There is HDTV broadcasting out there, and there's more than you'd think. Much of primetime TV is offered in HD by: ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, PBS, Fox, and various other local channels. Also available via satellite or cable, are HD versions of HBO, Showtime, ESPN, and Discovery as well.

With more programs and channels added to the list, the value of getting HDTV is rising. With HDTV broadcasts easily accessed by those with an HDTV and HDTV tuner, you can receive HDTV broadcasts via Antenna, Cable, and Satellite.

Why Get HDTV?
HDTV simply offers the absolute best picture quality ever available. It offers 5-6 times more detail than DVD and is capable of displaying more colors than any other consumer video technology. Programs take on a "better-than-film" quality, and sports events bring an almost "you are there" experience that has to be seen to be believed.

Once you experience HDTV, you'll just want more. Another nice thing about HDTV is that standard definition programs on HD channels look close to DVD quality, which is a huge step-up from current standard definition broadcasts. HDTV is the future, and after you live with it, you'll understand why.

Before getting started, a quick backtrack:

For Those Without an HDTV
HDTV is your choice and will continue to be your choice. If you enjoy the video quality that cable, satellite, and DVD produces on your current standard definition TV, don't upgrade. The hitch is that when you see the clarity of HDTV, you may just succumb to its beauty, and find yourself wanting it more and more.

Will your old TV be unusable? No.
Will you have to purchase a new TV? No, but you may need to buy a converter or an HDTV tuner that converts the HDTV signal to something a standard-definition TV can use. You shouldn't need this type of converter until the government finally stops usage of standard def analog signals, which now is slated for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 (the date keeps slipping). The government's dream plan is for converters to cost $50-$150, but time (and features) will tell.

HDTVs do offer great benefits over the standard-definition TVs, with the DVD format being one of the best reasons to purchase an HDTV today. HDTVs can accept the "quasi" high-definition signal that progressive-scan DVD players offer. These DVD players can produce an image comparable to that of an HDTV broadcast and the quality is simply amazing!!!

Should you get an HDTV? That depends...
If your looking to get a projection TV, you'll actually be hard pressed to find a good quality non-HDTV capable TV. If you're looking at a direct view TV (standard glass box-type), you have roughly three options:

1. A standard definition TV with no HDTV capability
2. Standard definition formatted screen (4:3) with HDTV capability that will letterbox HDTV sources
3. Full widescreen 16:9 formatted HDTV

For direct view TVs the 16:9 (widescreen) HDTV will of course be the most expensive while the HD ready 4:3 formatted TVs will offer some price savings. Prices are coming down dramatically with Samsung offering an HDTV with HD-tuner built in for $999.

If you want to view DVD at its best and have a TV capable of viewing HDTV when that becomes the only standard, than an HD capable TV is the right path to take. The good news is that these TVs are coming down in price every day.

Bringing HDTV Broadcasts Home
You can get HDTV using 3 different methods: Antenna, Cable, or Satellite. All three offer full HDTV clarity and Dolby Digital sound (if the program offers Dolby Digital).

Antenna
To receive HDTV via antenna you'll need:

1. An HDTV
2. HDTV tuner
3. UHF/VHF antenna (use www.antennaweb.org to find out what antenna you need)

If your HDTV came with a built-in tuner you can use that. If your HDTV didn't come with a tuner, you can get either an over-the-air only HD tuner which usually runs around $200-$400, or an over-the-air/satellite HD tuner which usually runs $300-$600. The nice thing about the combo tuner is that your satellite channels and antenna channels are integrated into one menu, one component, and one remote.

If you're close to the broadcast towers, then you can get away with a smaller antenna, but the farther out you are, you will need a larger antenna.

Picture quality via an antenna does NOT change the farther away you are. With HDTV broadcasts you either get the station or you don't. A weak signal will result in image chop-out, and intermittent pauses. A weak signal usually indicates improper positioning. Depending on your location you may need an antenna rotor to point the antenna to multiple broadcasting towers.

HDTV via an antenna is absolutely the same quality, if not better, than HD via cable or satellite. The reason for this is that Cable and Satellite companies can compress the signal further or down-convert it to a lesser resolution so that they can cram in more channels.

The good news is that the FCC has taken steps to ensure when the main local stations are rebroadcast over Cable and Satellite that they cannot be down down-converted in any fashion. Although any other HD channels that aren't FCC regulated such as Discovery HD, HBO, (or any other Cable channel for that matter) can be down-converted to any resolution desired by the Cable or Satellite provider.

The Antenna Advantage
The only problem with over-the-air HD broadcasts via Antenna is that the technology has to overcome the hurdle of consumers' long held myths, misconceptions, and knowledge of the capabilities of antennas.

Consumers still confuse the problems of snowy pictures, clarity, and sound quality that plagued analog broadcasts; while Digital HDTV over-the-air broadcasts do not suffer from these issues at all. The HD signal is broadcast in redundant data packets over-the-air so that even if an antenna picks up a relatively weak signal, what you see is crystal clear clarity in full HDTV with no noise, or ghosting.

Capturing HDTV broadcasts 50-100 miles away from the broadcasting tower is completely possible, and with HDTV, you either receive the signal or you don't, so the quality of the picture doesn't change the farther away you are.

Over-the-air HD broadcasts certainly make it so that anyone interested in HD should definitely take a look. What's amazing is that home theater enthusiasts have long paid a premium for everything related to video/audio quality, be it a hi-fi VCR, Laserdisc, DVD, or Satellite, and it's very odd to finally have something that rivals all of those technologies hands down that is available completely for free via antenna.

To find out what HD stations are available in your area and what antenna you'll need to capture them, check out http://www.antennaweb.org.

Satellite
DirecTV offers HBO, Showtime, ESPN, and Discovery in HD. As of yet they don't offer any local stations in HD, but due to competition with cable, that should soon change.

To Receive HD Via Satellite You'll Need:

1. An HDTV
2. HDTV Satellite Tuner (these usually come with an over-the-air tuner built-in)
3. HD Satellite dish (can usually be found for around $150)

The HD dish picks up signals from multiple satellites and combines the HD channels with the regular channel menu. The quality of these signals is as expected with any HDTV signal. The only downside is that Satellite providers don't offer local channels. Those who go the Satellite route to receive HDTV will also most likely get an antenna as well to capture all the HDTV broadcasting available instead of waiting around for Satellite providers to finally offer HDTV local channels.

Cable
Many cable providers in the US offer an HDTV option.

To receive HD via cable you'll need:

1. An HDTV
2. An HDTV tuner (one is likely supplied by the cable provider at a monthly fee)

Please note: HDTV tuners that come built-into many HDTVs are over-the-air tuners for use with an antenna and cannot be used as your cable HD tuner. Many new HDTVs will have a cable card slot built-in which will allow for an easy cable connection.

Many cable providers offer much of the local channels plus HBO, Showtime, ESPN, and Discovery in HD. Essentially the HD cable providers are combining what you would get from an antenna and satellite HD combination in one package. Please note that not all local channels are offered in every location; check with your local cable provider to find out what HD stations are available before signing up.

The biggest plus is that cable offers the cheapest solution for getting into HDTV. That is, if you're cable provider can support HDTV. Usually you'll need to be in an area where digital cable is offered. Cable companies can supply you with a tuner usually for a minimal monthly rental fee of $5-$10. Get the tuner; connect to your HDTV via the HD connections, and your ready to view HDTV.

Why Would Anyone Not Use Or Wait For Cable?
While cable is the cheapest HD solution, regular standard-definition channels are generally of lesser quality than Satellite. Also, not all local digital channels are offered whereas, with an antenna, as soon as the stations broadcast in HD or offer more than one HD channel you get the upgrade immediately.

So if you're one of the few million consumers who has a negative opinion of cable, it's not worth downgrading the rest of the channels to receive a few in HD. When all cable channels are offered in HD this may become less an issue. For 70% of Americans who receive their programming via Cable, HD over cable is simply the easiest add-on you can get for receiving HDTV broadcasts.

Compression Connection, The Leveling Of The Field
Anyone that has an HDTV can get the highest quality video for free from over-the-air broadcasts via an antenna. For the first time in their existence, Cable and Satellite will not offer better quality than what's available for free over-the-air.

With most primetime viewership being programs of CBS, ABC, NBC, WGN, and Fox, all of which are available for free via an antenna, the need for Cable and Satellite to offer these channels diminishes greatly. Although most people are generally used to paying for TV, or may not want to prop up an antenna, but the boost terrestrial over-the-air broadcasts get from HDTV is tremendous. Why pay for something you can get for free?

Most people not only subscribe to Cable or Satellite for the clarity, but rather for the extra channels as well. The only problem is that many cable channels are re-run channels or in the History Channel's case, rely on old video or films. Even if these channels went HD, much of the material they show would still be in standard definition over HD, which while clearer and approaching DVD quality, is not close to HD.

For now, HDTVs are generally expensive and many still come without built-in tuners. Within about five years that'll all change. Just as with standard definition TVs, smaller HDTVs will be available in the $500 range with built-in tuners. All that'll be needed to receive the clearest HD picture quality will be a cheap antenna. No longer will great, high-quality video be a thing of just high-end home theater, but rather something everyone has access to. You can bet that just like anyone who begins living with HDTV, when people are exposed to HDTV they'll simply want more. The leveling of the playing field has already begun.

Which HD Solution Is Right For You
HDTV over Cable is hands down the cheapest and most inexpensive means of getting into HD, but there are reasons that people choose Satellite over Cable and until all channels go HD, those reasons still hold up. Generally the main reason people prefer Satellite over Cable is video/service quality and availability. For those people, a Satellite/Antenna combination would be the best approach.

The Antenna/Satellite solution may have better long term benefit as these two methods also have the easiest expandability into HD. Over-the-air broadcasts captured via Antenna are FCC controlled and directly run by the broadcasting networks, so when upgrades are made and more HD programming and alternate channels are offered, those with antenna connections will see these changes immediately without any change to their setup. When new channels are offered, Cable and Satellite providers have to decide whether, when, where, and how much to charge to for the added service, so the change may take longer or add to your monthly bill.

Also, HDTV channels can have multiple channels, of which 1 or 2 could be HD and the others standard def, so in the future NBC-1 HD, NBC-2 HD, NBC-3 SD, NBC-4 SD, may be viewable over antenna. How cable or satellite providers decide to offer these multicasted stations remains to be seen. The future will only tell if this will become true, or if the FCC will step in to make cable and satellite provide all channels, for now it's mere speculation.

If you already have an HDTV tuner built into your TV, than an antenna may actually be your best solution, as the only thing you'll need is an antenna, and the most expensive consumer models cost only around $100-$150.

The Numbers
HDTV is well on it way to becoming available.

--- Eighty percent of U.S. TV households are in markets with five or more broadcasters airing DTV, and 52% are in markets with eight or more broadcasters sending digital signals.---
(source: ATSC.org)

HDTV is really available for almost anyone who has an HDTV. The numbers tell a lot. HDTV is finally here and the major broadcasting stations are really ramping up their HD lineup. If you're still waiting for HDTV to become more available you're missing out on a lot of great programming.

DTV Online Resources

• www.ce.org/hdtv/ - Consumer Electronics Association HDTV section
• www.atsc.org - Advanced Television Systems Committee
• www.fcc.gov - Federal Communications Commission
• www.ncta.com - National Cable and Telecommunications Association
• www.sbca.org - Satellite Broadcasting Communications Association
• www.nab.org - National Association of Broadcasters