27" HDTV Questions Help Help Help

[Hershon2000]

I'm new to the world of HDTV. I just bought a great Mitsubishi 48" HD Ready TV (WS-48315) and get my TV broadcasts from Time Warner in LA via a digital HD receiver/DVR that I'm very happy with. The HD channels look fantastic, the non HD broadcasts on non HD channels (F/X, Spike TV etc.) aren't that great and the WB and UPN (I'm white and have no interest in watching that channel except for Star TreK Enterprise) are not given HD channels for HD broadcasts which is a bit odd to me.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm interested in getting a 27" HD ready TV to replace the 27" stereo Sony TV I have in my bedroom. The Sony is 15 years old but still gets a great (digital cable) picture. My question is this, Circuit City is now advertising a 27" Samsung HD Ready TV for only $450 that supposidly retails for $1,000. The TV however is not Widescreen, it is 4:3 format but there is a 16:9 HD picture mode for the TV. Should I definately not get this TV because it is not widescreen. For a full HD broadcast on this TV will there be bars in the screen because it is not widescreen? Will my non HD broadcasts come out better on this TV because it is not widescreen than my widescreen HDTV? Also, should I only buy an HDTV if it is a name brand? A company named Phillips puts out fairly inexpensive HD ready TV's. Should that brand be avoided? Appreciate any help/advice.

[David Meek]

Hi Phil, welcome to The Guide. :welcome:

Yes, on a 4:3 screen there will be bars above and below the 16:9 presentation unless you use a mode that expands the image to fill the screen (like Zoom or some such), and IMO what's the point of that? I'd buy a 16:9 screen and deal with the bars on the sides when viewing 4:3 material.

I can't say whether the non-HD will look better or not on that set, but all the standard resolution broadcasts I've seen on HD-quality displays just simply suck - period. The additional resolution merely helps to point out just how bad NTSC really is. 'Course I'm a "true believer".

Phillips is a fairly large player in the electronics market. Much of their stuff is re-badged by other companies, so I wouldn't let that put you off.

[Hershon2000]

Thanks David Meek

Thanks for the info. I didn't realise till I read a post on this board that 16:9 is scheduled to be the official Tv broadcast standard in a few years and therefore I'd be nuts to not by a widescreen HDTV. I just wish standard broadcasts as you confirm suck on HDTV.

[sikoniko]

I have a 30in 16x9 samsung hdtv and it is awesome IMHO. keep in mind though that any hdtv you buy at this time is not future proof. cable cards, 1080p and hdmi is the future, for now...