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Let’s Talk Cost – A Money Perspective on HDTV
Ok, let’s talk money, and how much will it cost to set up a HDTV home theater. These could only be found in millionaire movie stars and producer’s homes. Now with all the new equipment on the market, it’s possible to set up your home theater without spending millions.
The first item you’ll need is the HDTV with a wide screen format.
The movie moguls introduced the wide screen format to make movie going different than home viewing. As we all know, the movie experience with the panoramic cinematography allowed the audience to completely immerse themselves in the movie experience. This allowed the directors and cinematographers to create scenes that involve the viewer’s entire field of vision. HDTV strives and succeeds in creating a movie atmosphere in the comfort of your own home. HDTV prices have come down since it was first introduced, just like any other new electronic gadget. It still is an expensive investment.
Sets range up to $2000 or more. It depends on the design, how large, and the complexity of the equipment the set has. An “inexpensive” true HDTV can cost between $1400 and $1800, again to get really good equipment you could spend upwards to $3000. The display is what can drastically affect the price. Some units may use the new flat screen cathode ray tubes, others liquid crystal displays or a projection method for larger screen sizes. These prices will come down soon. Price estimates based on current advertising should be down to the $1000 to $1200 mark in the not too distant future.
Before you think you’ll never be able to afford your own HDTV and be able to take advantage of the many quality features, there is another way you can enjoy digital broadcasts. You can purchase a set top digital decoder that will convert digital signals to something you can see on your TV. It won’t be as detailed or as sharp as a true HDTV set, but even on a regular analog TV these pictures will still look better than your current television picture. They will look like the pictures you get from a DVD player, digital cable, or satellite service. Today this set up box will cost between $300 and $900. Industry sources tell us that eventually these boxes will come down to under $100 or will be included in your cable or satellite receiver boxes.
Be sure to research or talk to a knowledgeable sales person because there is a difference if the digital formats used. Many popular television stations use different formats. The industry hasn’t yet set a formal standard yet so what you buy today may not work with your cable system in the future. It’s suggested that you buy an HDTV and a decoder separately other than in one unit because of the changes that are still yet to come.
Visit local retailers and let the sales person show you the difference of the current analog TV you might be using compared to the new HDTV’s. They can also show you the latest DVD player or digital satellite feed. Don’t be tricked into thinking you have to have a satellite system to enjoy HDTV. That simply is not true. We discovered that fact the hard way.
It is also possible to buy video display cards that feature a built in DTV (Digital TV coder) tuner to put into your computer. True, the whole family can’t huddle around your computer monitor, but you can get the HDTV technology on your computer monitor for an investment from $299 to $499. It will allow you to see the difference between your analog DTV and the new HDTV.
Besides a digital TV decoder, or digital tuner module, you might still need an outdoor antenna to pick up local broadcasts that are sent in HDTV format. You also can use a small indoor antenna that sets on your TV, but these have been found to be not quite as effective. Cable stations are not required to carry the digital signal put out by local stations. That too may change in the future. As far as local digital transmissions from your hometown station, you will need either an outdoor antenna or an indoor antenna that connects to your digital tuner or decoder.
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