Will HDTV channel look better than Standard-Def channel on Standard-Def
TV?

I'm buying a Media Center PC. I have a standard-def TV (32" Panasonic).
I may get HDTV TV in the future, but not now.

Will an HDTV channel look any different than a standard-def channel on
my TV?

Thanks,
John

very few standard definition TV can reproduce a HDTV picture if at all. I
have a high end Nordmende with RGB inputs, 100 Hz etc  and whilst I do get a
visible picture from HDTV it breaks up and is unwatchable. Standard def is
really great.
For HDTV you will need a monitor or TV that can handle the technical
standards for HDTV


<johnfof***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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[This followup was posted to rec.video and a copy was sent to the cited
author.]

In article <1117337344.132425.233***@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
johnfof***@hotmail.com says...
  It depends on how it's fed to your TV, and the quality of the
downconversion. A genuine HD signaled downconverted to SD that is fed
using the  S-Video or component input will probably be higher quality
than the TV's own tuner. One minor drawback is that HD material is
always widescreen (16:9 = 1.78:1). Non-HD material that is upconverted
for broadcast on an HD channel is usually pillarboxed (letterboxes on
the sides) to keep the proper 4:3 (1.33:1) ratio. A few HD channels do
various forms of zooming and/or stretching instead of adding
pillarboxes, unfortunately. When you re-downconvert, you end up with
both letterboxing on the top and bottom, and the pillarboxes, too,
giving you a 20-24" picture on your 32" TV. The MPC may have options to
do various zoom/stretch modes, but usually with side effects (lower
resolution, squashed looking people, etc..)

Thank you for your post.

My intention was to get a DVI to Component converter and feed the TV
using the component inputs and the DVI output on the MCE's video card.

Is HD prime-time programming on the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and
FOX) in widescreen format or 4:3 format? That is almost all that I'll
be watching. Maybe I've assumed too much. Do the major networks
broadcast all of their prime-time shows in HD? I live in Baltimore, MD
and have good reception for both the Baltimore and DC stations (two
channels for each major network).

THANKS!
John

In article <1117393139.013059.158***@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
johnfof***@hotmail.com says...
  GENUINE HD programs are widescreen. Many network shows are HD, but not
all. Many cheaper ones like news (20/20, 60 Minutes), fake-ality
(Survivor, Amazing Race), and kid-hits-dad-in-the-groin-with-the-bat
type (home video, bloopers) programs are SD. If you check out the
network web sites, they sometimes show exactly which shows are HD. In
late-night, Leno has been HD for a long time. Letterman once mentioned
he will be going HD this fall (I saw their studio cameras had an HD logo
recently.)

  That said, not all HD shows seem to be quite true HD. Will and Grace
went HD mid-season. During one of the airings here in Chicago, there
were weird audio problems, and they switched between the HD and
upconverted SD several times. Other than the audio and switching between
widescreen and pillarboxed, there wasn't any noticeable resolution
difference. My guess is that it was originally recorded in 480p or
similar.

  I'm very PO'd at ABC for airing the Indy 500 in SD!! What a crock.
ABC, Tony George, and the IRL should be ashamed of themselves. The
NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indy will almost certainly be HD.

In article <MPG.1d04c6c04353a20e989***@newsgroups.comcast.net>,
    Andrew Rossmann <andysnewsreply@no_junk.comcast.net> writes:
Show quoteHide quoteI am probably wrong, but seem to remember that some of the newer episodes
of 'COPS' seems to be in widescreen, and maybe even HD?  I really couldn't
tell, but the widescreen video seemed to be better than I'd expect in
WS SD???

John

THANK YOU! AWSOME INFORMATION.

What is obvious to those with HDTV is completely not to those of us
without. Thanks for filling me in.

Looks like there's not much point in connecting an HD-capable MCE to a
SD TV and watching any HD content. I'll stick with the SD content until
I get an HD TV.

THANKS!
John

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