It finally happened

[3Guncolor]

As long as the cable company provides a tuning adaptor to all that want one they can go all digital. Customers want more HD so analog has to go.

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

OK, my best guess is that your cable company converts WGN to NTSC for distribution on the the lower tier cable channels. I doubt that they turn off the conversion for the news. Check your OSD during the news... I suspect that it will still indicate NTSC, in spite of all indications from WGN that it is HD.

jr

The newscast may well be presented in full HD in the Chicago area over WGN-TV channel 9, while being carried to the rest of the country in SD over the national feed. I'm just guessing, as I live near Cleveland, have never been to or lived in Chicago, and know absolutely nothing about Chicago TV except what I read on the stations' websites. Perhaps someone in the Chicago area will chime in with more info.

[jr_tech]

There is no question in my mind that the WGN news is produced and distributed in HD, (digital, 16x9, either 720p or 1080i).

However, it appears that your local cable company converts WGN programming to NTSC before distributing it in the lower tier cable channel. Check your OSD during the newscast to determine what you are actually receiving.

jr

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

There is no question in my mind that the WGN news is produced and distributed in HD, (digital, 16x9, either 720p or 1080i).

However, it appears that your local cable company converts WGN programming to NTSC before distributing it in the lower tier cable channel. Check your OSD during the newscast to determine what you are actually receiving.

jr

I did just that (looked at my TV's OSD) when the news was on WGN America the other evening, and yes, the OSD did show that the program was being transmitted over my cable in NTSC format. The cable operator may well be converting the signal long before it ever reaches my TV.

I wouldn't have known it, however, if not for the indicator on my TV's OSD channel display, as my 19" Insignia flat screen is not the best in the world as far as displaying high-definition video goes. I saw a table in an article on HDTV recently that showed the optimum viewing distances for various sizes of flat screens, and found that, as far away as I sit from my set (ten feet), the minimum screen size required to realize the full HD experience is 40 inches. For a 19" FP like mine, the optimum distance is just four feet from the screen.

[jr_tech]

So at your level of service, without using a cable box, you receive some NTSC and some "clear QAM" channels... are any of the channels that you receive actually full HD (720p or 1080i) ?
I suspect that you would have to subscribe to a higher tier, and use a cable box to get true HD, but perhaps the local channels might come through as HD???

jr

PS: For a first time HD set, I usually recommend that it be at least 50% larger than the NTSC CRT set that it replaces.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I've had DirecTV for 12 years and it's been unbelievably good, even in heavy rain it works well.

Indeed..... DirecTV is much better!