V-Flyer

Right (to get it on topic ) to watch those Virgin adverts in High Definition is getting close.

SKY have started to take deposits on thier High Definition set top boxes for installation in April 2006.

Cost of box is £299, plus an extra £10 per month for HD services, though as the box is a HD version of SKY+ which you have to pay (AFAIK) extra for anyway, thats not too bad

I'm waiting til they give it away free..what a rip off! [:0]

I am sure we all noticed the HD channels that appeared coincident with the revamped Sky Guide. Another chance for Murdock to make more money out of his subscribers methinks!

I'm guessing though that you will also need an HD ready TV as well [:?]

Regards

Originally posted by GatorBaiter
I'm waiting til they give it away free..what a rip off! [:0]

As they do with directtv

Hi all
There might be a long wait for the free deals to come on offer. Mr Dragonlady has been chomping at the bit for months and has already done the deal so to speak (installation next month).At a local promotion stand in the city centre I asked about free deals and was told that it will be at least a year before sky do any offers.Don't know how true it is but the master of the house can't wait (he has also said that another TV is on it's way which I presume is HD).Just glad I don't pay the bills.
Julie

Had the TV 6 months...have been waiting for Sky to catch up...but still not at that price. They were saying on a news item yesterday that within a very short time all TV in the UK will be broadcast in HD...so how will Sky get away with charging £300 for the box? [:?]

Well I put of getting the HD box for a longtime,try 3 years,not because of cost,but because there was very little content.

I put it in the day before the superbowl,now it's about the only thing we watch.If you have the means to do it and the content is there I would say go for it,regular tv just looks like s%#t compared to it.

That has been the rationale of my husband too Dave- no point in having HD TV if the Sky stuff is going to be rubbish on it.Have to say i baulked initially about sky+ (in the days you got charged extra for it) but it's proved invaluable as our DVD recorder is a total mystery to me.I remain less convinced about this HD stuff but he swears there's no comparison- this is a man who will happily spend thousands on electronic stuff but grizzles profusely about spending money getting a decent hair cut.
Jacq, I guess Sky are banking on sad/desperate creatures like my husband (apparently he is not alone in his desire for this little box)..

Hmm, I love Sky+ as it means you never have to watch ads or miss an episode of something (bless that series link button). And I do have to admit that the quality of what's currently broadcast does not look great on a 32" widescreen LCD. Hmmmm, maybe £300 would be more of an 'investment' into quality viewing. Sounds like I am talking myself into this. [xx(]

Another one "easily led" I think Jacq.

[:I]

Hmm, maybe we'll see how the bank balance is after Boston next week. I have been holding off buying anything here for months ready for 5 days of madness [}:)]

Have to say I've been sceptical about HDTV until I recently got a glimpse of a HDTV in the US; it was impressive, but I didn't have time to investigate it.

More recently, I was in John Lewis in Kingston and they were running an HDTV from an HD DVD and on close inspection I have to say the picture quality was STUNNING - I've never seen anything like it; pin sharp, fantastic detail, beautiful colour and contrast etc. Now, I know a thing or two about this area - I worked in the film industry recording film soundtrack music at the top studios for more than a year or two, so I've always been a bit stuffy about quality to put it mildly. [:(]

Believe me, HDTV is capable of astonishing quality but remember, the picture will only EVER be as good as the quality of the original source material, AND the uncompromised quality of the transmission chain/medium from aerial socket or DVD through to the very end of the cable-socket going into the back of your shiny new HDTV - get that right and you'll be astonished at the quality.[:0]

The only other rub really is price - my advice? wait for the prices to come down while the early adopters pay for the innovation , and in the not too distant future the pricing will look sensible. Also, you're going to have wait a while anyway while the content producers gear up to put out the majority of their programming in HD - but when they do, pour yourself a G&T, kick back and prepare to be amazed...[8D]

If anyone wants to experience HD, you can already via your PC. You need the latest version of Apple Quick Time (ver 7) as it has the HD H.264 Codecs built in. Apple's HD QuickTime page is here (you do need a pretty powerful PC or Mac though, specs on that page) but most PC LCD or CRT monitors have a high enough refesh rate to enable watching HD quality clips. The clip files are also pretty big so a DSL connection is also required. I've watched a few HD movie trailers and they are pretty spectacular.

Regards

We've had Telewests TVDrive installed - basically their version of Sky+. Except with three tuners (record two channels and watch a third), and supports HD. Free installation to new customers, £50 for existing digital subscribers (or keep your exisiting box for £5 a month).

Comparison to Sky+ HD can be found here. We've been really pleased with it. Just got to wait at least a year to buy a HD TV now.

Mat xxx