Susan C. Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I am thinking about downsizing cable to a basic plan. It looks like we can get the other things we watch on Hulu. But, we still have a picture tube TV. I was thinking we could finally get a flat screen, ditch or downsize the cable, and use Hulu and Netflix. The thing that has been keeping us from a flat screen is that we have to pay even more to the cable company for HD channels. So, is Hulu and Netflix HD? Or will it all look yucky like regular programming looks on a HD tv that doesn't have HD service? We live in a small town with one cable company, and no local tv stations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthyfamily Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well we watch both Netfilx and Hulu on both of our TV's...one is an old tube TV and one is a newer HD flatscreen. There's no difference in my opinion. We enjoy it the same on both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well the one cable company has us with a 10mbps internet connection, and others that upgrade complain that their connections are not any faster..... so we are still dependent on the one cable company that has a monopoly.... Would it help if we got Apple TV, or would the slow connection mess it all up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well the one cable company has us with a 10mbps internet connection, and others that upgrade complain that their connections are not any faster..... so we are still dependent on the one cable company that has a monopoly.... Would it help if we got Apple TV, or would the slow connection mess it all up? 10mbps is not slow by any means. Were able to steam 2 netflix movies at the same time on just 3mb. We will be lucky to get 1mb where we are moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 I am thinking about downsizing cable to a basic plan. It looks like we can get the other things we watch on Hulu. But, we still have a picture tube TV. I was thinking we could finally get a flat screen, ditch or downsize the cable, and use Hulu and Netflix. The thing that has been keeping us from a flat screen is that we have to pay even more to the cable company for HD channels. So, is Hulu and Netflix HD? Or will it all look yucky like regular programming looks on a HD tv that doesn't have HD service? We live in a small town with one cable company, and no local tv stations. A good deal the content on Hulu is "modern" and originates on HD and streamed in HD. I'm not sure what the compression scheme is, but it is not full bandwidth HD. Still, it looks pretty good. The "legacy" TV programming is in standard definition. How you will like this content will depend on a variey of factors including how picky you are and what sort of HD set you get. Most cable companies squash the standard definition signals they send out so they look horrible on HD sets. I'm pretty picky and have been relatively happy with the SD content from Hulu. IMO the cathode-ray tube technology of your old "picture tube" sets is in many ways better than current flat screens, particularly the way they handle motion vs LED/LCD screens (which make my brain and eyes bleed). I resisted getting a flat screen when we had an old but high quality Sony XBR Trinitron set. But when it went out I found an outstanding "plasma" set by Panasonic (the ST50 series) that does an outstanding job of rendering motion and can be calibrated to give a very natural color profile. I have been pretty happy with the Hulu signal. It is not "Blu-ray quality" but better than a bad cable SD signal. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well the one cable company has us with a 10mbps internet connection, and others that upgrade complain that their connections are not any faster..... so we are still dependent on the one cable company that has a monopoly.... Would it help if we got Apple TV, or would the slow connection mess it all up? If you have 10 bps you should be able to stream HD on Hulu just fine. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Yes, it can be. If you have an HD tv and it depends on your wifi connection. If it's not getting a good enough signal, it will downgrade the resolution. We got an internet-ready led/lcd and love it! They come with apps like your phone for easy access to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon on Demand, Vudu, and tons more. It doesn't get hot, which is a big deal in this house. When we first got it, we couldn't believe the difference in HD from our old HD plasma. I thought tv shows were filming with a new camera, it.was.so.clear. Some people don't like it because it is so clear, they think it almost looks fake. Count be among those who do not like the artificially saturated and overly bright look of LED/LCD. It think that puts me in a "minority" position, but I've worked in broadcast television for 30+ years and know what pictures are supposed to look like. Grass ought not be fluorescent green—but many people like that look. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 Well we watch both Netfilx and Hulu on both of our TV's...one is an old tube TV and one is a newer HD flatscreen. There's no difference in my opinion. We enjoy it the same on both. How do you hook up Netflix and Hulu to the tube tv? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 (and where did my other message go...) We had a lightning strike last year that took out one of the tube tv's, and fried the cable port to the other (a Sony). It is now rigged through the front, complete with a fishing weight, so we are on borrowed time. I like the tube tv's better, and most of the flat screens make me motion sick. I've also heard that different shades of black all come off as one big blob of black, which isn't good for night scenes (is that true?). Is there plasma without that glossy very reflective screen (we watch equally day and night)? Our budget is not very high, and a lot of the plasmas are around $500, but I don't know if they match the one that Bill likes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 How do you hook up Netflix and Hulu to the tube tv? With a Roku or a Wii:) If you can hook up a VCR to it you can use it to hook up a streaming device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 (and where did my other message go...) We had a lightning strike last year that took out one of the tube tv's, and fried the cable port to the other (a Sony). It is now rigged through the front, complete with a fishing weight, so we are on borrowed time. I like the tube tv's better, and most of the flat screens make me motion sick. I've also heard that different shades of black all come off as one big blob of black, which isn't good for night scenes (is that true?). Is there plasma without that glossy very reflective screen (we watch equally day and night)? Our budget is not very high, and a lot of the plasmas are around $500, but I don't know if they match the one that Bill likes. Plasmas have much richer blacks with better gray scale and also do a much better job with motion. Like you, LED/LCD sets give me motion-sickness. I can not stand them. I think you are a "plasma girl." The plasmas do not have the same intense brightness of LED/LCDs. Ours in in a bright room during daytime hours (but with no direct light on the screen). I use a different set up for day and night. In a room with direct bright light hitting the screen the plasma might be a problem as they do not put out as many foot-candles as LED/LCDs. But in terms of picture quality there is no contest for my taste. It is hard to judge in stores. All the sets get "goosed" into VIVID mode (maximum brightness, maximum contrast, and intense color saturation). In this environment the "eye" goes to the brightest set (often a Samsung) and one thinks that is "best." But a well set-up plasma can't be beat if you naturalistic color rendition, a lack of motion artifacting, deep blacks with good gray-scale, and a cinematic look. Some folks like day-glow, and don't notice the motion weirdness of LED/LCD sets, but I can tell you are not one of those people. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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