some of my favorite television shows are back on the air. Only this time, my setup is different.
I used to have TiVo w/ DirecTV. Then I moved and got DirecTV HD for my new 720p set. It looks great, but now i'm in sort of a pickle.
I'm without DVR now. I know I can get it, but the money is an issue ($200+ receiver plus $10/month). I find it hard and annoying to watch a show on a schedule. In fact, I don't mind waiting for television season DVD sets to come out.
My questions are...
1) In choosing to forego the DVR, would waiting for the DVD to come out be a bad idea since the picture is (theoretically) better over television? What are people's comparisons with DVD vs. 720p television feeds? Is the difference, if any, enough to warrant getting a DVR?
2) Regarding the season DVDs. It is likely that BluRay/HDDVD will be available in the future for television seasons. ON A 720p SET, is there significant justification for going Blu/HD over a standard Prog-Scan DVD player? I've seen comparisons between 1080p and DVD (presumably 480p), but not 720p v. 480p. I realize that TELEVISION looks much better in 720p than 480p, but DVDs, IMO, have a superior image quality than 480p tv broadcasts.
I eventually plan on getting Blu/HD, but not for a few years when my 720p set dies and I replace it w/ 1080p (not to mention price will plummet). In the meantime, I'm just trying to figure out whether I should make an effort to watch the HDTV broadcasts, even if it means ponying up for DVR, or whether I'm ok waiting for the DVDs - and if so, which kind, regular or HD/Blu for my 720p set.
You can get a DVD recorder with upconversion, or just a DVD recorder and an upconverting player. My DVDs that I record from a c-band satellite and play in a regular player on a TV that upconverts look amazing. I've seen many retail DVDs that don't look as good as my recordings do. There are only a few recorders that will record widescreen though. I have a Toshiba that does. I don't know if all the Toshibas do. I have the Toshiba KX-50, picked it up on ebay for less than $40, it upconverts and records widescreen. I haven't tried the upconversion yet, but I've got an HDMI cable on the way, so I will soon.