Here is What You Need To Be Able To View HDTV
If you have never seen HDTV in action you really owe it to
yourself to visit an electronics store where they have a high
definition television all set up and actually showing HDTV
broadcasts or media. Once you see it, you will understand what
all the fuss is about. It's a vastly improved television viewing
experience. But what exactly are you going to need to be able to
watch HDTV?
Well of course, the first component needed is the HDTV signal
which is sent from a source like a cable or satellite provider,
or a local broadcast station. It takes more advanced and
expensive equipment to be able to broadcast a HDTV signal
instead of the old analog signal that has been used for many
years. But the FCC has mandated that by the end of 2006 all
broadcasts will have to be available in HDTV, so it won't be
long before HDTV will be the defacto standard for sending and
receiving TV signals. In fact, most of the major cable and
satellite companies already offer significant HDTV programming
options at this point.
Now that there is a HDTV signal being sent you will need a HDTV
"enabled" or "ready" television to be able to receive that
signal and display it correctly. If the TV is "HDTV enabled"
that means that it does not have a HDTV tuner already built into
it but can display HDTV programming if a HDTV tuner is hooked up
to it. If it is "HDTV ready" it has the HDTV tuner and is
capable of receiving HDTV signals right away. So what is the
difference for you?
Well, most satellite and cable companies will only allow you to
use their proprietary tuner to gain access to their programming
on your TV set, so they essentially bypass the tuner that is in
the TV. If you have a HDTV enabled set, this is no problem
because it is able to receive and display in HDTV using the
tuner from the satellite or cable company. If you have a HDTV
ready set, it is still no problem, but if you paid extra for the
tuner, you may not be able to get much use from it if you view
satellite or cable programming all the time. However, if you are
not able to get local channels by satellite or cable, having a
HDTV tuner can allow you to receive those channels and display
them in HDTV with an appropriate antenna.
So when you look for a new television, be sure to have in mind
what your needs will be regarding programming. If all of your
viewing will be done through a cable or satellite provider there
may be no need to get a TV set that has a HDTV tuner built in.
It just has to be HDTV enabled and ready to process a HDTV
signal when a HDTV tuner is attached to it. On the other hand,
if you will be receiving your broadcasts by antenna or over the
air, then you will definitely need the built in HDTV tuner to
receive and display HDTV programming.
Just doing a little advance planning can help you buy only the
equipment that you will need to view HDTV.