mostly Harmless
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This user has posted a total of 23 messages. On average, since joining, this user has posted 0 messages a day, or 0.02 messages a week. In the last 30 days, this user has posted 0 messages, which is on average 0 messages a day.
Recent Messages Posted:
RE: Sky HD is it really worth the money?
Oh and one more NEW feature for sky+ (just came in post today) ;
Now you can set your sky+ when you`re not at home !!! It`s called `Remote Record`
You can set sky+ to record using the full sky tv guide via your mobile phone or via the internet. It`s free (apart from normal text message cost from your service provider) - all you have to do is register.
RE: Sky HD is it really worth the money?
Can`t answer all your questions, but we had HD fitted just before the world cup footie started and have been impressed by the picture quality.
The one thing i would say is do not pay the extra £10 for sky+ functionality, it`s dead money, but upgrade your subscription by the minimum you have to to get the sky+ functions for no extra charge. That way at least you will be getting something for your extra money instead of nowt. We watch a lot of movies and nature type stuff, there are a few good HD channels from Sky and National Geographic, but overall i take your point that there is not much right now. Rest assured though we keep being told, there will be an increasing amount of HD content coming on stream all the time. .......
If you can get a better deal by changing names when u move house, then YES, YES, YES, do it. I have been a supporter of Sky for ages, but since visiting this site now and then i have become quite pessimistic about them.
Finally, if you have never had sky+ then once you get it you will wonder how you ever survived without it. Shame `tivo` died on it`s ass really, a bit of choice in these matters would have been nice, yes ok u could get a HDD PVR that does the same job essentially, but it will not integrate with sky`s TV planner like sky+ does and neither will it offer the series link function (i don`t think) either which is really useful.
Sky+ does have it`s fair share of `gremlins` though. I`m sure you could read about them via this forum, but get prepared for (a) FAILED RECORDINGS = how annoying ! (b) START MISSED = what ? (c) CLASHED = bugger ! (d) The last or beginning few minutes of a programme missing = this can be adjusted by adding a certain amount of minutes before and after each recording, but then this can have knock-on effects on subsequent recording(s) if following straight-on time-wise. (e) POWER FAILURE = not sky`s fault i suppose but still annoying all the same.
But with all the above in mind it`s still the best thing you can get since the humble video recorder. Link it up with a dvd recorder for storing stuff to keep and recordings for friends and relatives. It`s great. It`s the future.
Have a think about HD, it`s just something you will have to `weigh-up`, no it`s not really worth the extra at the moment, but as u say u could put the money towards HD and take the plunge, saving you money in the long-run, that`s what i thought anyway. Also depends what type of stuff u watch. If you never watch films, sports or nature stuff, then don`t bother, but deffo get sky+.
Over to you...
RE: Bleedin bbc logo`s
It`s called `screenburn` and affects plasma but not lcd.
Don`t panic though because unless ur screen is part of a waiting room or something (displaying the same thing all day long) it will gradually disappear as new images burn it off. Can permanently burn an image though if left for a long time, so just be aware that`s all, no need for panic.
It is advisable to steer away from the bright static logo`s/displays if viewing for longer than, say, 3 or 4 hours, which is why retailers will steer you towards lcd if you are a serious game player.
Console yourself in the fact that plasma is still king when it comes to picture quality and resolution. Deeper blacks, brighter colours - dream on lcd owners !!!
Oh and ignore all these so called stories of lcd having a longer life span. Yes, it is true but plasma (on average viewing times) should still last you up to 10 years. Who is going to keep their screen longer than that ??? I can`t really see lcd owners sticking with their 32" or whatever until 2026....... I say "so what ?"
Happy watching,
HD is ok, but not quite what i was expecting ....... Better i suppose, but some quality material in normal def is perfectly acceptable in comparison. Nature progs, etc, though are far superior in HD. Just depends on content i think.
RE: How Can I Re-Use/View my Sky+ ?
Thanks 42%`er.
Not what i wanted to hear though. How poo is that ?
Ok, now i am beginning to dislike sky too.
Why is there a need to do that ?
Is there any way around it ?
How can i watch stuff from my Sky+
Have just had Sky HD. Very nice.
How can i watch stuff we recorded from our sky+ box ? I connected it in our spare room with a scart lead and it will not power-on. The red light is on, but it will not switch on and go green. There is no viewing card ... is that the problem ? There is no sat feed(s) either. Someone has already said they think it may be because there is no sat feed, but i find that difficult to believe....
Any help ?
thx
How Can I Re-Use/View my Sky+ ?
Just had Sky HD. Nice.
Anyway, the question is this ;
I`m not interested in taking multi-room, but wondered if i could connect our old sky+ box to the tv upstairs and simply view stuff we had recorded onto the HDD ?
I have just tried connecting via scart & power cable. No phone line, no sat feeds, i just want to watch pre-recorded stuff off the hard-disk. But the box will not power-on. Is it because there is no viewing card in the slot ? If this is the reason, has anyone got any suggestions ?
Many thanks.
RE: Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction
Pathetic ? I was thinking more pertinent actually.....
If you aren`t happy, then leave. As you say there aren`t any decent alternatives. Cable is ok, the service you will get from them though is lousy, which will make you regret ever leaving sky, and i am talking from experience. My analogy of using other services was just to make a point, and there it is - switch to cable, but as u have already said, it isn`t a viable one.
BBC have given Sky their HD content for no other reason than to raise much needed revenue. Without it they would struggle to give us freeview. Without a digital service of their own...... there would go another service provider, thereby strengthening even further sky position.
I agree with you that until sky have some real competition they will continue to dominate the market, but in this country (as many others) we have a monopolies comission which strictly monitors and reviews people like sky to ensure us punters don`t get ripped off.
It`s unfortunate that there are no other services that give us the same things, but there are - we have already mentioned cable, then there is freeview and freesat (yes i know it`s sky, but it`s free). But you and I choose to stay with sky because that`s what we prefer. What gets my back up is people who continually complain about it even though they refuse to do something else. If you are really that unhappy, leave.
You seem to think you have a right to sky at lower prices. Sorry, none of us is owed a living or anything else for that matter when it comes to payable services which essentially are classed as a luxury. `Sky` currently dominate the market, they have the best channel line-up currently available for main-stream viewers, and set their prices accordingly. As i have already said and will say again, the day we cannot or refuse to afford sky, we will leave.
No malice intended.
RE: Sky High Definition - Initial Reaction
That`s like saying better patient care should be the norm. Better beer should be the norm. Better food should be the norm. Get real, we all have to pay extra for something, be it a service or material item, that is (a) perceived to be of a higher quality than something else, or (b) is in higher demand. Ever heard of supply & demand ? If, like i guess you have, then you will know what i am saying makes sense.
EVENTUALLY .... we will all have HD, a bit like, eventually we will all be watching digital pictures (analogue is being switched off), or, eventually everyone will have a mobile phone. It comes to us all eventually, it may take 10, 20 or even 30 years, in the mean-time you have two choices ; take HD from a supplier and pay the current price for that service, or (b) Don`t take it and shut up whinging.
Some people would like it because they have enough disposable income and would like the latest technology. Period. The facts over is it good ? Is it better ? Is it worth it ? may be questions that some other people have to weigh-up before signing the order form.
I am just guessing, but as it is the biggest thing for the Visual industry, (left Audio out cos it doesn`t really apply to this argument) most people will WANT IT ! Those that say the don`t are liars and are maybe just a little jealous.
Yes i agree, it is yet another expense £300 + £10 month on top of what we already pay. Some people like fast cars with £1500+ per year insurance and 20mpg from your £4.40 per gallon. Some people like beer and curries, gambling, fast women, whatever your `fix` is, that is what you choose to spend your hard-earned cash on. Until analogue gets kicked into touch and the necessary bandwidth is available, then people like bbc and itv can start transmitting it over air via digi boxes. By the way, do u really think that when that happens it`s going to be free ... ??? Dream on !!! Why should bbc and itv give it up for nowt ?
Get another satellite receiver and you may get `some` foreign channels in HD for free. Knock yourself out ! I don`t want it, thanks anyway.
Do u want Sky HD ? That`s what it`s going to cost you. The end. Make your choice.
Rant over.
Thanks.
RE: SKY HI DEF
Yes, BBC are showing all their world cup matches in HD on their HD channel. I read somewhere that itv are also producing a HD channel to show their world cup matches too.
Obviously you are all correct, we need the bloomin box to get it, which sky are struggling to get quick enough, but we have been postponed from tomorrow (24th) to the 01st June.
As u rightly say, the world cup is a big selling point and i think sky may well have a few cancellations (me included) if people dont get the box b4 the footie is over.
Thx 4 all ur advice 42%`er, i remember u replying to some of my threads when we first bought the panel. Big Steve is, as u say, a sound geezer. We are really pleased with the support we had (and still get) from Sevenblokes.
Any advice on the surround ? Is there such a thing as a wire-free rear speaker set-up ?
RE: SKY HI DEF
Tis ok, i thought ur reply was a bit strange.
Sound we have dealt with seperately thru our Roksan Kandy.
We are happy at the mo with our 2 ch set-up, surround will come no doubt later this year. Any suggestions ? Must be able to utilise Roksan for front two channels. It was far too expensive to just dump and use something cheaper im afraid. We also don`t want a big receiver type machine with buttons and lights resembling the starship enterprise. Small and discreet are the words, but that`s the problem. It involves yet more cables & more machines.....
RE: SKY HI DEF
Err, NO, and i thought i was the beginner...
must try harder.
see me after school.
RE: Looking for a good 42
Not sure about what the others are saying but ;
My wife and i bouught a Fujitsu 42" plasma about 15 months ago and we are still impressed with the picture. Trouble is because of the high demand and the way the market in flatscreens has just gone balistic, prices have fallen due to all the manufacturers competing with each other.
Why is that a problem i hear u ask; well good news on the prices i agree, but manufacturers have had to make several savings to be able to still sell without making to much of a loss. Yeah, they still make a profit but i bet that their margins are getting a bit slim by now. Cuts in the quality of the electronics is one abvious area where savings can be made. the other thing is, when we bought ours it was just a panel. No tuner, no speakers, no nothing else. Now people are wanting speakers and freeview tuners all included, well this means more cuts in potential quality to afford all this stuff.
Enough now. Fujitsu plasma panels are reputed to be one of the best on the market. Used by display companies and the like due to their quality. The other manufacturer that use the Fujitsu panel is Hitachi. We almost had the 42" Hitachi for this reason, it was a bloomin good price too, and this was 15 months ago before prices fell. Not that many places stock them, ask at Sevenoaks (any branch) - if they haven`t got one they will give you a quote for one. The other fantastic panel we had on our shortlist was the Pioneer. Brilliant picture. We plumped for the Fujitsu in the end because we preferred the panel design and it`s reputation. We were lucky that we had a few quid to spare, but seriously look at the Hitachi and the Pioneer, i doubt u will be disappointed. Both will be HD ready.
I have seen a few LCD panels around the 40 to 42" size and it`s just my opinion, but i have to say, i`m glad we never did LCD. Not a patch on plasma at that size. 32" LCD`s i have seen look great, but 42" just looks a mess.
Sevenoaks were really good and didn`t pressure us or anything, we were really happy with the pre and post sale service ! 5 stars !
all the best - oh and about 2 months after having it we wished we`d had the 50" , u get used to it. It`s a revelation, u wonder how u managed before. Going to peoples homes when they have a 32" just looks SMALL !
RE: Sky+ upgrade pricing
I`m not sure what the multi-room pacakage deal is now, but i know a colleague of mine took it because it was cheaper... He had no intention of using the multiroom and told the sky bloke who turned up on the day he didn`t want it. The guy seemed a bit perplexed but left without fitting the 2nd box.
One word of caution though... (the sky bloke did tell him it would happen) Sky will contact you a month or two down the road and ask why the 2nd box doesn`t seem to be fitted to a telephone line. (they must run semi-regular checks to see if u are connected) As it happened he had sold it because as i say, he didn`t want it. They said oh ok then and let him off the 9 months or so that were remaining on his multi-room subs. (normally an extra £10/month) Bit risky though.
The other way to do it is ;
wait a week or three, and buy a 2nd hand box after us lot (me incl) have had Hi-Def fitted. Pay £60 to get it fitted (requires 2nd feed from dish) and then u just need to do as the previous guy wrote : instead of paying an extra £10/mnth for the service, subscribe to a package that gives u free Sky+ subs and have the extra channels.
It`s a pain in the ar*e, but the only (inferior) alternative is to spend £150 or whatever on a stand alone PVR/HD recorder. It does a `similar` job but does not integrate fully with the sky program menus which is what makes sky+ so good.
Be warned also that sky+ does have it strange days, freezing and failed recordings for apparantly no logical reason. My answer to this kind of behaviour is obvious when u think about it = sky+ is Female !
get it though, however u do it, get it, i know nobody who has ever wished they hadn`t bothered. We had a saying at work which is wearing a bit thin now, but it was that "sky+ is the future" Bit like garlic bread - fantastic.
RE: SKY HI DEF
Thx 42%er,
Yes we have HDCP compliance. The exact model is P42HHS30(ES)
About 15 months ago it was still quite expensive, but we felt as though it was MUCH better than panels at a lower price.
I was told by someone at Fujitsu that DVi needs to be configured or something, but SevenOaks (Wolvo) (where we bought it) don`t seem to be saying anything on the subject. If it does need some buttons pressing i think i will just phone them and get them to come around and sort it for us... I will ask nicely of course.
Yes, we have had our call, postponed from this Wed (24th May) to a week on Thurs (01st June) Not too bad, considering some of the stories i have read in the press, if it gets postponed much later i will tell them to keep it, and postpone my own installation until much much later in the year. (if ever) It was the World Cup that swung the decision for me personally, so if there`s not going to be any World Cup, there aint going to be any HD and i will have my £300 back, thankyou very much.
Is DVi as good as HDMi ? I dunno ? I assume it will be better than component, and have been told that not all content will be available via component, whatever that means, it it`s true.....
davo171066
SKY HI DEF
Yes, i know, we have subscribed to Sky HD. All u Sky `knockers` out there, please stop reading now.
All i wanted to know is how do Sky intend to connect the HD box to our screen ?
Is there a cheap & tacky HDMi cable in the box that the guy fits ? If so, i assume i would be better off upgrading this cable for a better one.
Also, our Fujitsu 42" HHS model (which we bought about 14 months ago) came with DVi and not HDMi. We were told that this would not be a problem, just get a HDMi to DVi converter. Will there be any setting up or configuring to do once connected to the DVi socket ?
Our experience with sky engineers is they come in, make a mess, do whatever they need to do as quickly as possible then drive off. We already have Sky+ so i assume (again) that there will not be any drilling or dish work involved ?
Any advice, or knowledge any of you can offer me would be greatly appreciated.
ps, if u would like to sponsor me (for MS trust) doing my parachute jump that would be swell, thanks. Click Or copy/paste :- http://www.justgiving.com/dangerousd
Thanks
Sky Viewing Card Query
I have a spare viewing card that i do not need. It`s a long story, but basically i took sky`s `multi-room` option when upgrading to sky+. We didn`t want it but it was cheaper to do it that way. I am in the process of selling the original sky box on ebay. (Pace ~ auction finishes at 12:30, the buyer will have the option to buy the card too at additional cost)
My question is this ~ Will the viewing card work in anyone else`s sky box ? If so, we have the same channels on that card as viewed by us on our new sky+ box. IE... Sky Sports (all) PLUS Premier Plus. This card (if it works) would be of interest to any football fan who currently doesnt have these channels. The subscription has another 10 months to run before it ends. If it will not work, could it be made to work ?
Anybody interested can reply here. I assume i could supply copies of paperwork to show the validity of what i am saying but i realise that a large part of it is based on trust.
Davo
RE: Why don`t LCD TV`s over 32" exist?
We were told (don`t know how true it is, but did look and kind of agree) that LCD is poo above 24 - 28" , and plasma is poo below 42". Bit of a gap in the market there for screens between 28 and 42"
Cost diff between LCD and plasma is getting smaller, and i think manufacturers cannot justify cost of manufacture compared with expected sales figures.
Just a guess though.
RE: Quick SKY+ question
We have had sky+ for almost 2 years now and do not find this, but we used to.
We (after several experiences like yourself) took it off automatic and simply got it to add 5 mins at the beginning at 10 mins at the end. Since then we haven`t really had any problem with overrun cut-off. As a previous post said though, be wary and have your wits about you if programming something that follows a live event. Be prepared for a possible problem.
Our bug-bear is why does sky+ seem to add recordings to our planner which we never asked for ? Weird. Also, recently we noticed series link programmes had disappeard from the planner. Bl**dy thing. We had watched comic relief fame academy from the very start (sad, i know) but as the final was not called fame academy (was part of red nose friday) we appeared to have NOT recorded it on our series link planner. I can hear all u sky critics laughing right now after reading that. Someone was not thinking there, and it wasn`t just us me thinks....
Anyway, check all your settings and play around a bit with the option to add minutes at the beginning & the end. It sorted us out. One helpful (yes, helpful) sky rep` told us that channels like BBC and ITV are `sponsored` channels and have to transmit something to tell your sky+ box that the programme is starting. (by sponsored he meant `contracted`) Other lesser known channels are not obligated to transmit this code and may result in incorrect / missed ends / beginnings. Like i say, add minutes to the end in an attempt to alleviate your problem.
Repeat after me "It`s better than vhs."
RE: Should I wait?
To the contrary talkshop.
Quote:
If I was buying a Plasma now, it would have to support HDTV (1024x1024 res), but not many do at the moment.
Many plasmas ARE available with 1024 x 1024 res, although this is not the required res for HD. Our Fujitsu we have just bought does have 1024 x 1024 and we feel that the pic quality is superb. Couple this with the fact that the space saved is superb, normal CRT`s are HUGE !! We used to have a 28" widescreen, yes the 42" plasma is bigger but after about 2 weeks it doesn`t feel as huge as it did when it was first installed.
Make sure you are far enough away from the plasma screen. Our dealer reccomended 2.25 x the screen diagonal. = 2.25 x 42" = 94.5" = 7ft, 10". minimum.
They are not exactly cheap, the main cost of a plasma is the glass panel technology. The remainder is the electronics, chassis, etc. Please note however that it`s not just the resolution that will give u a good pic. The other main ingredient fo picture quality on a plasma is the `chipset` or the electronics. You could get a panel which has 1024 x 1024 res, but like u say, it could look awful. So don`t skimp on the electronics.
The main protagonists atm are 1.Pioneer and 2.Fujitsu. Speak and visit a GOOD dealer. Their advice and help when choosing your new kit is worth every penny. DO NOT go to the main consumer shops like Currys, Dixons, etc. They will not care about you. They just want to sell u something, anything. They will not either be fully conversant with the pro`s & con`s of HDTV for example.
If you do buy now, and are interested in HDTV, look out for screens that are HD ready. Sky, along with most HD decders (when it arrives) will output using HDMI socket. This is the digital connection that carries pic & sound in one cable. If the screen you`re looking at has DVi, don`t worry, a simple HDMI to DVi convertor does the trick. Many people don`t know this yet but Sky will also provide `Component out` sockets on the back of their HD box too.
In summary then : Ensure you find a good dealer. Try Sevenoaks Sound & Vision. Don`t be put off by the prices. Like i say, their advice is worth it, and they are willing to negotiate discounts. (we got £800 off our £4300 package ! thats -18.60%) and they often have longer warranties on certain products exclusively for their customers. After sales support and continued advice is also second to none.
Tell them you want it to be able to do HD when it arrives. 1024 x 1024 for example.
You will need either HDMI or DVi ~ but at the very least Component inputs. They will tell u all u need or want to know.
720 lines Progressive Scan @ 50 Hz is what Sky is recommending for HD. See a thread on this forum posted by penzance entltled `Does uk have Hi Def` for more info.
Get a good demonstration.
The Pioneer is a fantastic panel and was offered to us for £3200. Our Fujitsu was the HHS model which we got incl a table top stand and HK dvd player for £3500 ( We preferred the Fujitsu surround)
Like i said above, not cheap but will last us proud well into the next 10 years. - We are beginning to think we should have bought the 50" though. !!!
LCD`s are crap above about 24", and plasmas crap below 42".
ENSURE that your plasma has HDCP software `built-in`. This is the copy protection that will be part of sky`s transmissions.
Happy shopping, like i say, steer clear of the Dixon`s, Curry`s of this world.
davo
RE: Does the UK have High Definition tv`s (HDTV)?
Hi 42%er. Yeah, good news, not all that surprising though when u think about it.
Sevenoaks in Wolverhampton. (01902 312225 - speak to Steve or Rob)
Good guys by all accounts. Tried quite a few hi-fi dealers in my time, found these to be the best, most human, if you know what i mean.
The Hitachi may well not cope with HD due to the old media box, don`t know really, just guessing now. Our Fujitsu used to be 4k, they did us a deal incl a HK DVD player (with component out) and a table-top stand (usually the whole lot would have been £4430) for £3500 lump sum. Job done. Like i say the Pioneer was offered to us at £3200, the Hitachi at £2300.
It`s all a bit confusing, but my wife and i will be unhappy bunnies if it doesn`t do HD when it arrives ! Nice pic at the minute thou. Am i right in thinking that HDCP only comes into play with copy protected material like films and stuff ?
RE: Does the UK have High Definition tv`s (HDTV)?
Quote:
Davo. You need to check with Fujitsu will do Sky Hi-Def. Hitachi (who use the Fujitsu ALiS 1024x1024 panel) have removed talk of Hi-Def from thier web site as they don`t know if it will do Sky Hi-Def even though it can do Hi-Def. Can thu Fujitsu you do 720p @50Hz?
We were given a lot of good advice from our dealer (Sevenoaks Sound & Vision) who are much educated on the pro`s & con`s of the forthcoming HDTV. Many thanks for your advice by the way. What the guys at Sevenoaks thought (and this is just their minds doing some thinking) is that Sky will almost be forced to also put component on the back of their HDTV box too. This is to appeal to the majority of plasma & other large screen owners who do not have HDMI/DVI. Of course you could argue that they will make sales of newer plasma`s, etc, but it is also equally true to argue that not putting component outputs on could furiate buyers of many sky plasma`s. (No HDMI`s on those panels)
Another reason behind their thinking is that while they were in the Us recently, all HDTV decoders used Component. Yeah, i guess that HDMI is the way to go, and lucky for us we have it, but there will be a large number of people who do not.
Our Fujitsu model is the P42HHS30ES, not to be confused with the lower spec HHA model. Quoting from the manual : "In addition to the mD-sub terminal, the display also supports input of digital RGB signal input enabling DVI standard (HDCP) high definition picture quality.
Looking through the book that came with it it appears as though it can do either 720/P/50 or 1080/I/25 too. So hopefully we have all bases covered.
The Hitachi, we were told, is as u say the same panel, but, has been `botched` in the electronics department. Hitachi has mated that panel with a media box (or whatever u like to call it) from the warehouse that was found lying around from a much older model. When u consider that the thing that makes one of the biggest differences in the picture of a plasma is the chipset, then Hitachi`s move is a sly one, not too clever for their consumers though eh ?
Please forgive me if i talk rubbish or seem simple. I`m not a `techie` and only pass on what we were told. Our 3 finalists on our shopping list was 1.Hitachi, 2.Pioneer, 3.Fujitsu. The Hitachi was ruled out due to the above comment. (It was the cheapest though) The pioneer was next in line in price terms, but even though you couldn`t fault it, we didn`t like the surround. (fussy i know) For about £300 extra we got the Fujitsu. I think we made the right choice, too late now !
Cheers all for advice.
RE: Does the UK have High Definition tv`s (HDTV)?
Quote:
Hope you have an ever increasing bank account just o feed SKY. It seems you get 7.1 sound. The seventh channel is the sound of SKY laughing all the way to the bank.
Well, i don`t like to criticise other people`s tastes and feel a little bitter that other people do, yet am not naive enough to think that all people would respect that. However in our defence, we have had sky (and now sky+) for about 8 years. We have no complaints. Excellent picture quality, excellent sky+ programming which integrates 100% with the sky menu system. What can i say?
Yes, you`re right, it is a little costly, yet we do not drink copious amounts of alcohol and neither do we take three or four foreign holidays each year. We both work very hard and enjoy the facilities that sky offer. As for the `SKY laughing all the way to the bank` comment, well, if there was a viable alternative i`m sure we would consider it. We tried leaving BT once, never again ! I travel 16,000 miles p.a. by car just getting to work and back, but i tell you one thing, if public transport was reliable and good enough, with ample seating, etc, then, again, i would use it. I suppose what i`m saying is that Sky have themselves a niche in the market, with very little (or no) competition. That is not the consumers fault, but is a credit to sky offering a good service. If enough people didn`t like it for the cost, then i`m sure they would be cancelling their contracts and buying freeview boxes.
High Definition was definately in our minds when we bought our new panel. we wanted something that would be capable of displaying HDTV. It also needed to be (to a degree) futureproof. I muted sky above as an example to the person who posted the original thread. We will, when the time arrives, look at all the alternatives. If Sky have the best product for the price, then we, along with many others i guess, will buy it.
Sky will profit from the large number of consumers, yet that is what all good businesses do. If they didn`t they would go out of business. If you need more clarification on this last point, just think back to On-Digital.
I guess, if i`m honest, i`m jealous that i don`t own a multi-million dollar profit making business.
That`s all really...
RE: Does the UK have High Definition tv`s (HDTV)?
having just bought a fujitsu 42" plasma, although we do not consider ourselves as techies, can offer a short reply.
No, the uk does not have HD TV yet. Although it is expected later this year 2005. Sky along with other set top box people will be launching decoders, but again your screen or panel need to be able to cope with the resolution. Some (most cheaper plasma`s) will NOT be able to display Hi Def images. Our fujitsu has 1024 x 1024 so will be ok, the pioneer is also a very good panel and will cope well.
People who have bought the panasonic viera will unfortunately be disappointed.
Sky will probably output using component, possibly HDMI too. All those interested will need a new sky box, a new dvd player (two major formats doing battle as we speak, Blu-Ray & HD DVD) You will probably be relieved of a few quid from your bank account too.
That`;s all i know really. Roll-on autumn, we are all ready to get it when it arrives.
Hope this answers your Q
d