HDTV : To buy or not to buy?

After some investigation I came across the following HDTV that 'seemed' value for money:

LG 50PX4D 50 1366x768 for £1186.74 (over a grand for a tv...?)

However, after a quick peek at the added cost of viewing any HDTV quality (instead of 'HDTV's softwares attempts at improving normal feeds) tv, the cost seems way too much for the few channels that are pay per view broadcasted in HDTV (HDTV freeview broadcast is technically possible - it may never happen - too much coin to be made ?)

Anyone took the HDTV plunge and want to share their experience ? is it vfm ?

After a quick look at the Which website's findings, unless anyone thinks otherwise, I'll be sticking with my CRT Telly. A 50 inch PC monitor for just under 1200 quid seems appealling however.....

I think I'll wait. I've heard and have seen on tech TV that super highres HDTV's will be or are already available. They have higher resolutions thatn the current HDTV's.

Give it another year and wait for the current HDTV's to become cheaper.

Also you need to have some sort of subscription to view HD channels either with Sky, which has the most HD CHannels, or with some other provider.

When it becomes the standard I'll buy one.

To TV or not to TV, that's the question.

Movies? PC. And if not PC, then a beamer seems more coolness. (and certainly cheaper than such a huge HDTV/plasma beast )

Ordinary TV/news/soap/quiz, do we need HDTV for that?

I think the culture of watching/having a "classic" TV will change in the next coming years.

I don't see the point, particularly for Brits. Sky have the most HD content, as Amon says, but have you seen how much bandwidth some of these satellite channels use? Bugger all, that's how much. There's a website somewhere which shows it, but I forget the URL at the moment. I don't see the point ( for me personally, anyway ) in pissing away a grand for a new TV and a couple hundred more for the HD box, and ( presumably ) an increased subscription every month for the same horrible quality we get on many of the channels anyway. I'm sure Sky One HD and the movie channels are better, but as soon as they start adding new channels, the quality is gonna be horrible anyway.

So yeah, I'm waiting. Having said that, they have some nice 1366x768 TV's now from companies like Daewoo in 32" for about £400 which includes PC inputs, so I could see myself buying one of those as a fancy PC monitor and using it for TV as well, but I can't see me getting the Sky HD Box for a while yet, and certainly not one of the huge screens. Too much investment to want to replace it as soon as some proper HD ( 1080P ) screens come around.

aww.. Tech TV is still on in the UK? :( In the USA it merged with G4... bah.

What Gabriel said: Don't buy a HDTV unless it displays 1080p. Anything less than that and you will be buying an obsolete unit.

Thanks people, @ Gabriel, you've reinforced my feelings towards hanging fire. Your point on the 32" 1366x768's sounds appealing.

I agree with the sentiment that the hardware+additional subscription charges for HD are not worth it, I'll just sit closer to my current CRT telly for that 'big screen' effect.

I'm with Amon as well. I think I read somewhere recently that there's new hardware on the march with exponential increases in resolution. i'm off the philosphy all things come to those who can wait, and usually a damn sight cheaper... {;-)

yes. But when the new TVs come, they will cost a fortune. The old HDTVs will be cheap.. but you'll then be buying obsolete technology. It is a vicious cycle.

IF you have a ps3 or xbox360... and you like and use them. You have enough to fully enjoy an HDTV. But don't buy into the hype... All they are good for right now is games, and for that. you don't need a big one. here in the USA. I can get an HD CRT tv at Walmart... one thats about 24 inches... for about $500. Right now. I forget if it was 1080i or p.... I remember it was 1080 at least. Regardless.. Thats a nice price...

Didn't buy it tho.. haha I gots me a Wii. Not one of those fancy graphics-humpers.

Our old TV was going down the tubes (snicker) anyway so we didn't run out and buy one just for the great picture. It was easy to notice the better quality with DVD however, so if you watch a lot of those it might be worth it.

granted. For DVD all you really need is a 720p

Aldi are selling a true HDTV for £1099, i wouldnt buy one of these half assed lowres HDTV's.

Not to buy. Then again we don't get any HDTV content at all, and I mostly watch stuff on my PC anyway and my faux HDTV big screen monitor is good enough for that.

I was considering a 51" digital projection CRT HDTV by Hitachi a while back. At $900, it wouldn't break the bank - and quite frankly, despite it being huge, it's picture quality was as good as any LCD, Plasma, or DLP that was $2000 or less. (after properly setting it up - I swear they hijacked the settings to sell the more expensive TV's..."Oh look, that cheap one looks crap. Can I interest you in this $2500 model.")

Didn't get it though. Truth is, I don't watch much TV at all, besides the occasional movie with my G/F. Now, what I really need is a new, larger monitor. 17" just doesn't cut it these days. I'd imagine having a 2nd monitor would, if not make it any easier, make coding a lot more convenient at least.

so... hdtv is nice for the price - and if it was at the right price it would suit me fine ( I work/study so my tv time is limited to bsg and heroes of late) .New technology gets hoovered up by people that think it's better all round when..... it isn't the case. Bigger isn't always better.

HDTV is nice if you have a next gen console whos games are designed for it and don't always look right at regular TV res.

If you can plug your notebook in they can make nice monitors too. But otherwise I don't think they are worth the money right now.

Getting a bit fed up with renting widescreen videos that squish on my regular TV, and most of those are HDTV these days.

Personally I don't think that the resolution increase is worth a ~quadruppling of the price for a TV of the same size...

I just purchased a 27" trinitron SDTV myself, first one over 19" I've had.

Buy...

They aren't that expensive in the US though. Prices start at about (₤300) 300 quid for a 27' - 32' LCD or up to 42" Plasma HDTV 720p, 1080i

New TV, same old crap to watch on it.

Why bother?

see.. if you were in the US.. Today is the day to buy one. Too bad. Could save $50

I don't see the need. I have a widescreen 32" CRT and it works great for what I need. If it blew now i'd either pay for a good quality flatscreen telly or i'd pay £25 for a cheap standard CRT TV from the local 2nd hand shop.

The problem with flatscreens is that they actually don't take up any less space when you take into consideration the table you put it on, all the players and equipment you hook up to it and ALL THOSE DARN CABLES :D

a lot of people wall mount of have this stands though, and the difference between regular tv and HDTV with the Xbox 360 is night and day. Thats the main reason I don't have a 360.

*brainpop*

um.... what?


..Honestly though, I agree there, but I have my PC for those graphics and now starforce is almost dead I dont have a reason not to buy them- well, not such a bad reason....

the Hi-Def thing is why I had to send a few games I bought back- because the text was too small to read...

I needed a new TV so I got a "low-res" HDTV for now. It's pretty neat and at the end of the day it's hard NOT to buy HDTV these days. If Hi-res HDTV really pans out well then maybe I'll upgrade in a few years.

Crap is crap but it looks better in HD. Yeah thats right. I think crap looks better in HD. HD Crap rocks!!!!

BWAHAHA.

Well, at least they haven't called it HDTVv2 and changed all the connectors and standards... :P