Lol now that has really ruined the rest of my life i can never be happy again!

"That is called an EDTV. There has never been an SDTV plasma"

The store guy said SDTV so i jut assumed SDTV, if only i had the know how of the people replying to this thread i'd have a better system...

and a better life!

My was life was ruined way before i opted not to buy an LG.

Well, EDTV is generally better than SDTV. It basically means a 480p TV. SD is 480i. Store guys tend to not know much.

It might look a tad bit better because the source is still HD, it's just downconverting the signal to 480p. Almost how Terminator 2, one of the versions was mastered in 1080p (the fact that it mas mastered in HD was displayed on the DVD CASE and they claimed the picture looked better), just downscaled to 480p for DVD.

I think you're a little confused. The "T2: Extreme DVD" has, as an extra on the second disc, "T2" in high definition, but it was playable only on a PC with Windows Media player and at least a 3 GHz processor. It wasn't playable on a standard DVD player, but when played on a PC it really was high-def. The first disc of the set was a standard DVD, but like a lot of DVDs from the last few years, the DVD was made from a downconverted high definition master.

As far as the OP's original question, I don't see any pluses in you buying into one of the HD formats right now. Your TV is 480p, which you can get from a standard DVD player. If you jump now, you won't really see a benefit, so you may as well wait for the format war to shake out a bit and prices to come down. In the meantime, start squirreling away some money for an HD plasma. By the time you buy one, HD-DVD and Blu-ray players will be a lot cheaper.

Thing is that my plasma is on the wall of my bedroom, its easy to take down and put a new plasma up but i dont think i'd want to...

That's what I said.

Why?

Post that TV on craigslist FAST before the uninformed become informed and you can never sell it.

You can get a 42" Panny Plasma for around $1100 right now.

I think some people may be overlooking the OP location. Prices from what I have heard & noticed posted in Australia are quite abit different than they are here in the States right now.

doh! didnt even look at that!

I had an EDTV plasma up until a few months ago. You would notice a difference with HD-DVD just as you can tell the difference between HD and SD on your plasma. But I tend to agree with some of the others and try to save for a new TV first. One, you would be getting an improvement with HD-DVD, but not the full effect. Two, you're gambling on a format that may not succeed and not getting the most out of it (and that goes for Blu-Ray too). By the time you get a new TV one of the formats may not have survived. So, if possible, get the TV first and then the player. If you just can't wait, at least you'll be getting some improvement in PQ, just not as much as with a true HD TV.

There is a much bigger difference between SDTV channels and HDTV than there is between DVD and HDTV. There really is no point to over-spending on 1st/2nd gen HD players when you don't have an HDTV. HD discs will not be enough better than DVD to matter, plus there really aren't that many HD movies, yet.

By the time you get an HDTV, the players will be cheaper and higher quality. Maybe they'll even offer all the features that HDDVD and BD are supposed to offer. (I know, crazy talk)

That is very true my TV cost me $2300 so a quality modelled HDTV would cost $2500-$3000, i can pay using GE and have one year to pay it off but at the moment i've started paying off a Laptop so im saving money to pay that off so a new TV purchase will have to be put off for a while...

I've got a follow up question: In Australia we get a sporting season on a free to air channel which is shot in pure HD (as they call it) and i bought a standard dvd of the same sport which is also in HD, and on my tv which we've figured is an EDTV, it looks like its HD, is it possible that if i connect a BLuRay player to my tv it would look like its HD? Or are edtv, standard dvd and BluRay dvd different?

DVD: 480i
EDTV: 480p
BD: 1080p
Your free to air HD: I don't know, 1080i maybe

A standard DVD of your sport is not in HD, it can only be 480i, although it could have come from an HD master, which marketing people like to confuse consumers with.

The better the source, the better it will look on your EDTV. But a 1080 BD won't look a whole lot better than a perfect DVD (of course, name a perfect DVD), since they will both be played at 480.

Being another Aussie here .........and your first question was ' worth your while to get a HD-DVD player' .... I would be saying a DEFINITE 'NO' !!!! (NO for being in Australia that is !!!!).

Secondly - you mention using GE - can I suggest another BIG DEFINITE 'NO' on that as well (GE being GE money !!). Don't get into debt with this mob (or their high interest rates !!!!!!) for just keeping up with the 'in' crowd. Getting in debt for a huge TV is not the way to go. IMO if you are 'paying off' a laptop - then a HD DVD player OR TV shouldn't be on your radar for another few years !!!!!!!


The HiDef 'war' in Australia is FAR from clear - with both Blu-ray and HD 'failing' in the current market place (OR really - it hasnt started). If you want to pay 2-3 times the price for a HiDef title (as compared to SD), then by all means, go ahead. (Don't let anyone else tell you that these HiDef players are 'taking off' down under - they aren't moving off anyone's shelves. Few B&M stores stock the HiDef DVDs - and many may be moving them close to any remaining UMD discs soon !!!)


1080P TVs are only hitting our Aussie market now - at quite high prices. There has been a great deal of people whom have bought SD and HD 'ready' LCDs and Plasmas over the past few years - now appreciating that their purchases of these may be showing 'less of a picture' as compared to latest models. You wont find a FULL HD TV anywhere near the $2500-3000 mark - more around the high $4000 up to $9000 marks. There are only a few FULL HD players in our market - being SONY and SAMSUNG. Wait til next year or beyond before venturing into these products (maybe at that stage the HD DVD 'war' may have settled').


On another note - LG have started selling a combine Blu-ray/ HD player here (advertising in one B&M store).... for $ 1899 !!!! LG dont have a hope in the world of seeing any of these in this market !!


Me - I'm waiting : a HiDef player with a HDD and the ability to make your own discs - whenever they get around to these ! I don't want any thing that just plays a 'disc' only !!