Upgrading TV

cfrizz

deronb1 wrote: »

Kathy, what about cable? Do you have dish, TW, directv or comcast?

I have Comcast, I suppose I could call them and upgrade my cable box to one that has HMDI. Unless I could buy one from somewhere, is that possible?

I would be able to live with 32" for now. Once I get rid of the CRT, I will be able to shift things around later.

I could bring the three shelf rack that I have in the bedroom and move the big rack there instead. Then I could get a bigger tv for the livingroom and move the 32" into the bedroom.

Too many choices, this has all gotten so complicated!

deronb1

I would definitely call and get the hdmi box. Should be a free upgrade. Sony BDPs are solid and can be had very reasonable. HDMI into the tv and optical out to the Sunfire is the best way to go imo.

shawn474

To get a buray player on the cheap, Here you go cathy.....

http://electronics.woot.com/plus/sony-blu-ray-players-4?ref=el_cnt_wp_7

tonyb

Cathy,

I would definitely upgrade that old cable box to a newer one from Comcast. The newer boxes have both HDMI outputs and rgb and digital outputs as well. You simply use one HDMI cable from the Comcast box to the tv and a digital cable to the Sunfire.

You can use the same RGB cables to hook up your BDP in the same fashion you already do.

I might add though, sooner or later your going to run into issues with outdated gear and your going to have to bite that bullet down the road.

All new TV's these days are smart TV's, they take the place of a Roku or Apple TV or Firestick. However you may not appreciate the TV's software over any of those other devices. Some TV's do it better than others. Have your router number handy as it will prompt you at set up.

BTW....If your not paying Comcast now for HD service, you'll need to, and that HD box will cost extra too. The reason you need to is TV's these days are all LCD/LED and they won't handle the non HD channels as well as your old CRT. You'll have a viewing angle of about 30 degrees from center too before the picture starts to fade so keep your sitting position in mind and placement of the TV.

Just like going from a 2 channel receiver to a pre/pro, there will also be tons of adjustments for picture and sound as compared to the CRT. Pick a TV and brand that fits your budget and do your homework to make sure it will fit your needs.

cfrizz

Oy, I'm already getting a headache! When I get it Tony, tell your wife you got to come to Boston, to help me set it up!

I'm already paying 194.00 a month to them, I hate to think how much more it is going to cost me.

tonyb

You can't be paying 194 a month for non HD service, if you are, they are taking you for one big ride.

BTW....I'm only coming to Boston if you let me buy ya lunch or dinner and promise to keep your hands in your pockets.....purely for safety reasons, namely mine.

cnh

These days you should pretty much have HD channels for ALL over the air broadcasts in your area, which in Boston should be quite a few. There should not be an extra fee for that service!

But I know what you mean. Our bill was about that a month as well and we cut the cable, went with chromecast, and an over the air antenna for a few local stations. Kept phone and internet which halved that monthly bill. Imagine what you can do with an extra $1100 a year?

cfrizz

tonyb wrote: »

You can't be paying 194 a month for non HD service, if you are, they are taking you for one big ride.

BTW....I'm only coming to Boston if you let me buy ya lunch or dinner and promise to keep your hands in your pockets.....purely for safety reasons, namely mine.

LOL! I have my cable, phone & internet through them Tony. They gave me the cheapest box capable of delivering a HD signal, but since I don't have a HD TV it doesn't matter.

Sure you can take me to lunch or dinner, there are two restaurants across the street from where I live. And I am only dangerous when provoked, and you know better than to do that. LOL!

CNH, since so many people are dumping cable to stream content it just means that they are going to start charging you more for Internet. They are going to get us one way or another.

Polkie2009

cfrizz wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

You can't be paying 194 a month for non HD service, if you are, they are taking you for one big ride.

BTW....I'm only coming to Boston if you let me buy ya lunch or dinner and promise to keep your hands in your pockets.....purely for safety reasons, namely mine.

LOL! I have my cable, phone & internet through them Tony. They gave me the cheapest box capable of delivering a HD signal, but since I don't have a HD TV it doesn't matter.

Sure you can take me to lunch or dinner, there are two restaurants across the street from where I live. And I am only dangerous when provoked, and you know better than to do that. LOL!

CNH, since so many people are dumping cable to stream content it just means that they are going to start charging you more for Internet. They are going to get us one way or another.

Hi Cathy, I've got Comcast and I believe I have what they called the Digital Starter package. I'm still using a 20" Toshiba CRT and the converter box Comcast provides for me doesn't have HDMI outputs ( it has coax input, component RGB video output, I think it also has S Video output too, and stereo L+R rca audio outputs. Although I am able to get some HD channels through the converter box ( obviously I can't benefit the 720p signal since my CRT probably can only display about 480p ). All the channels I get still look pretty nice even at 480p. I had at one time asked about upgrading to the HDMI converter box and Comcast wanted to charge me $10.00 more per month just to rent it. I have no internet connection or phone with Comcast. Just last month Comcast bumped my bill up about $5.00 to charge for receiving over the air channels Seriously been thinking of switching to someone else.

Nightfall

$5.00 to receive free over the air channels? What?

Polkie2009

That's Comcast for you, there's always some extra charge somewhere on the bill every 6 months or so. I had the cheapest converter box for a second connection in the home. Comcast wanted to start charging me $2.50 a month for the 2nd box.

Nightfall

I don't understand how Comcast and Charter are allowed to have the monopoly on cable such as they do. There is no place where you have a choice of either, only one or the other. The only other non cable option for internet is DSL which in comparison is painfully slow. I hope Google fiber takes off in more cities than it is. Somebody needs to fight against the cable companies with quick internet without the ridiculous gouging.

cfrizz

Here are the charges from my latest statement.


XFINITY Bundled Services
Preferred Triple Play XF
$160.49

Total XFINITY Bundled Services $160.49

Additional XFINITY TV Services Additional Outlet
$9.95

Total Additional XFINITY TV Services $9.95

Additional XFINITY Voice Services Voice/data Modem Rental
$10.00

Total Additional XFINITY Voice Services $10.00

Other Charges & Credits Universal Connectivity Charge
$1.23

Regulatory Recovery Fees
$0.17

Broadcast TV Fee
$3.25

Regional Sports Fee
$1.00

Franchise Related Cost
$0.01

Total Other Charges & Credits $5.66

Taxes, Surcharges & Fees

TV
State Sales Tax
$0.02

Franchise Fee
$5.09

FCC Regulatory Fee
$0.08

MA License Fees
$0.21

Voice
State Sales
$1.75

911 Fee(s)
$1.25

Total Taxes, Surcharges & Fees $8.40

Statement balance
$194.50

ken brydson

Have you threatened to cancel and move on to another provider? We do that every year or 2 and get a decent discount. Don't talk to the reg CS guys, ask for the customer retention dept. We have the triple play (cable, phone, internet), expanded cable, HD, 2 boxes and we're 20-30 bucks less than what you're paying...

cfrizz

Ken there is no other provider, Verizon Fios isn't out here so I'm stuck with Comcast.

nooshinjohn

Direct tv would work...

Nightfall

Satellite internet is barely better than dial-up.

nooshinjohn

But for TV it's fantastic, and could reduce Cathy's bill by a good bit

deronb1

We have DTV. Great picture and sound. Cheap for the first year, then no better than the rest, price wise

ken brydson

cfrizz wrote: »

Ken there is no other provider, Verizon Fios isn't out here so I'm stuck with Comcast.

No dish tv, direct tv? Gotta be some other option...

scottyboy76

Cathy good luck with the new tv, size does matter, but that is one fine picture on your old sony crt I bet

tonyb

Yeah Cathy, they will nail you for 10 bucks more on the cable box. Probably a few other misc. fee's also as most cable providers do.

Call the retention department as suggested and complain about the costs, tell them Direct tv has way better prices.

Still though, Comcast has the most thorough programing/on demand stuff and better picture quality if you ask me. My choices are the same Comcast or ATT, Dish or Direct tv. Att was horrible, and the Sat. services internet is an abomination.

cfrizz

Agreed Tony, Yes I could get Verizon with Direct TV, but I would end back up with DSL, and I can't go back to that.

Scotty the main reason why I haven't updated my tv is because of that very fine picture.

cfrizz

Well, I am making preparations to get a new tv, Mark has arranged to have College Hunks Hauling Junk come and get my old TV, and while I'm at it I'll get rid of two old printers, my old rack, and probably my smaller crt tv in the bedroom as well.

When they are here, I'm going to see if I can talk them into moving my 3 shelf rack from the bedroom into the livingroom and placing my amp and center speaker on it, and moving my 5 shelf rack into the bedroom.

There was a time when I could easily do this myself, unfortunately I can't take the risk of blowing out my right elbow again, the pain when it happened was excruciating and took months until I was finally pain free.

I am planning on using an optical cable from the tv to my Sunfire or should it be from the cable box to the Sunfire?

Will I have to go into the Sunfire to change some settings? if so, I'm in trouble, since I just discovered the joystick on the Sunfire remote no longer works.

I've sent an email to Sunfire asking if they still stock these. I doubt it but it's worth a shot.

Does anyone have an extra TGP III remote lying around that they don't need? If so please let me know.

But despite all that, I'm getting excited about rejoining the tv world again after years of spending more time on my pc rather than in front of my tv.

tonyb

Cool Cathy....can't Mark help you with all that moving and shuffling around ? Neighbors kid ?? Send John a PM and see if he has an extra remote in the closet,being the Carver/Sunfire dude he is.

College hunks huh...lol. They have a subsidiary called Naked College hunks....costs a bit more but women say it's well worth it.

cfrizz

LOL! Mark would have to have awfully long arms to help me from DC Tony. Good idea about asking John.

I used to regularly visit that site Tony a few years back....MAJOR HUNKAGE is right!!!

boston1450

Cathy i have 2 different convertors. HDMI to RCA -&- RCA to Optical. Im not needing them & can Karma to you if you need them. I will post pictures later & if needed will overnight them to you free of charge
..
Edit- i think this is the rca-optical https://jet.com/product/detail/1f5c19bd3fc442e48d01d26eb5f040c5?jcmp=pla:ggl:cwin_electronics_a2:networking_network_cards_adapters_a2_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&k_clickid=7099f21e-9ca4-4bcf-a860-34fa91044d50&gclid=CLqspb3T4MkCFQ6IaQodlq0L2Q

tonyb

I don't think she needs any converters. For hook-up, hdmi out of the cable box to the tv, and digital out of the cable box to the Sunfire, done.

boston1450

Ok

txcoastal1

cfrizz wrote: »

I am planning on using an optical cable from the tv to my Sunfire or should it be from the cable box to the Sunfire?.

If your only HDMI source is your cable box, then run optical from cable box to Sunfire.

If later you buy a blueray player or any other HDMI devices the run all HDMI's to the TV and optical from TV then to your Sunfire