Help purchasing a HDTV?

Question

I'm planning on buy a HDTV and was wondering will i get some HD channels on my basic RCN cable box? Will i need to upgrade the box and will it be free? Will i need to buy any extra wires for the tv i just plan on watching basic tv and movies on demand and deff. xbox 360 in HD. What basic channels are in HD? biggest consurn will there faces be stretched? This is the t.v im buying i would usually get it form best buy but it 300 more there. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9252218 Thanks for your help. Please not to technicall im just learning bout t.v's

Answer 1

Cable stations are required to carry local broadcast stations that are in HD and digital.  This includes things like ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, etc.  

However if you want things like Discovery, FoodNetwork, ESPN, or other cable stations in HD, you will need to upgrade your cable package to include these HD channels, and also get a HD cable box.

It is important to note that you will need to connect your devices to your HDTV with either a HDMI or component video cable.  These can be purchased at any place that sells TVs but you may want to buy them online, as they're cheaper.

Even your DVD player will benefit from better cabling.

Here's my reccomendation:

DVD player (normal): component video cable

DVD player (upscaling): HDMI cable

HD Cable box: HDMI cable

360: HDMI cable

An upscaling DVD Player will take your regular DVDs and make them look almost as good as HD - but this will require a HDMI cable.  If you just have a normal DVD player, be sure to use component video cables as this will give you the best picture.

Some older 360s do not have a HDMI port.  If your's doesn't, just use the Microsoft HD-AV component video cable.  You can get this from the 360 accessory aisle.

Watching non-HD channels on a HDTV gives you a few options.  Normal, will display the picture in the proper aspect ratio (no stretching or squishing) but you will have black or grey bars on the sides.  Zoom will make the picture take up the whole screen, but keep the aspect ratio the same.  It does this by chopping off the top and bottom of the picture, so you may notice someone's head being sort of chopped off.  The third option is stretch.  The picture will take up the full screen, but as the name implies, stretches it.  As a result, everyone will look a bit on the chubby side.  

Answer 2

Wow it's like doing an exam here with a triple question question. Anyways back to your question. Yes you will need to upgrade your cable box to get HD channels and yes it will cost you to upgrade to a HD cable box and pay a higher monthly fee to your cable TV provider. The HD cable box is usually about $300 to $400 bucks. You could however stay with standard def cable box and you will still be able to watch TV on your HDTV. However in my opinion the picture quality will be worse than using a CRT since obviously the HDTV has a bigger screen.You don't have to buy extra wires for basic TV and movies. Depending on which Xbox 360 package you bought, you might have to buy extra cables to get the best picture on your HDTV when playing your Xbox. If you have the best Pro or Elite bundle then the component cable for a HD experience is included. All you have to do is match the color when you plug in the cable and switch the thingy on the big plug to HDTV and you're good to go! If you have the Arcade bundle then you have to buy the component cable which will cost you like $20 bucks. The basic channels in HD really depends on where you live and what your cable provider provides. Call and check with them. And no their faces will not be stretched if everything is configured right by the professional they send you if you subscribe for HD channels. And I believe the HDTV you've chosen is a good choice. 42" is a reasonable size and 1080p is the best HD resolution you can get. And the price is resonable too. Hope I answered your question (my hands are tired now, you better choose this as best answer. Haha).