$1250 - Switching to Digital TV is an expensive proposition

Cheapest products I could find:

MONITOR:
$750 widescreen LCD (only 720p, not the full 1080) (tuner)
-or- $750 widescreen CRT (1080i) (tuner included)

HD RECORDER:
$700 digital vhs (includes tuner)
$400 digital video recorder (HDTV = 18 hours) (no tuner)

ATSC TUNER:
$100 cheap sanyo product

.

GRAND TOTAL: Accumulating the cheapest options, I came up with:
$750 crt
$400 18-hour dvr
$100 tuner for the dvr
=========
$1250

Wow.

Expensive. If it was me, I think I'd spend the extra $200 to get that
digital vhs recorder... with the swapping of tapes, I would have
unlimited recording time, rather than just 18 hours. And I can build
up a new library of D-vhs tapes. (Source of prices was amazon and
sears.)

copeab...

Deke...

Buy the monitor, without the tuner.
get free tuner, (including OTA tuner, digital and analog and HD), free HD
DVR, plus the biggest selection of HD channels available. Requires outdoor
antenna for local digital/analog channels, (inaddition to 18" dish)
credit card, and 18 month commitment. You can also get a reciever that will

videonovels...

So how much would that be then?

$900 - $50 a month * 18 months
$750 monitor
===========
$1650 total

I think my original post #1 was cheaper. (Also, why would you buy a
720p monitor when you can get the 1080i crt for the same price & a
better picture?)

record two shows at once, and provide service for two TVs at once. Check it

Deke...

Matter of preference. I wouldnt have a LCD, OR a CRT TV. I'm watching a
60" JVC D-ILA Pro.
And you might want to check on whats available in true HD 1080p programming.

And what about the cost of the HD DVR? Free w/Dish Network. And exactly
what is there to watch, either SD digital, or HD in your area OTA? What
time do you watch?
Your original post was about how expensive it was to switch to digital, I
gave you an option that didnt require you to spend as much money initially.
If all you want is digital TV, then buy a CRT TV, with a digital tuner, and
a pair of rabbit ears. Thats way less than $1000.
LG DU27FB32C
Or a Toshiba 27DF46
And by the way, before you buy that digital VHS recorder, check on how much
tapes cost.

out!

kaydigi...

Wal-Mart has 30" Phillips HD ($526) and 30" Sanyo ($478) HD both with built
in ATSC tuners.

videonovels...

I don't see either of those on walmart.com. Are they widescreen?
.

The Phillips sets is also available refurbed on their website for $343. I
would stay away from them though because it looks like they aren't testing
them before they ship them..

Dish also has the 3 Tuner (2 Sats, 1 OTA) HD 622 DVR. They are suppose to
allow the transfer of HD shows off the DVR to a USB drive this fall. A beta
version of this software has been shown a few months ago.

Aren't we all going to be forced to go to HD in two years? In which
case the rush for people to still be able to watch TV should drive
prices *up*, not down.

Nancy2...

Don't sweat it - people in the industry think/know there will be all
kinds of work-around options available, and yes, the prices will come
down. I don't plan to change until I'm forced to.