My Lamma Forums

[Lamma-Gung]

Lamma-Por has just informed me that KennyL just posted in our Chinese forum about being able to receive high-definition TV on Lamma right now. So they've installed the high-def TV broadcasting station for South HK Island now, on top of Ling Kok Shan, behind Sok Kwu Wan.

KennyL is using the Draco HDMB2133 set top box, but probably any standard HD box will do, some are even built into new LCD panel. These boxes are pretty cheap, below $1,000, but you need a new digital rooftop antennae, plus a high-def-capable screen, usually a "HD Ready" LCD panels. They're still pricey (around $10K for 37"). "Full HD" LCD panels which you need to also enjoy the even higher-def DVDs ("Blu-ray" is the winning DVD format now, forget "HD" format) are even up to 50% more expensive for the same screen size.

Having staid overnight in town recently in a relatives' flat with high-def TV, I have to admit it looks impressive and you get spoiled quickly by the so much better resolution and sharpness of the image. Regular, old, analogue TV, still much of the programming even on the 4 terrestrial high-def channels (ATV, TVB), looks really blurry in comparison, especially when switching mid-program from high-def to normal def and back.

But the currently available programming isn't really worth the effort of upgrading yet, especially not for non-Chinese speakers who can only get standard TVB Pearl and ATV Home now, I believe. And watching the Philippine satellite with its really low resolution and picture quality, even lower than our old terrestrial TV channels, would look really scrappy on a large high-def LCD panel...

Other high-def TV options, like NOW Broadband TV's and Cable TV's high-def channels are not available on Lamma and won't be anytime soon, probably not for years to come...

I'll keep my ancient 3rd-hand CRT TV for a while longer, till the "Full HD" LCD panels drop a LOT more in price over the next 1-2 years. By then, the Blu-ray DVD players will also become more reasonably priced (except the great-value Blu-ray-capable Sony Playstation 3), the DVD players are still $4,000+. Blu-ray DVDs can also be rented online now, mail delivery to Lamma, avoiding the still astronomical prices of buying them ($250+ for new release movies).

But for me personally, nothing beats the picture and sound quality and immersive experience of watching a digital, extreme-high-def movie on the gigantic IMAX screen in the Megabox shopping mall in Kowloon Bay. But the huge crowds and ultra-long queues to get to Megabox and back by public transport might be too much for crowd-averse Lammaites...

[nobby]

You can turn that PS3 into a media centre and home PC by upgrading the HD and installing Yellow Dog Linux. You can also buy a tv style remote.

Cheap and good solution the PS3 architecture has just set a world super computer record.

Windows out the window!!

[KennyL]

Hi I am KennyL I live in Pak kok.

I only use the UHF antene+UHF amplifer which already installed then I can receive the signal.

It will have 13 Channel. Now only 3 channel all Chinese

My TV box can have recording 7 days programmes

My friend in Southern district in HK (Chi Fu, Ap Li Chu) still can't receive HD

[Zippy]

According to the Gov website your existing antenna should be OK to receive digital if it is good condition

http://www.digitaltv.gov.hk/consumer/recept.htm

[Zippy]

Bought the $2000 Pixelmagic "MagicTV " decoder from Fortress. It's a bit more expensive than the others, but recommended on the local AV forums for being very stable and has good support website and frequent firmware upgrades. It also supports 1080P and external HDD recording . The menu system and Electronic Program Guide, recording etc are all very pleasant on the eye and easy to use too

Pearl, World, Jade and Home all working beautifully in Tai Peng where previously I could get black and white only with rubbish sound on most channels (I gave up even trying to watch local TV years ago when I got satellite). Using standard rooftop UHF antenna and the usual 2-box booster you can buy in the village.

[Tally Ho]

Thanks for the update Zippy - I was holding off getting the box until English ATV & TV started transmitting. Still, $2000 sounds a lot for the box, so might hold a bit longer. They start at around $350 in UK and for $1500 you can get ones with HDD recording built in (although they most likely wouldnt be compatable here). I read the price should down to a "few hundred dollars" here

[Zippy]

Fortress have a Teac model for $999, but I read very bad reviews about it on the local sites and it can't yet support recording (to an external HDD for example). I saw some Chinese brands in Sham Shui Po for $850, but no idea about English menu or reliability. You could get the "V Digi" for about $1300 or the "Eight" HD838 for about $1500, which are both generally recommended around town.

If you just want a basic box to make the picture of those 4 channels better, then probably anything with an English menu would be fine. I like to play with these things and get them to do all they can, so I went for the one I hope will be the most future-proof

[Alan]

[Zippy]

[Tally Ho]

In that case I guess Ill shell out for a decent one since I want to record to my HDD machine and get 1080 resolution. After spending nearly 13k on a new 40 inch lcd tv & recorder, it not worth saving 1k by getting a crappy box, esp. with the olympics coming up ( need HD to see the protests through the smog)

[Geno]

Do they offer anything other than local channels? Surely no one would pay thousands of dollars to watch that rubbish.

[Lamma-Gung]

[KennyL]

HD 838 or HdMB2133 is HK$1300 only

[Zippy]

Be careful buying HDTV Boxes from Sham Shui Po :

[Alan]

[Lamma-Gung]

Well, I bought my Ei8ht 838 box from Sham Shui Po and it doesn't look like any of these two boxes above.

Does that mean I got a counterfeit of a counterfeit?

[Zippy]

[Alan]

We've decide to upgrade to HDTV.

Can anyone recommend a shop or district to get a tuner?

Any local forums (in English) that discuss this?

[Lamma-Gung]

The electrical goods shop at Nick's Corner (part of Fok Ming property agency) might be selling these boxes as well, I think, but not sure. They'd probably also get them installed, tuned and configured which is not as simple as some people might think. Maybe a bit more expensive, but very convenient, especially if you're getting any problems with the equipment later on.

Some of the old rooftop TV antennas might also need to be upgraded to get good enough reception for the high-def TV signals.

[GM]

Having just managed to get a Hitachi HDTV at a very reasonable price, I'll be getting one of these set-top boxes shortly and will report back the results. Like Kenny I'm in Pak Kok. But, it seems there are still very few channels so I guess the box will be fairly redundant until more channels are available.

And, I wonder if there exists or are plans for pay-channels on OTA (over-the-air) HDTV such as you get with Now TV and Satellite, and how would that work i.e. how would your set-top box know what you'd paid for (USB stick or decoder card??)