WIN News - Widescreen

CanberraResident said :

It’s not as easy as just buying a DVD recorder with inbuilt set-top box (I have a DVD recorder too); the TV needs to be digital compatible too.

Huh?

All you need is a STB or PVR (either a DVD/HDD recorder with SD tuner or a HDD-only recorder with SD or SD/HD Tuner). Other than that, you just need the right connections (usually starting with composite (yellow/red/white)) and then you are set for digital.

Note though that not all DVD recorders (including the Hard Drive/DVD ones), have digital tuners yet.

JD114 said :

Absolutely the best thing since sliced raisin bread for toasting is my Sony HD PVR Hard Drive recorder, which incorporates the set top box and replaces the VCR. Viewing, recording and playing back TV is now both enjoyable and convenient.

It’s not as easy as just buying a DVD recorder with inbuilt set-top box (I have a DVD recorder too); the TV needs to be digital compatible too.

I’m going to get a PVR and add a bit of value to my enforced purchase of a Set Top Box. I hear they’re easier to use than a video recorder (bloody thing). But this nasty habit the commercials have of starting shows late gives me the irrits, if you use the on-line schedules to program your PVR, you’ll miss stuff.

I have crystal-clear TV reception, as my TV is slightly above Black Mountain Tower. It’s very nice. No ghosts!

Be able to watch the excellent Robin Hood in its entirety is a very good reason to get a time-shifting PVR, I reckon. (I didn’t really believe that Guy was going to hang Marion from the neck until she was dead).

harley,

Unfortunately they use a single person ENG crew (ie. the camera operator does the sound recording as well) so there is more chance of getting bad sound (especially with the way they do the mic placement for the shotgun mic., let alone the lack of headphones on some camera ops (ie. just relying on the meters on the camera).

Hopefully they’ll get a decent sound recorder, too.

Since I moved up here last year, I haven’t seen a local report with decent audio – it’s always badly clipped…

Absolutely the best thing since sliced raisin bread for toasting is my Sony HD PVR Hard Drive recorder, which incorporates the set top box and replaces the VCR. Viewing, recording and playing back TV is now both enjoyable and convenient.

One of bestest things is the ability to be watching a program, get a phone call or a knock on the door, hit the red button on the remote, and watch the same program at any time, whether it’s five minutes later after the interruption has ceased, or next week or whenever. For instance last night I was running a bit late for good old Robin Hood, the dinner was not quite ready… as soon as it came on I hit the red button to start recording, leisurely completed my dinner preparations, sat down, pressed play, and watched the entire program 10 minutes later than everyone else.

To get back to the original subject here, yes it will be good to have the local news in clear 16:9 signal, but obviously one wouldn’t purchase a digital setup just for that!

I think your opinion on the usefulness of digital television probably depends on what kind of analogue signal reception you get. I’ve had a cheap-arse Dick Smith standard def set top box for about two years now and love it. No more fuzzy ghosting pics, just crystal clear, widescreen reception. Before, especially on the ABC and Prime, my reception was cr@p.

WIN News being widescreen will also be noticeable on analog due to the way WIN shows analog TV (14:9 all the time, instead of just when 16:9 content is on).

Because it wasn’t needed, didn’t provide anything useful, the bigs and the cable channels ensured multi-channeling didn’t happen, and it was introduced to make everyone buy new stuff. They stuffed up the implementation, luckily, but we’ll all have to spend some money shortly.

why is it a rort?

I don’t have digital. I’m waiting til the last moment til I get a box. What an utter rort it is. As for widescreen, huh. Computer has one, and it’s handy for storing my favourites.

oooooo widescreen!

I guess I only watch WIN news to check out the presenter’s attributes, cause I don’t listen to what is said.

Yay, Win have finally joined the 21st century. Will it make their news any less crap?

yeah, but if you ask the “bad guys, they’ll tell you that digital “isn’t coming to Canberra for another 2 years!”. WHAT ROT!!! They’ll do anything to make a sale on outdated stock, and I fell for it just three months ago. Now it seems, I need more equipment to enable the $2000 set-up I bought to actually work on digital networks. Buyer beware, that’s all I can say, and when it comes to digital, you need to ask a LOT of questions.

Jessica Good on widescreen digital? No thanks. Like I’ve said before, she reads the news like she’s reciting grandma’s pudding recipe.

I haven’t bothered with my digital set top box in months. Last time I watched it was the HD demo 99% of the time… do they offer what would qualify as a real channel nowadsays? I was shocked that Melb/Sydney HD channels actually featured more than just the show on at 8:30pm etc…