With the prices of HD TVs taking a tumble, the switchover from conventional CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV to HD flat panel TVs is on in full swing.
The surge in HD TV sales has ushered in a demand for HD video products —the sale of HD set-top boxes and HD DVD players is gaining momentum.
But in this battle of HD products, it's the Blu-Ray DVD players that are reigning supreme. At present the pricing of the Blu-Ray player is really low and the price difference between a normal branded DVD player and a state of the art Blu-Ray player has narrowed down considerably.
The price of a high-end normal DVD player ranges from Rs 3,000-4,000, whereas a branded Blu-Ray DVD player with features like HDMI out, 1080p resolution and real classy slim looks comes in the range of `5,00-7,000. If you own an HD TV then you need to compliment it with a Blu-Ray DVD player to experience a super sharp HD movie viewing.
Well, that was about the Blu-Ray, but what has really caught people's attention is the HD DTH set-top box. It would be a real waste of your flat-panel HD TV if you are using a cable connection or a normal set-top box. And with the prices of HD boxes at an all time low, now, is the right time to go in for a HD DTH box or a DTH HD personal video recorder (PVR).
A PVR not only allows you to skip most advertisements, but also lets you record your favourite TV programmes. Thse PVRs also allows you to schedule the recording of your favourite shows in advance, so that you can catch them later on.
Most service providers are packaging in HD channels at an attractive price, but our advice is to be careful with what you subscribe to, because as we have discussed in the past, most of them are scaled up HD and not true HD.
HD is catching up fast, and our suggestion is that your first HD box should be a PVR since the price difference between a normal HD and PVR box is marginal and the subscription rate for HD programmes with a PVR is the same as that of a normal HD box. For the add-on boxes you could go in or a normal HD box.