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[DocLotus]

Just read in this months Computer Power User that ATI is coming out with an HDTV Wonder card

Saw a picture of it... looks somewhat like the current TV Wonder except the silver TV tuner box is bigger.

ATI is currently working on the software which will become part of the ATI Multimedia Center Suite.

They said they will offer a $100 upgrade to current ATI All-In-Wonder owners.

They also said that future A-I-W 9600XT, & A-I-W 9800 cards will be HDTV compatible.

The article also said the US Government has given TV manufacturers until July of 2005 to cease production of standard TV's & switch over to all HDTV production.  This is much closer then I thought.

Soooo... It looks like there may be an HDTV coming to your computer faster then we thought.

Now... what do we do about a wide screen monitor for our computers ?

[cascius]

Yes, this info is correct as far as i know. It's gona be real nice. Too bad I don't have an HD tv at home

[JustinChase]

Now... what do we do about a wide screen monitor for our computers ?

Buy a Toshiba laptop, like i did.  It's fantastic, especially with MC.  I can have WAY more columns visible then most

[DocLotus]

Samsung has a 30 inch widescreen combination HDTV / Computer monitor avaliable for only $5,400 US.

Wolud LOVE to see that baby on my desktop

[DocLotus]

ATI also said the new Remote Wonder II (which I have) is going to be part of the new HDTV setup.

Maybe, just maybe by then they can get one remote control to handle everything ?

Would'nt that be nice

[DocLotus]

Have also been seeing ads for DirecTV HDTV Showtime at the same price as regular Showtime.

DirecTV has been recently coming out with one or two new HDTV channels a month.

Looks like HDTV is just around the corner for the average Joe User.

I wonder how this is going to affect Media Center 11 ?

[PhatPhreddy]

There are lots of HDTV receptions cards out there (HiPix / Fusion / DVICO / MIT / Etc) and have been being used for a long time.. Theres also ways of using firewire and DVHS decks and even hacked STB's.

For widescreen use any PC can run widescreen resolutions with powerstrip... My machine runs at 1280x720p connected to my projector... Its the actual display you need widescreen the PC will handle it fine.

[DocLotus]

Agreed, but...

According to Computer Power User magazine all of the current crop of HDTV cards have various problems either in the...

* Very high Price (some cards).

* Non standards.

* Setting them up.

* The software bundle is less then stelller.

* In the actual use of the cards.

What they are saying is that the new ATI HDTV Wonder card & the upcoming ATI A-I-W HDTV cards will set the standards in all areas.

They also said that after ATI comes out with the new cards the others will go away as they are not up to par.

[sapnho]

I wonder if it makes more sense to use a computer flat screen to watch TV? Given the same size of display are there noticable quality differences? I would love to replace my old CRT TV and put a monitor in its place. That would also have the advantage that I could display MC cover art and other things on this monitor.

[xen-uno]

Computer monitors are precision display instruments with fine dot pitch's, high refresh rates (w/ progressive scan), and very good electronics inside. TV's are not but HDTV's may be (displaying a true 1080i or 1080p HDTV signal forces the issue). So...there is no doubt that if the two have same size screen, the computer monitor is going to smoke the TV in picture quality.

Here's a big tube that can do it all ...

http://www.neoseeker.com/Hardware/Products/Sony_FW900/

...and is light as a feather at 92 lbs. Max widescreen res is 1920x1200.

R_x

[sapnho]

Just did some digging... The Samsung TFT displays looks quite alright, a bit pricey though.

I recently read that both Korea and China are investing >$25bn in new LCD production facilities. Prices should be very reasonable in two years from now. Can't wait for Xmas 2005!

[DocLotus]

The Sony GDM-FW900 is an older CRT monitor that was the very best when it first came out; but, there has been considerable reliability issues with it.  Many users had problems with it dieing shortly after buying it.

A much better (and much newer) solution is the Sony 23 inch LCD monitor.  Everything that I have read about it is outstanding with the possible exception of a few dead pixels.

http://displaysbysony.com/display/model.jsp?pCode=PremierPro&pModelId=561

It is very bright, fast, fine resolution.

Samsung also make some nice monitors.

[DocLotus]

The main advantage of using a computer monitor for TV is there are absolutely no visible scan lines; the image is outstanding.

The reason is that cards such as the ATI All-In-Wonder fills in the missing lines that are between a normal TV image.

When you look closely at a regular TV screen it is a very poor image with the lines very far apart.

Sooo... it boils down to if you want TV on your computer (which you look at very closely) or a larger normal TV (which you look at from a distance).

I am on my 8th TV tuner card (3rd ATI A-I-W) & love having TV on my computer.

MC, CD, DVD, TV, & FM Radio tuner completes the package for me.

What I am waiting for is ATI's new HDTV & a really good 27 - 30 inch hi-rez, wide screen monitor; that day is very close at hand.

You may also want both a hi-grade computer TV & an HDTV in the living room.

[xen-uno]

Lighter?..yes. More compact?..yes. Better?..that remains to be seen. CRT's are better than LCD's in many ways...contrast/brightness/resolutions supported/picture quality (ever seen a dead pixel on a CRT?). Amazingly though, the price is reasonable (only $400 or so more than list on the WDM). I've read alot of threads here and there on the reliability aspect of the WDM. Most have been positive. Have to wonder if careless handling on shipping a 100 lbs of delicate monitor may be the culprit in most of those cases.

R_x

[DocLotus]

LCD monitors are catching up with CRT's at a very fast rate.

The latest crop is beginning to actually surpass CRT's in almost every respect.

All the old problems of LCD's are being overcome one by one.

There are a few LCD's out there that are actually brighter & sharper then any CRT currently available.

Dell makes a great one as does Sony, Samsung, & NEC.

A professional programmer friend of mine has used a lot of Sony CRT's throughout the years & never thought a LCD could ever come anywhere near the overall quality of image of his beloved Sony's.

The company he works for will, from time to time, plop a new LCD on his desk.  He will use it for a short time & push it aside & goes back to his Sony CTR.

A couple of weeks ago they put a new Dell LCD on his desk.  It is so superior to any of his Sony CRT's that he has pushed the Sony aside & is now using the Dell LCD.

He says it is brighter, has better color, better contrast, is sharper all the way across the screen, has a very wide viewing angle, & that text is much easier to view with his tired old eyes.

He likes it so much he bought one for his personal use at home & gave his Sony CRT to his son.

Sooo... the bottom line is nothing stays the same & things are changing (for the better) as far as LCD's are concerned.

The prices of LCD's are now at the same level that CRT's were just two or three years ago.  My current Sony 19 inch flat screen CRT cost me $650 US in 2001.  Today you can buy a much better 18 - 20 inch LCD for the same price.

In a year or two we will be hard-pressed to even find a CRT of any quality for sale.

[roognation]

If you are _serious_ about picture quality, then you need to evaluate CRT technology.  It has not slowed down, I assure you. Case in point: Sony super fine pitch CRT tubes.  One such model at $ 2000.00 US is no cheapie: KV30XBR910 (if you can handle the Trinitron stabilizing wires!).  I saw a demonstration of this at a tradeshow last year and was very impressed (I have worked for Walt Disney Imagineering as a Principal Imaging Engineer, so I guess I am qualified to speak on image quality).  Remember that all the convergent technologies involved with imaging (CRT, film, and video) have all been fine-tuned for the last 50 years or so.  Of considerable advantage over LCD: motion artifacts and color gamut.  And to a lesser degree is the viewing angle.

If you are interested in saving money and getting a large display, then LCD is a good choice.  Even the Viewsonic VP2290b 9.2 megapixel display looks great for computer-related viewing, but motion artifacts and color gamut are not where they need to be for video.  I am using a 1600x1200 LCD for my work display right now and it is great for computer related things.  I use a Silicon Graphics (Sony guts) CRT for video display (AIW card good, AIW user interface BAD).

LCD will eventually give way to OLED.  This technology is much more promising, check out what Sony is doing: http://optics.org/articles/news/9/5/23/1

my $ 0.02

[DocLotus]

I agree that Organic LED displays are the coming thing.

I have been following their development for the last year...

  * No visible pixels.

  * No visible scan lines.

  * Looks like you are looking out of a big picture window.

  * Does not require any backlighting.

  * Produces its own light.

  * Very bright under any lighting condition even bright sunlight.

  * Runs very cool.

  * Consumes little power... great for any battery powered device such as cell phones & cameras.

I can hardly wait for them to make it to the mainstream.  I'm hoping that when I am ready to do my next major computer upgrade in late 2005 or early 2006 that they will be available as large (30 inch) wide-screen monitors.