What you'll need to watch HDTV - Free To Air TV Forum, FTA Keys and Downloads, Dish Network, Nagravision 3

GrnMachine · #1 (**permalink**) 23rd December 2008, 07:29 PM

What you'll need to watch HDTV

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What you need to watch HDTV If you've been watching much television recently, you've probably seen or heard at the beginning of many shows that the program is being broadcast in high definition (HD).

Because a show is being broadcast in high definition, however, does not mean you are watching it in HD. Digital Home explains the three things you'll need to watch high definition programming.

What is HDTV?

High-definition television or HDTV is a television broadcasting system with significantly higher resolution than traditional standard definition television (SDTV).

If you ask some experts about HDTV, they'll often begin to get into a technical discussion and begin to tell you about 720p, 1080i and all sorts of technical stuff but they won't often tell you why you want HD or how to get it!

Simply, high definition television is a relatively new technology that delivers viewers a far superior television image along with superior sound.

The proof of how superior HD is to traditional television is in the discussions we have with recent buyers of HDTV’s. After watching HD programming for several months, most viewers tell Digital Home that they simply refuse to watch any program that isn’t broadcast in HD!

So what do you need to watch HD?

In order to watch high definition programming you will need three things: a source for HD Programming; an HD Set top box or tuner; a high definition television set (HDTV).

It’s important to remember that if you don't have all three you won't be watching HDTV!

#1 - Source for HD Programming

There are two different sources for your HD programming.

The first is the cable or satellite provider that currently delivers television signals to your home and the second is over-the-air signals.

We'll look at cable first.
When your favourite television program comes on and the announcer says the show you are watching is being broadcast in HD, it does not mean you are watching HD.

When a show is available in HD, the networks actually broadcast both a standard definition and a high definition version of the show.

For example, let's say you want to watch CSI which airs in HD and your satellite television provider was BEV. The standard definition viewer would tune to channel 282 on Thursday at 9PM EST and watch the show. The high definition viewer would tune channel 817 and watch the high definition version.

BEV, St*rCh*ice and the major cable companies all have a tier of HD channels that subscriber’s tune to when they want to watch HD programming. Some providers like BEV and Rogers have over 30 HD channels that they offer consumers whereas most others have considerably fewer HD channels to offer.

Therefore the first thing a cable or satellite television customer must do in order to watch the HD version of a show is to subscribe to HD programming.

The second way to receive HD programming is over-the-air (OTA). The aerials and rabbit ears you used to receive television signals in the days before cable can now be used to receive HD signals where available. Before you have dreams of dumping your cable provider, let us tell you that the number of HD signals that can be received OTA in Canada is very limited.

If you are interested in receiving HD Television signals in Canada, we recommend you read this very informative thread in Digital Home's OTA forum.

#2 - An HD Set Top Box or ATSC tuner

The next step in watching HD is to buy or rent a device that will decode or tune the incoming HD signals and then pass those signals on to your television in a format that your TV can display.

If you are interested in receiving HD signals over the air you will need an ATSC tuner and antenna. An ATSC tuner is simply the Digital equivalent of your existing televisions channel tuner. Most HDTV's sold today include an ATSC tuner, however, be sure to confirm that before buying your HD television. For more information about the type of antenna to buy, be sure to check out Digital Home's OTA forum.

For most Canadians, to decode and tune HD programs you will need a High definition satellite receiver or HD digital cable set top box. The HD satellite receiver or HD digital cable box takes the encrypted HDTV programming sent to you buy your cable or satellite company, decodes it and puts it in a format that can be used by your television.

An HD satellite receiver or a cable HD set top box can often be bought from a major consumer electronics store or rented from your cable or satellite provider. Typically these devices rent for $10 to $20 a month or they can be purchased for anywhere from $200 to $500.

Before you go and buy a receiver or set top box, please note the following:

Each satellite company and cable company have their own proprietary set top boxes which typically are not compatible with others. Something to consider if you're trying to decide between buying or renting a satellite receiver or Digital terminal.

A regular Digital Cable terminal or Digital Satellite receiver will NOT decode HDTV signals so be sure to look for the a box that specifically states that it is an HDTV receiver or terminal

#3 - HDTV Television

The last thing you’ll need once you have subscribed to HD programming and bought or rented an HD terminal is a high definition television (HDTV).

What to look for or what type of HD television is beyond the scope of this article, however, we will highlight one thing to ensure before buying any set.

Be sure to confirm that you are buying an HDTV when you go to buy. If the television is sold as an enhanced definition television (EDTV) that accepts HD signals then don’t buy it.

EDTV plasma televisions are marketed as being able to accept HD signals but the truth is they cannot actually display an HD signal. They simply take the HD signal and downconvert it to a less desirable picture.

If the television is much cheaper than a typical HDTV then its possible you’re getting an EDTV so be sure to ask. If you have any doubts then be sure to check the televisions manual or the companies website to confirm.

Summary

High definition is the television picture of the future and our experience is that once you've watched HD you'll never want to go back.

In summary, in order to watch high definition programming you will need three things: a source for HD Programming; an HD Set top box or tuner; a high definition television set (HDTV). Without all three, you won't be watching HD!