http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/ Engadget HD Comments for Many first-time HDTV buyers bypassing the HDTV service http://hd.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://hd.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 2:45PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 2:47PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 2:48PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
This article really is showing that people: a) don't understand what options they have concerning HD and digital signals (and are primarily driven by the 2009 transition); and b) if they do understand the options then they don't think it's worth the money.

I know I don't think it's worth the money.]]>Nov 25th 2008 3:26PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 11:50PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 3:03PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 2:59PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
I'm one of them.

My wife and I looked at our TV habits and looked at what we could get through OTA, TiVo & Netflix and what other options we have to get the shows we really want. Apple and the iTMS, via Apple TV, made the most sense to get the cable shows we want, so we threw that into the mix, too. If I really want to I can always find things via torrents (but that's a little less easy and I prefer easy when it comes to entertainment).

Frankly, I'm tired of Comcast (the only game in town for cable) constantly jacking the prices up and, no, I do not like to see a satellite dish on the roof (I've had DirecTV in the past). Currently we have no premium channels, HD service, one cable box, two CableCards in a TiVo Series3, and a cable modem and we are paying $130/month (before TiVo's fees). That's insane when we can go a la carte for much, much less a month. Sure, I lose the ability to check out a new show immediately, but Apple and TiVo (through Amazon) are pretty quick about picking up new shows... and once Netflix is streaming to my TiVo boxes that adds an entirely new dimension.

Alas, I still have to deal with Comcast for high speed net access... but that should change one of these days.]]>Nov 25th 2008 3:19PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 27th 2008 11:16AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
The larger problem that I see here though is that, for the general public, TV is so much more complicated than it used to be: Digital vs Analog, HD vs SD, 1080p vs 1080i vs 720p vs 480p vs 480i, ATSC vs NTSC vs QAM, LCD vs Plasma vs RPTV, HDMI vs component vs svideo vs composite vs RF, DVD vs Blu Ray, a gazillion Blu Ray profiles and audio formats, stereo vs 5.1 vs 7.1, VCR vs DVD-R vs DVR, physical media vs streaming vs downloads, DRM up the wazoo that limits what we can do with our content (no HD equivalent to the good old VCR), ... just to name a few. How the heck is the average consumer supposed to keep up with all this? Nerds like us consider it a hobby and enjoy all the new tech, but I think it's overwhelming for others. Thus they buy a new TV, plug it into the devices/services that they already have, and leave it at that. ]]>Nov 25th 2008 3:21PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 4:53PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 26th 2008 2:29PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 3:28PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
I never watch stuff, I have a couple hundred SD channels that are totally useless to me, and I'm not getting a bunch of HD channels that I'd like to be getting. I could definitely go with a netflix account to stream to my 360, and a good strong antenna with an OTA DVR.

I used to get basic cable for $11 bucks a month. I don't even like to think about what I'm paying now. When my contract ends I'm pretty sure I'll be switching to a fast DSL package and something other than what I have now, I'm just not sure what (again, Comcast is the only option here).]]>Nov 25th 2008 4:46PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
And if this posts twice sorry...]]>Nov 25th 2008 5:01PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/I will not buy a new PC just to get new Cable Labs cards. I refuse. I am a DiY PC builder.]]>Nov 25th 2008 4:27PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Some of these users may well be happy with their OTA offerings. I for one find that what's on cable is just another permutation of the hit and miss content on the networks. And as it is there's plenty off the air, especially if you live near the US/Canada border areas.
]]>Nov 25th 2008 3:55PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 4:12PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
1. How many of these TV's are 32" or smaller. Would HD be nice on a 32" TV? Of course. Is it going to blow your mind? Prob not.

2. Some people really don't care. They just want cheap cable. Why cheap cable with a fancy TV you say? At this point it's hard to replace your TV with anything over 32" that isn't HD.

]]>Nov 25th 2008 4:23PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 7:06PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/My friends have noticed a better picture clarity on my TV while watching football games, there are fewer motion artifacts also. Apparently the COX STB doesn't do as well decoding as my built in tuner does.

Count me as content with OTA HD.. although the addition of SciFi HD next month might finally be enough to make fork over the extra dough.]]>Nov 25th 2008 6:03PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
It is illegal for cable companies to scramble local over-the-air broadcast channels. ]]>Nov 25th 2008 8:29PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 6:16PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 27th 2008 2:49AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 25th 2008 11:22PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Seriously, I'm so freakin' sick of trying to explain it to so many unappreciative idiots who not only don't want to take advice but don't have the common sense to educate themselves.

...These are the type of people that cause some unknown individual to coin the phrase

"F**KIN' GOOGLE IT!"]]>Nov 25th 2008 11:29PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
In Australia ours is free, I can imagine a massive uproar if they made us pay for it.]]>Nov 26th 2008 3:48AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
I have no desire to have a cable company (or their government regulators) controlling what channels can be watched and I have no desire to pay a subscription for what is free over-the-air.]]>Nov 26th 2008 4:22AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 26th 2008 8:42AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 26th 2008 12:17PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
I tried to explain to my 82 year old neighbor that she needed an HD box to go with her HDTV, and she looked at me like I was a freak. "That's why I bought an HDTV - doesn't it look nice?"

Sure, neighbor-woman, I just work at a specialized consumer electronics manufacturer as a product manager - I don't know anything about HDTV, certainly not as much as you.]]>Nov 26th 2008 2:01PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Dec 26th 2008 4:41AMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/Nov 27th 2008 5:32PMhttp://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/http://hd.engadget.com/2008/11/25/many-first-time-hdtv-buyers-bypassing-the-hdtv-service/
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