HDTV experts

It depends what kind of signal you are watching. Are you watching analog cable? Or is it digital? Or are you using an HD tuner?  For starters, the TV is only going to look as good as your signal.  

Yeah you need to get an HD package with your cable company, so that you can get access to HD channels. Then you will see the light of HDTV

We have a comcast digital cable box...

So we just have to subscribe to HD channels?

Most standard singnals (480i) will look bad on a hdtv. You are stretching 480 interlaced vertical pixels onto a screen designed for double or triple that amount of native pixels. DVD's will look better, most dvd players are at least 480p (progressive) and most upconvert to 1080i these days. Not as good as a native hd source (blu-ray, hd-dvd) but decently close. Some hdtv's do however do a better job of displaying sdtv signals than others. My advise, don';t pick a hdtv based on how it displays standard content. When you get a hdtv you need to get hd content. Your dad is going to have to get hd satellite or digital cable if he wants to take advantage of his hdtv. Ditch the standard signals.

Exactly.  The TV probably isnt worth it unless you're willing to upgrade to HD channels.  And yea DVDs will look good but it would be a good idea to get either and upconverting DVD player (you can get a good one now that will upconvert standard DVDs to 720p for around $100) or a true HD player (either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD).

Alright, thanks dudes, that clarifies some things.

and my dad got a blu-ray player, but i think a ps3 wouldve been sicker

Oh yea a PS3 would have been way sicker.  When you were talking about HDMI before--thats what you should use with the Blu-Ray player.  That will give you the best picture.

Right-o

You won't leave your couch for so long. That is unless you hate watching any sport or hate watching movies. Watching sports in HD is so much better for some reason to me. I went home for thanksgiving and I seriously sat around all day and watch football on my parents sony HDTV and I never became bored.

Another thing to note, you said you still needed the HDMI cables, when you get those, don't let the salesperson con you into thinking you need the best, most expensive Monster cables or whatever brand they are pushing. HDMI cables, as well as all digital cables work different than analog cables. As long as there is a straight and clear path with a digital cable, it doesn't matter if there is 2 coils spooled together or 200 coils spooled together, you won't lose any signal strength and it will be just as clear. With analog cables that they used to use, it did matter, the signal was different and the thinner gauge the wires the worse the quality would be (similar to speaker wire). Basically, you can buy cheap HDMI cables or the $200 HDMI cables and you'll get pretty much the same picture, don't let them trick you into buying the most expensive stuff that will be of the same quality as a $40 pair of cables.

you have to get comcast to give you and HD digital cable box which you then hook up with an HD cable.  It will also depend on which resolution you have.  for exaple if ur tv it 1080i it is going to be better than a 720p HD TV.  There are different levels of HD but like the other kid said, your picture will only be as good as the signal.

Good shit dudes... lots of stuff I didn't know, I emailed my dad so I should be watchin some dope football games in HD over christmas break

My dad ended gettin a HDMI cable for like $5 off ebay

You should aslo note that almost 100% of HDTV signals are in 720p. There are no native 1080p signals (yet) over HDTV (too much bandwidth). Your only bet for full 1080p is blu-ray or hddvd

Actually 720p is a higher definition than 1080i. And yes, HD cable or satellite channels are 720p, not 1080p, which is "full HD".  However, though there is a difference between 720p and 1080p, the 720p HD channels will still look unbelievable compared to SDTV channels.