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leahdawns

Posts:320

03/19/2008 4:11 PM	Alert
At the risk of sounding completely ignorant I need to ask some questions concerning HDTV. Please dumb down your answers so I can understand them. I am not very saavy when it comes to these things. 1. I know all HDTV's are digital, but are all digital tv's HD? 2. I have HDTV and wanted to get an outdoor antenna so I could drop Orbitel but still get the local network channels in HD. I am pretty sure I can do that, but someone told me it would not be worth it as by 2009 everyone had to have a digital tv or a converter box. In other words I guess they meant starting 2009 no one will be able to access the local channels in HD unless they have cable or satellite service. Is this true? 3. Is it legal for a cable company not to offer an HD/DVR converter with their basic package.? I was told that I could not get HD unless I subscribed to a more expensive package. Is this right and is it legal? The whole point of these questions is that I pay for my basic cable in my HOA dues and that is really all I need. I have an HDTV tho and want to get my local channels in HD. If I understand what what everyone has told me and what I have read, if I want any HD starting 2009 I have to subscribe to a more expensive package with my cable company or a satellite tv company. I think I am not understanding something. Help!

RichTig

Posts:810

03/19/2008 4:17 PM	Alert
1. No 2. If you have a newer HDTV, then you are fine. You already have an HD tuner. Its the older analog tvs that will require a digital converter in 09 for off-air reception. 3. Yes, its legal. The basic service is 'digital' and HD is an upgrade and more $. Keep the basic cable from Orbitell, you are paying for it anyway, and use your antenna on another input on your tv. All newer tvs have multiple inputs.

leahdawns

Posts:320

03/19/2008 8:07 PM	Alert
RichTig, Thank you. That helps. The guy at Radio Shack told me I would be wasting my money if I bought an antenna. He said I could not use it in 2009. So, just for clarification, I can keep my basic cable and get an outside antenna and get the local stations in HD. Right?

RichTig

Posts:810

03/20/2008 6:33 AM	Alert
Yes, as long as you have a built-in HD tuner, which most all newer tvs have. I would go to Best Buy, they know what they are talking about. The HD signal comes off of South Mountain and you should have no problem picking it up with an antenna.

leahdawns

Posts:320

03/20/2008 7:46 AM	Alert
Yeah!!!!! You rule, RichTig! I am off to Best Buy as soon as I can.

Ebay1

Posts:26

03/20/2008 9:32 AM	Alert
You can buy an antenna from Radio Shack or Best Buy for about $40.00. No need for an outdoor antenna to get the local HD channels. I used in indoor antenna before Dirctv hooked up my HD service. The reception was great. Make sure you buy an antenna with a "gain" function.

alanf

Posts:1236

03/20/2008 9:41 AM	Alert
leahdawns. Before you run off and spend that $40 at Best Buy, try connecting your cable line directly to your TV and running the auto channel tune. You may find that your local HD channels are already on the Orbitel line, unscrambled and ripe for the picking. If you know what I mean.

Jason

Posts:3286

03/20/2008 11:06 AM	Alert
I would go to Best Buy, they know what they are talking about. You may find that your local HD channels are already on the Orbitel line, unscrambled and ripe for the picking. If you know what I mean. It's worth a shot, but Orbitel's website says that they put the HD locals into the HDconnect package. Of course, their website and vans also have the blatant lie about having the most HD channels in all of Arizona too, so...

Joined: Jul 2005

Ebay1

Posts:26

03/20/2008 5:18 PM	Alert
If Orbitel rates go up we should blame alanf

Pizzaking

Posts:170

03/21/2008 8:16 AM	Alert
I bought a 9.99 antenna at Walgreens and it works great. Theres alot more over the air HD than ya think. I like my over hte air better than my HOA basic. I hate HOA's for doin those deals.

Pizzaking Wasnt a member 0 posts

Ebay1

Posts:26

03/21/2008 9:04 AM	Alert
Technically you can get a better HD signal from an antenna than you do with cable or satellite HD because they compress the signal.

Jason

Posts:3286

03/21/2008 9:33 AM	Alert
Technically you can get a better HD signal from an antenna than you do with cable or satellite HD because they compress the signal. I've compared our OTA HD to DirecTV's HD and it doesn't look any different. The only issue is the audio is noticeably out-of-sync on DirecTV HD locals, which is a known issue.

Joined: Jul 2005

Ebay1

Posts:26

03/21/2008 9:42 AM	Alert
Reset your Directv box or DVR and this should fix your out of synch audio. Channel 3 seems to have the biggest problem with out of synch video.

Jason

Posts:3286

03/21/2008 6:40 PM	Alert
Been there, done that. I researched it and it seems to be a known issue with DirecTV receivers.

Joined: Jul 2005

Ebay1

Posts:26

03/21/2008 7:23 PM	Alert
The locals are still mpeg 2 and the other HD channels are mpeg 4. Lower bitrates and higher compression cause this problem but usually only on the local channels. Directv is starting to move locals onto their new satellite which is all mpeg 4 compression. Hopefully that will fix the problem.

DesertDweller User is Offline

Posts:2506

04/06/2008 7:08 AM	Alert
I get most local HD channels on my laptop with a little transistor radio style telescoping antenna. I was able to pick up HD in my Jeep out in the middle of the desert (although I still am not sure why I wanted to).

Stupid should hurt! Desert Dweller - Senior Member - Posts: 2982 - Joined: Feb 2006

leahdawns

Posts:320

04/07/2008 9:01 PM	Alert
Thanks to all of you for your information and advice. I turned in my HD/DVR today, dropped down to the second smallest package Orbital offers, and have the locals in perfect HD with NO antenna at all! And to think of all the money I wasted the past year on things I never watched...... The only thing I couldn't do was get just a DVR. I had to have the more expensive package for that. I don't quite understand that, but am willing to sacrifice. I thought when I checked into Direct TV last time that they offered a DVR with a similar package.....oh well, maybe I will go back to the my VCR. Thanks again!

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