HDTV - Guides and info links

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Impossibilium

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#1 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts

This thread contains HD and related information.

This thread is for links only. Please add useful links of your own but do not discuss HD here. If you find a broken or misdirected link, send me a PM.

Contents
ELECTRICAL RETAILER GUIDES (US)
GENERAL INFO
GAMING RELATED
US CABLE AND SATELLITE
UK BASED INFO
CANADIAN BASED INFO

HD-RELATED TECHNOLOGY
RESOURCES AND HOW-TO GUIDES

HD AND HOME THEATER FORUMS



ELECTRICAL RETAILER GUIDES (US)


Crutchfield A/V Advisor
(VIDEO) Part 1 of a video introduction to HD, other text guides can be found in the right menu

TV Authority HDTV Resource Center
one of the leading online retailers of Home Theater equipment. Check half way down the contents panel for the TV Resource Center.

Circuit City Quick HD FAQ
Very basic info in small, easy to read chunks.

Best Buy HDTV Quick FAQ
Covers some basic HDTV questions and Pros and Cons of the latest display types.

Radio Shack Research Library
Answers to popular audio and video questions, LCD panels, cables, HD etc.
Includes video answers.



GENERAL INFO


All About HD Special - Digital Life TV
(VIDEO) online tech television show, with Patrick Norton and Robert Heron of Screensavers fame.

HDTV: How it Works, What to Buy
(VIDEO)HDTVMagazine.com presents a video introduction


SimplayHD
This site tests products for HDCP compatibility problems
.

How HDTV Works
Introduction to HDTV from Howstuffworks.com

CNET guides
CNET's HDTV World
Dedicated HD site ... links to all the usual HD questions, HD features, guides, comparisons, tips, news.


Home Theater Magazine Boot Camp
Indepth section covering audio/video and HD articles from one of the leading US home theater magazines.

Sound and Vision TV/AV Reference Guide
Easy reference guide from one of the top AV and Home Theater magazines in the US.

Sound and Vision Complete HDTV Article archive
Complete archive of articles and reviews. How to Buy HDTV, TVs, LCD vs DLP, etc.


Epson Guide to HDTV and Basic Home Theater
FAQ like. Not many pictures but straight to the point.

Samsung HDTV interactive learning center
Animated guide to what HDTV is, what common terms mean, the different types of tech and buying guide.

Sony HD Guide
Sony HD learning center with three learning levels.


Discovery Channel HD Guide
simple FAQ to answer some common questions.

ABC Network HDTV FAQ
Quick answers from the US network.


How to Get HDTV
Easy to understand intro

HDTV Pub
Large source of HD information and HD stations broadcasting in your area.



GAMING RELATED

HDTV your XBox 360 at Gamespot
the benefits and drawbacks of HDTVs for the 360

The Right TV for Gaming
Crutchfield tests out the popular TV types to see which looks better.

TeamXbox Guide to HDTV
Covers basically all of the available techs using specific make/model numbers except for LCoS/SXRD

Gaming with Plasma

Pioneer dispel some myths about gaming with Pioneer plasma screens.




US CABLE AND SATELLITE

DirectTV HD FAQ
Quick answers to some general HD questions. Other specific DirectTV HD links can be found on this page as well.

Dish Network Quick Guide to HDTV


Time Warner Cable HD Guide

Comcast Guide To HDTV

Cox Cable HD Guide

InHD buying guide to HDTV
7 steps to HD from one of the main 24/7 HD networks.

Motorola's Guide To HDTV

Scientific Atlanta guide to HDTV
HD guide from one of the leading manufacturer's of cable boxes.



UK BASED INFO

Are You HD Ready?
Brief history, explanation, guide and UK buying tips. From Digital Home Magazine.

What is HD Ready?
UK site to check if your TV is ready for HD broadcasts.

HDTV UK
UK tech news blog covering all things HD.

Comet HDTV Guide
UK relevant guide from the UK electronics retailer.

Home Cinema Choice HD Articles
PDF reprints of entire articles from the UK magazine. Check the main page for lots more articles.

Sky Digital HD Introduction
Primer site for UK satellite users.

Sound and Vision
Not an HD info site, but a long established retailer of home theater equipment. More knowledgeable than your regular high street stores.



CANADIAN BASED INFO


CDTV - HDTV in Canada
Big resource for Canadian Gamespotters. Intro information, Government and industry links and channel news.

Futureshop HDTV Buying Guide
4 page article for Canadian Spotters.



HD-RELATED TECHNOLOGY

Screen Size Calculator
Want to know how big a regular 4:3 image will look on a 16:9 screen?

All about cables.
Crutchfield article about audio and video cables. Tips and info.

Connector Photo Gallery
Photos and descriptions of every AV connection on the market, except SCART.


1080i vs 1080p - Should you care?
Tv.com runs through the arguments for and against.

1080p HD questions answered
HDTV UK talks to Toshiba, Sony and Philips about why you should buy a 1080p display.

Learn about burn-in and how to break-in your plasma hdtv.
Ongoing discussion thread over at AVS Forum.

Plasma vs LCD
Sound and Vision magazine staff test the two technologies head to head and vote on which they like best.


The official HDMI site
Information on the standards and versions of HDMI connections, which transmit digital high-def video and audio.


Inside the tech of Blu-Ray and HD-DVD
Sound and Vision article describing the tech differences between the two formats.

The Official Blu-Ray Site
Home of the Blu-Ray association. News and technical info.

The Official HD-DVD Site
The site of the DVD Forum - creators of HD DVD.

How DLP Works
Howstuffworks overview of DLP technology

How LCoS Works
Howstuffworks look at LCoS

All about LCoS
4 part indepth article about LCoS based HDTVs - SXRD, HD-ILA etc.


Arstechnica guide to Cablecards
what they are, what they do and how they work.

Understanding HD Formats
Microsoft article describing basic HD formats and concepts. Not for beginners.



RESOURCES AND HOW-TO GUIDES

Help Your TV Make the Most of Every Signal
Crutchfield introduction to video optimization

How to Calibrate your TV using HDNet test patterns
If you have HDNet you can use their daily broadcast to tune up your TV.

GetGray Calibration Disc
A DVD specifically designed for the latest digital displays.

Building your own Home Theater
DIY networks section on bulding media rooms ... speaker placement, room design, calibrating, choosing equipment etc.

How to choose an HD Antenna for free broadcasts
Crutchfield article walking you through how to get free HD channels.

How to make a Projection Screen for under $100
Step by step guide with material list, and comparison shots of the DIY screen and a good quality retail screen.

Remote Central
Remote control reviews, buyers guide, downloadable graphics, discrete codes, user forums ...


CEDIA resource store
Big listing of books about Home Theater, HD, installing components, calibration DVDs ... from beginner to expert, from the Custom Electronics and Design Installation Association.

Audio and Video Manufacturer Links
Links to the official sites of video, audio equipment manufacturers and AV furniture and accessories.
By Audiophile25 and the Gamespot Home Theater Union.



HD AND HOME THEATER FORUMS


AVS Forums
One of the main forums for everything audio and video. You'll find beginners, experts and people who work in broadcasting here.

http://www.avforums.com
The AV Forum for UK readers.

High Def Forum
Great forum which compliments the aforementioned AVS Forum.

Home Theater Union Board
Gamespot's own Home Theater user's board. Get advice and see what home theater equipment other Gamespotters are using.


Links by: Impossibilium, MysticGenie, audiophile25, AlligatorAl, Biff-McBlumpkin, virtual-human,roc321

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MysticGenie

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#2 MysticGenie
Member since 2005 • 1358 Posts
Allow me to add one more: How HDTV Works
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Impossibilium

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#3 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
Scientific Atlanta guide to HDTV

HD guide from one of the leading manufacturer's of cable boxes.


Sound and Vision HDTV Reference Guide

One of the top AV and Home Theater magazines in the US.
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Impossibilium

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#4 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
TV Authority HDTV Resource Center

one of the leading retailers of Home Theater equipment. Check half way down the contents panel for links to DLP, Plasma and LCD Resource Centers.

Also check this site for great deals on last years HD models.
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MysticGenie

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#5 MysticGenie
Member since 2005 • 1358 Posts
Thanks for the links. I bookmarked all three of them 8).
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Impossibilium

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#6 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
if you find any more, drop them in here and keep this building up.
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MysticGenie

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#7 MysticGenie
Member since 2005 • 1358 Posts

Here's a couple of them.

HDTV Pub 

AVS Forums 

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Impossibilium

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#9 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
http://www.avforums.com/

The AV Forum for UK readers.
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Impossibilium

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#11 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
Sony HD Guide
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audiophile25

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#12 audiophile25
Member since 2002 • 1495 Posts
A-freaking-men.  If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked about 720p vs 1080i, I would be able to buy my own 1080p television.
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Impossibilium

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#13 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
TV.com's guide to everything HD

FAQs, tuneup guide, 1080i vs 1080p etc.
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#14 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
InHD buying guide to HDTV

for those who don't know, InHD is one of the main 24/7 HD networks.
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#15 D4rkL1nk14
Member since 2005 • 631 Posts

no1 is answering me in the avs hdtv forum :(

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Impossibilium

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#16 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts

no1 is answering me in the avs hdtv forum :(

D4rkL1nk14


Like any public forum AVS is not a customer support helpline. They don't sit there waiting to answer questions. You need to have some patience longer than 15 minutes. If you don't get the answer you need (which you did, I just checked) then try one of the other links in this thread. Everything you need to know can be found in one of these links.

AVS is not a forum for beginners so it's polite to at least have done a bit of research about HDTV beforehand. However, if you are specific with your hardware(important - saves people having to ask you afterwards), post in the correct section, be polite and someone at AVS will nearly always help you out.
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Impossibilium

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#17 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
Time Warner Cable HD Guide
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AlligatorAl

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#18 AlligatorAl
Member since 2005 • 326 Posts

The link below will bring you ALL up to speed on Analog to Digital TV's. It is one of the easiest to understand and provides most of the information you seem to require. It appears that there are very few who have even bothered to read up on HD TV or at the very least understand what all the excitement is about.

http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/109436.html

Knowledge is power, and power is money.

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Impossibilium

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#19 Impossibilium
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Motorola's Guide To HDTV
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#20 Impossibilium
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Discovery Channel HD Guide

simple Flash based FAQ to answer some common questions.
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#21 Impossibilium
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Arstechnica guide to Cablecards

what they are, what they do and how they work.
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#22 Impossibilium
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All About HD Special - Digital Life TV

online tech television show, with Patrick Norton and Robert Heron of Screensavers fame.
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#23 Impossibilium
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All about LCoS

4 part indepth article about LCoS based HDTVs.
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#24 InsaneBasura
Member since 2005 • 12591 Posts
This should be stickied or something.
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Impossibilium

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#25 Impossibilium
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How LCoS Works
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#26 Impossibilium
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How DLP Works
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#27 Impossibilium
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Samsung HDTV interactive learning center

Indepth animated guide to what HDTV is, what common terms mean, the different types of tech and buying guide.
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#28 Biff-McBlumpkin
Member since 2005 • 994 Posts

I see a lots of "What TV would be best for my 360?" threads.

Use this link, it covers basically all of the available techs using specific make/model numbers except for Sony's new LCoS SXRD:

http://features.teamxbox.com/xbox/1427/The-TeamXboxcom-Guide-to-HDTV/p1/

Although the lists were compiled by Team Xbox, they will work equally as well with the PS3.... and I think they plan on updating them as soon as new models are released.

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#29 Impossibilium
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DirectTV HD FAQ

Quick answers to some general HD questions. Other specific DirectTV HD links can be found on this page as well.
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#30 Impossibilium
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Sky Digital HD Introduction

Primer site for UK satellite users.
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#31 Impossibilium
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Best Buy HDTV Quick FAQ

Covers some basic HDTV questions and Pros and Cons of the latest display types.
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#32 Impossibilium
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Circuit City Quick HD FAQ

Very basic info in small, easy to read chunks.
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#33 Impossibilium
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Futureshop HDTV Buying Guide

4 page article for Canadian Spotters.
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#34 Impossibilium
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Home Cinema Choice HD Articles

reprints of entire articles (in PDF format) from the UK magazine.
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#35 Impossibilium
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Comet HDTV Guide

UK relevant guide from the UK electronics retailer.
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#36 virtual-human
Member since 2004 • 1922 Posts

The official HDMI site

Information on the standards and versions of HDMI connections, which transmit digital high-def video and audio.

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#37 MysticGenie
Member since 2005 • 1358 Posts
I should have add this link a long time ago.

High Def Forum

Great forum which compliments the aforementioned AVS Forum.
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#38 Impossibilium
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The Right TV for Gaming

Crutchfield tests out the popular TV types to see which looks better.
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#39 Impossibilium
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HDTV your XBox 360

from the company that brought you Gamespot - TV.com explain the benefits and drawbacks of HDTVs for the 360.
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#40 virtual-human
Member since 2004 • 1922 Posts

Learn about burn-in and how to break-in your plasma hdtv.

I really wish the mods would sticky this thread so everyone would see it.

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#41 Impossibilium
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Epson Guide to HDTV and Basic Home Theater

FAQ like. Not many pictures but straight to the point.
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#42 Impossibilium
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TV.com - Home Theater Questions Answered.

Big-screen HDTV as a computer monitor?

Are old HDTVs without HDMI worthless?

Dedicated Blu-ray player or PlayStation 3?

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#43 Impossibilium
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CNET's HDTV World.

Dedicated HD site ... links to all the usual HD questions, HD features, guides, comparisons, tips, news ...
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#44 Krall
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Impossibilium,

Thanks for moving all your links to the first page :) It makes everything a little more organized.

Great job on the guide, I tip my cap off to you ;) It's something this forum sorely needed!

If you need any help with this posting or want to make a new sticky in the forum just PM me and I'll help ya out.

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Impossibilium

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#45 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
Cool, thanks.

I'll keep adding more useful stuff when I find it or if someone posts it here I'll drop it up front.
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#46 abe200x
Member since 2003 • 2029 Posts
What's the best HDTV in the 21inch-29inch range? Only include hdtvs with pc inputs
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#47 Impossibilium
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[QUOTE="abe200x"]What's the best HDTV in the 21inch-29inch range? Only include hdtvs with pc inputs



Please read the first post in this thread. This is for links only.
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#48 virtual-human
Member since 2004 • 1922 Posts
Dynamic Contrast. LCD manufacturers use it to list what looks like a higher contrast ratio at first glance. It is an inflated number as opposed to the contrast measurements that you will see for other display types.
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#49 roc321
Member since 2005 • 2387 Posts

This is Radio Shack's research library.  These are videos showing information on home theater.

RadioShack

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Impossibilium

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#50 Impossibilium
Member since 2005 • 1568 Posts
Dynamic Contrast. LCD manufacturers use it to list what looks like a higher contrast ratio at first glance. It is an inflated number as opposed to the contrast measurements that you will see for other display types. virtual-human


That topic would be useful but I don't want to add Wiki entires since it's not from a reliable and named source. I use Wikipedia for quick reference all the time but like the company I work for we never use it for source reference because it can be too easily modified or prone to error.