Where are the standardized HDTVs reviews?

Since I’m on vacation (if you can count visiting family and working remotely as a vacation) I thought I’d look around the internet for reviews on HDTVs that fit my price range and my living room. Apparently, finding good HDTV reviews is not an easy task.

I like what Robert Heron puts together over at PC Magazine/DL.tv, but the PC Mag review site is such a pain to navigate. As far as I can tell there is no easy way to have it show you all of the 42 inch HDTVs that are under $2000. I can get the under $2000 or the 40” to 50” TV range, but not both. Also, the reviews don’t all cover standard set of information. Some of them use a 1 to 5 scale for different attributes and others just list if that attribute is good or not. Cnet’s review section has the same issues as PC Magazines. Over at the AFS Forums, the members will give you great advice, but it helps if you have a specific TV model in mind already.

What I would really like is a site that reviews HDTVs and lists out their features and specs in a chart that can be used to compare multiple TV models. I realize some of the things like picture quality are subjective, but if you have 2 or 3 people review the same TV and work together on the review then you should be able to get a decent idea of how the TV looks. Then, list out the review in a chart telling me how well each TV looks, what inputs is has, what other features it has, etc. Sure part of a TV’s quality it is based on my eyes and how it will look in my living room, but if a site would review HDTVs in a way that each TV is put on the same scale it would really help consumers find the one that is right for them. It would save me tons of time going to stores and looking at each TV. Then going home and looking up reviews for it online. Then repeating that process about 20 times until I find the one that fits my budget and looks the best.

If anyone knows of any really good HDTV review sites please let me know.

Where is the Quality HD-DVR and HD TV Content?

I’ve been thinking of getting an HDTV. I’m hoping after I pay some bills that I will be able to get one with my tax return this year (fingers crossed). Once I actually figure out which TV I want I have to figure out how I’m going to get HD content on my TV. My 360 is HD already so that will be cool. I’ll probably end up getting the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive for HD movies at some point.

That just leaves my HD TV content. This is where I have a real dilemma. I’m a TiVo addict. I just can’t watch TV without the ability to fast forward through commercials anymore. So, that gives me only a few options for my HD TV content. I could send like $800 bucks on a TiVo Series 3 that does HD. The cost is really, really high, but at least it is the TiVo interface I know and love.

I could go with a Windows Media Center system but it will probably not be much cheaper, and right now there are a very limited number of these that actually have CableCard support.

The problem with both of these options is that after buying the TiVo or Media Center box I still have to pay for digital cable. So not only is there a large up from cost there is also the monthly cable bill.

I could go with the HD-DVR from my cable company, Cox, for a few bucks a month. There would not be a large up front investment this way, but from what I hear their DVRs are not that great. They get the job done similar to how a Geo Metro will get you where you going; you get there but there is no style. Whereas, the TiVo Series 3 would be like a ride in a Camero; expensive but it runs beautifully. I’ve heard that Cox will be adding TiVo software to their DVRs, but I called and no one there actually has a time frame when that would be happening.

Another option would be to go with DirectTV and their DVR. I hear it is not much better than the Cable company one, but DirectTV ha announced they will be tripling their HD lineup this year. No such news form Cox. But, will it be worth the hassle of installing an antenna to get 3 times the HD content when most of it will probably be for shows that I don’t watch.

The final option that comes to mind would be to hold out and go with the IPTV through my Xbox 360 later this year. In theory this would be the best option because the DVR functionality looks great, there is no limit to the number of channels, and I don’t have to get a separate box to add to my entertainment center. In reality, I don’t really want to wait until this fall to get HD TV content, and I don’t think it will actually be offered in my area since I can’t even upgrade my DSL plan to anything faster then the basic one from AT&T. I guess I could always get digital cable for now and switch to IPTV when it comes out (if I can even get it in my area).

Since I don’t have an HDTV yet I guess I don’t have to decide how I want to get HD TV content, but when I do I have a feeling I’m not going to be happy no matter which choice I pick. It will either be very expensive and work great, or be “cheap” and work like a digital VCR. If you have a HDTV and an HD-DVR let me know which DVR you went with and how you like it. I could use any advice I can get.