| In my last article I wrote how there's never | | | | 480p output over the component cables that I |
| been a better time to buy a high definition | | | | connected to the Samsung. Most DVD players |
| (HD) television, and I had just preordered | | | | sold in the last three years can output a |
| the Samsung HLS-5087W 50 inch rear projection | | | | progressive signal (the "p" in 480p) over |
| DLP unit. The Samsung was delivered last | | | | component cables instead of the normal |
| Thursday and here's a summary of my initial | | | | interlaced picture transmitted on composite |
| reaction.First let me give some background on | | | | and S-video connections. 480p is a big |
| preparing for the new HD television. I'm a | | | | visible improvement over 480i and you'll want |
| satellite TV subscriber and needed to upgrade | | | | to make sure you are watching all of you DVDs |
| my DirecTV hardware to be HD-compatible. So | | | | on a HD television using 480p.I chose Shrek |
| last month I logged on to and ordered the HD | | | | as the first DVD to showcase on the Samsung. |
| upgrade package. For $200 DirecTV came out | | | | Dreamworks did an amazing job with the |
| and replaced my old satellite dish with a new | | | | animation quality of Shrek and thought the |
| 5-LNB oval HD dish. The HD package included | | | | DVD would be a good test of the picture |
| the lease of DirecTV's new H20 HD receiver, | | | | quality of a standard definition DVD on a HD |
| and also included installing a new UHF | | | | television. So how did it look? One word |
| antenna on my roof to receive other-the-air | | | | sums it up - amazing! I don't expect I'll be |
| (OTA) HD local broadcasts. The new dish and | | | | going out to the movies much any more - I'll |
| receiver were required for HD reception since | | | | just wait for the DVD to come out.On Saturday |
| DirecTV is transmitting local HD broadcasts | | | | night I watched a broadcast of Steve Winwood |
| in the new MPEG-4 compression format instead | | | | in HD and Dolby Digital 5.1 on KQED, the |
| of the older MPEG-2 standard. Since HD | | | | local PBS affiliate. Being a huge Steve |
| material requires much more bandwidth than | | | | Winwood fan, and having seen Winwood on this |
| standard definition video, satellite and | | | | tour at a local venue in 2005, I was eager to |
| cable providers will be migrating to the new | | | | see what kind of audio/video experience the |
| MPEG-4 standard over time and DirecTV is | | | | new HD unit could deliver via a local, OTA HD |
| leading the way for now.I was now all set to | | | | broadcast. Once again, I was just stunned by |
| receive HD programming as soon as Samsung | | | | the picture quality and quickly went to |
| HLS-5087W arrived with one exception - an | | | | KQED's web site to see what future Soundstage |
| HDMI cable to output the digital video/audio | | | | broadcasts are scheduled. I'm now eagerly |
| signal from the H20 to the Samsung. I'm a | | | | awaiting Garbage's performance premiering |
| big believer in investing in high quality | | | | next month.There was one more thing left to |
| cables for analog connections between audio | | | | do though before I could experience the |
| video components. But HDMI is a digital | | | | maximum picture quality from the new Samsung |
| interface that transmits a stream of 0's and | | | | - I needed to calibrate the picture for |
| 1's. So either it works or it doesn't. I | | | | maximum video quality. Virtually all |
| therefore bought a $20 HDMI cable on the Web | | | | televisions sold today ship from the factory |
| instead of investing $90 or more for a | | | | with video settings that are far from |
| Monster cable that I thought would yield | | | | optimal. Colors are typically oversaturated, |
| exactly the same audio and video quality. | | | | with too warm a tone, and sharpness, |
| One great thing about HDMI is that it carries | | | | brightness and contrast controls that are far |
| both video and audio signals (in | | | | from optimal as well. So I dug out my copy |
| uncompressed, digital form) so you can easily | | | | of "Video Essentials: Optimizing Your Audio |
| reduce the cable clutter behind your home | | | | Video System" DVD and spent a half hour |
| theater system.Now everything was all set - I | | | | adjusting the color, brightness, contrast and |
| just needed the new Samsung to be delivered. | | | | sharpness controls. The HLS-5087W has |
| I ordered the television from Crutchfield, | | | | numeric display of each of these settings, |
| which has a great reputation for customer | | | | which is a nice touch for those of us who go |
| service, is an authorized Samsung online | | | | through the trouble of tweaking every setting |
| retailer, and offered the television with no | | | | possible for maximum picture quality. It was |
| tax or shipping charges. The delivery guys | | | | hard to believe that I could improve upon the |
| brought the television into my living room, | | | | quality of the Samsung's picture out of the |
| took it out of the box and placed it on my | | | | box, but fine-tuning the picture settings |
| home theater stand. I connected the power | | | | resulted in a much more "film-like" |
| cable, connected the HDMI cable form the H20 | | | | appearance of movies from both my DVD player |
| to the Samsung, turned on the power, modified | | | | and H20 receiver.I'm looking forward to |
| the TV display type on the H20 from 4:3 to | | | | watching the season premiere of HBO's |
| 16:9 and amazingly the new television just | | | | Entourage series in full HD glory tonight. |
| worked, right out of the box!I was quickly in | | | | It's also going to be difficult holding off |
| HD nirvana - watching local broadcasts in | | | | purchasing a HD DVD source with HD-DVD and |
| full 1080i and Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as | | | | Blu-ray players and titles now starting to |
| premium services such as HBOHD and the | | | | appear. But we'll talk about that in our |
| various HD channels that are part of | | | | next posting on Tech Talk.James Ambras is a |
| DirecTV's HD package. But how would the 150 | | | | consumer technology enthusiast of the highest |
| DVDs I own (most of which I trade via | | | | degree, and his 'Tech Talk' series appears |
| Peerflix) look on the new HD Samsung? I | | | | each month at Jim's day job is as the VP of |
| first had to bring up the menu on my | | | | Engineering for Peerflix, the leading online |
| Panasonic DVD recorder/player and activate | | | | destination to trade DVDs. |