HD Ready TV - What does it mean?

[audi321]

I am thinking about getting Sky HD but my TV is only HD Ready.

What exactly does this mean? Am I going to see huge benefits over the normal sky or am I wasting my money?

Thanks

[buggalugs]

It means that the telly can display HD, but you need to supply your own HD source - i.e. Sky HD

[audi321]

buggalugs said:

It means that the telly can display HD, but you need to supply your own HD source - i.e. Sky HD

Oh, I thought it had something to do with the quality.

[PJ S]

HD Ready means the TV is generally comprised of 1366x678 pixels - some are 1024x720, and 1024x768 due to non-square pixels used.
Anyway, most of those older TV's could only accept both of the broadcast HD resolutions - 720p and 1080i.
Nowadays, there's only a few HD ready TV's made above 32" - the bulk favouring the Full HD native resolution of 1920x1080, and accepting a 1080p signal from your Blu-Ray (and now defunct HD-DVD) discs.

So if you buy an HD Ready one, say like the Panasonic 42" X20, then you have the lower HD resolution, but it'll still take a 1080p signal, and down-convert it to fit the pixel count.
If you sit beyond 5' from your TV's location (or slightly further as size of TV increases) then you are unlikely to notice the extra detail a BR movie offers.
Other things like higher contrast ratio (blacks looking like blacks), and certain features not found on the HD Ready version may still be worth having, even if you won't benefit from the increased resolution.
So don't rule out say the likes of a Panasonic 42" G20 because it has more resolution capability, the other features will still make "ordinary" HD (and SD - broadcast & DVD) look better than the same material on the HD Ready model.

[audi321]

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

[Plotloss]

SkyHD outputs a HD Ready signal, not a 1080p signal

[Tiggsy]

audi321 said:

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

37"....i wouldnt bother unless your nose touches it when viewing!

Mine is 50" full HD and i had to change the whole room layout to get the TV 10feet from the screen to make it worthwhile.

[PJ S]

audi321 said:

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

Then it'll happily display the HD content Sky broadcasts - use the 720p output setting on the Sky box.
It's not going to the best HD TV you could've bought, but if you don't have the spare £500 to splurge on say the Panny 37X20, then you'll still see the benefit of HD if you're sat 8-10' from it. Any further than that, and it's arguable that you'd see the extra detail HD brings.

[Don]

PJ S said:

audi321 said:

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

Then it'll happily display the HD content Sky broadcasts - use the 720p output setting on the Sky box.
It's not going to the best HD TV you could've bought, but if you don't have the spare £500 to splurge on say the Panny 37X20, then you'll still see the benefit of HD if you're sat 8-10' from it. Any further than that, and it's arguable that you'd see the extra detail HD brings.

Personally I think the distance range that benefits from HD is larger than that.

But HD is wonderful at 12ft on my 50" Plasma...

[Plotloss]

Don said:

PJ S said:

audi321 said:

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

Then it'll happily display the HD content Sky broadcasts - use the 720p output setting on the Sky box.
It's not going to the best HD TV you could've bought, but if you don't have the spare £500 to splurge on say the Panny 37X20, then you'll still see the benefit of HD if you're sat 8-10' from it. Any further than that, and it's arguable that you'd see the extra detail HD brings.

Personally I think the distance range that benefits from HD is larger than that.

But HD is wonderful at 12ft on my 50" Plasma...

12ft from a 50" set means you're in the zone to notice the benefit of 720p, its fully resolved at a bit under 10ft

To get the best from 1080p however you would need to be at 6.5ft

[Don]

Plotloss said:

12ft from a 50" set means you're in the zone to notice the benefit of 720p, its fully resolved at a bit under 10ft

To get the best from 1080p however you would need to be at 6.5ft

I'll let you know if I can see it when I upgrade in a few years. Mine's a 720p TV and the feed is Sky HD.

One if the biggest benefits of HD, detectable from MUCH further away, is that they use decent cameras. So even an SD broadcast looks better! And you get that without a HD feed/tv.

[//j17]

The "HD Ready" (and related "HD Ready 1080P") logo means the TV meets a series of technical specifications as laid down by the EICTA, a European association of consumer electronics companies).

In brief an "HD Ready" TV is capable of displaying a 720i, 720p and 1080i HD image. It must also have either an HDMI or DVI-D connector that supports HDCP copy protection and component inputs that don't.

An "HD Ready 1080P" TV must do/have all of the above and also display a 1080p image.

Just because a TV doesn't have the "HD Ready" sticker doesn't mean it isn't capable of displaying a HD image, it just doesn't tick all the boxes (my trusty Pioneer 433MXE ticks every box for "HD Ready" but doesn't support HDCP, so doesn't get the sticker).

[Tiggsy]

Plotloss said:

Don said:

PJ S said:

audi321 said:

I already have the TV, it's a Hannspree 37 inch and it's about 3 years old.

Do I get Sky HD or is it not worth it unless you have a Full HD TV?

Then it'll happily display the HD content Sky broadcasts - use the 720p output setting on the Sky box.
It's not going to the best HD TV you could've bought, but if you don't have the spare £500 to splurge on say the Panny 37X20, then you'll still see the benefit of HD if you're sat 8-10' from it. Any further than that, and it's arguable that you'd see the extra detail HD brings.

Personally I think the distance range that benefits from HD is larger than that.

But HD is wonderful at 12ft on my 50" Plasma...

12ft from a 50" set means you're in the zone to notice the benefit of 720p, its fully resolved at a bit under 10ft

To get the best from 1080p however you would need to be at 6.5ft

Agree - we watch TV/films at 10 feet on the sofa but play Xbox at 6ft on game chairs.....works good on a 50" full HD panny plasma

[Mercer89]

buggalugs said:

It means that the telly can display HD, but you need to supply your own HD source - i.e. Sky HD

This is just wrong. People above have it right!

[Mercer89]

buggalugs said:

It means that the telly can display HD, but you need to supply your own HD source - i.e. Sky HD

This is just wrong. People above have it right!

[stuart-b]

Make sure your TV supports the later HD 1080p, they aren't much more expensive.

Just picked up a bargin from Dixons online, 32" LCD LG, 1080p - £252 excl. VAT. Cheapest I can see is £350-£400 online, and nearly £500 in some shops!

It look me a while to find one with the latest specification.

[Hedders]

Michael Mcintyre? On HD ready.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LEu-LL8NUA

[buggalugs]

Mercer89 said:

buggalugs said:

It means that the telly can display HD, but you need to supply your own HD source - i.e. Sky HD

This is just wrong. People above have it right!

Not really, HD ready means it's at least 720p, which is HD, but you need a HD source.. don't see that that's "just wrong"

[.Mark]

Finding this interesting as will be in a similar boat in a couple of months time. I understand there is an optimum distance one should sit from varying size screens to get the best benefit. I have seen a table detailing it somewhere but can't find it now.

Looking at 42", guy in the Panasonic shop says 42" and over plasma is best. Any thoughts? Also anyone know the optimum distances I mentioned earlier?

[Ultuous]

chart here...