HDTV World > HDTV FAQ

The basics

• What is HDTV?
• Just how much sharper is HDTV than regular TV?
• What's the difference between 720p and 1080i HD formats?
• How is the sound quality on HD shows?
• Can I record HDTV shows and movies?
• Do I need a new TV to watch high-definition TV shows?
  
  

All about HDTVs

• How much do HDTVs cost?
• What kind of HDTV should I buy?
• Why are HDTV screens wider than regular TV screens?
• How will regular TV shows look on an HDTV set?
• How will my DVDs look on an HDTV set?
  
  

HDTV programming

• Will my local TV stations stop broadcasting analog signals anytime soon?
• Is HD available in my area?
• What extra equipment do I need to get HDTV?
• Will my over-the-air HDTV picture ever suffer from static or ghosting?
• Which TV and cable networks are available in HD?
• What about CNN, MTV, and the SciFi Channel--are they in HD?
• Will my cable or satellite provider carry all my local HD channels?
• Are all of the national HD networks available through my cable or satellite provider?
  
  

The basics

What is HDTV?
HDTV stands for high-definition television, and it marks the biggest leap forward for television since color TV made its debut in the 1950s. HDTV images are more than twice as detailed as standard analog TV, delivering rich, realistic images, as well as multichannel, movie-theater-quality surround sound. HDTVs can display both regular and HDTV images, but they need HD sources to look their best.

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Just how much sharper is HDTV than regular TV?
Analog TV--what we've been watching for more than 60 years--has a resolution that's equivalent to about 640x480 pixels. An HDTV program, on the other hand, has a resolution that tops out at 1,920x1,080 pixels, more than six times as sharp in best-case scenarios. The difference is obvious. One look at, say, a razor-sharp image of a crocodile rolling in the mud on Discovery HD, and you'll understand.

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What's the difference between 720p and 1080i HD broadcasts?
The short answer is that they both look great, and most people have a hard time telling the difference. Here's the medium-size answer: the numbers 720 and 1080 refer to horizontal pixel counts, while the letters p and i refer to the picture-scanning method--either progressive or interlaced. Proponents of 1080i HD will tell you that they offer the most lines of resolution, which is true. However, 1080i images are interlaced, meaning that a tube TV draws the picture in two passes: once for the odd-numbered lines, and again for the even-numbered lines. For 720p, or progressive, broadcasts, tube TVs draw each frame in a single pass, making for a smoother picture. It's important to note that all non-tube TVs, including plasmas, LCDs, and DLP, LCD, and LCoS rear-projection HDTVs, convert everything to progressive-scan, making it even harder to tell the difference between the two broadcast formats. Even higher-quality 1080p video is available from Blu-ray and HD DVD players, for example, but it won't be available from broadcast HDTV providers anytime soon.

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How is the sound quality on HD shows?
At best, standard-definition shows have 4-channel Dolby surround sound (left, center, right, and one rear "surround" channel), but they usually have 2-channel stereo. High-definition broadcasts, on the other hand, support 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound (left, center, right, left and right surround, and a subwoofer--the .1 part, for booming bass). This is similar to the sound you hear in a movie theater or, with the properly equipped home theater, on a DVD. Not all HD broadcasts have 5.1 Dolby Digital yet, but the majority do, and you'll hear--and feel--the difference. Of course, you'll need a home-theater audio system to take full advantage of it.

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Can I record HDTV shows and movies?
Not without new equipment. Standard-definition VCRs, DVD recorders, and digital video recorders (DVRs) such as standard TiVo can't record programming in high-definition. To do so, most people today use an HD DVR, which will record your favorite HD shows to a hard disk. Many cable providers now offer HD DVRs that you rent for an additional fee added to your cable bill, while satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network offer their own models. More cable-compatible HD DVRs, such as TiVo HD, are also becoming available from third-party vendors thanks to CableCard, which allows them to replace cable-company-supplied boxes. Aside from HD DVRs, you can also use specially-equipped PCs to record over-the-air HD programming from an antenna. There's still no easy way to record HD shows to removable media such as a disc, but future HD DVD and/or Blu-ray recorders may enable this functionality.
Do I need a new TV to watch high-definition TV shows?
Yes. You'll need both a TV that's capable of displaying high-definition (HDTV) images as well as a digital tuner (cable, satellite, or over-the-air) to receive the HD signals. All new HDTV sets come with their own digital tuners, which allow them to display free high-def programming from the major networks received over an antenna. If you have an HDTV and are watching via a digital tuner, you'll also need to tune to an HDTV show on a high-def channel to be watching HD.

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All about HDTVs

How much do HDTVs cost?
Back in the late 1990s, you couldn't buy an HDTV set for less than $5,000. In the last few years, however, prices have dropped dramatically. For as little as $500, you can pick up a smaller CRT or even an LCD TV that's capable of displaying HDTV images. That said, you can still drop the big bucks on an HDTV, especially a large LCD or plasma TV.

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What kind of HDTV should I buy?
The right HDTV set for you depends on your budget and the size of screen that you need. For a small room such as a kitchen, an LCD TV is a good choice. If you'll be sitting more than five feet from the screen, you'll want a 32-inch or larger set to appreciate the detail of HDTV. Both flat-panel TV types (LCD and plasma) save space and can be hung on a wall but are relatively pricey. For larger rooms, the best value is a rear-projection set--you may see them referred to as DLP, LCD, or LCoS rear-projection. They are bulkier than a flat-panel TV, but these 37-inch-or-larger sets offer a lot more screen real estate for the money. If that's still not big enough, you may want a front-projection TV or, more accurately, a home-theater projector, that can fill a 100-inch-diagonal screen. Finally, if you have the space and don't need a huge screen, don't discount high-def versions of good old direct-view tube TVs, just like the kind you know well. They're big and heavy but still deliver very high-quality images.

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Why are HDTV screens wider than regular TV screens?
For decades, our TV screens have been slightly wider than they are tall. Specifically, their ratio of width to height is 4 to 3, known as a 4:3 aspect ratio. Most HDTV screens, on the other hand, have an aspect ratio of 16:9, the same as many movie screens. That means television shows shot in wide-screen will look more cinematic, and many movies will fit on an HDTV screen without letterboxing (horizontal black bars at the top and bottom of the screen). There are exceptions, namely ultrawide "scope" movies such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, which still have letterbox bars on a wide-screen TV. Remember that not all HD programming is wide-screen, and when viewing either standard or high-def 4:3 programming on a wide-screen HDTV, you may get the opposite effect: vertical black or gray bars on the left and right of the screen.

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How will regular TV shows look on an HDTV set?
It really depends on screen size. Some standard-definition programming may look a little sharper and cleaner on your HDTV set, but more often, it looks worse. That's because all the little flaws and murkiness inherent in regular TV images become that much more obvious when blown up to larger sizes, especially when compared to crystal-clear HD channels. In addition, because SD programming has a narrow aspect ratio of 4:3, you'll see black bars on the left and right sides of the picture if you're watching on a wide-screen 16:9 set. If the black bars bother you, adjustments on all HDTVs can make 4:3 programming fill a 16:9 screen, but when doing so, they crop or distort the image.
How will my DVDs look on an HDTV set?
Excellent, if not quite as good as a true high-def images. Today's DVD players generate between 450 and 480 lines of horizontal resolution, which still counts as standard definition. However, DVDs are very high-quality image sources compared to standard-definition broadcast or cable channels. If you have a wide-screen TV, look for anamorphic or enhanced for wide-screen DVDs to fully utilize the extra screen real estate.

HDTV programming

Will my local TV stations stop broadcasting analog signals any time soon?
Yes. The FCC has set a deadline for television stations to stop broadcasting their over-the-air analog TV signals: February 17, 2009. After that date, standard analog TVs that get their programming via an over-the-air antenna will go dark (this deadline does not affect cable or satellite service, just terrestrial broadcasts). The government has set up a subsidy program that will provide $40 coupons (limit of two per household) that can be used to pay for a special digital converter box that can allow analog TVs to receive and display digital broadcasts. More information on the program, and on the transition itself, can be found on the Web site www.dtvtransition.org.
Is HD available in my area?
Most likely, yes. Thousands of local television stations broadcast over-the-air high-definition signals, and today more than 99 percent of U.S. households are in range of at least one HDTV station. If you're a digital cable subscriber (analog subscribers must upgrade to digital to receive HDTV) and you live in one of the 100 major cable markets, your provider likely offers HD channels. Even if you live in a rural area, you can get your HDTV via satellite providers DirecTV or Dish Network. Other services such as Verizon's Fios and AT&T's U-verse compete against cable and satellite in some areas of the country.

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What extra equipment do I need to get HDTV?
Still using an over-the-air antenna? Believe it or not, that same antenna may work with pick up HDTV signals--all you need is an HDTV tuner (usually built into the TV itself) and a local TV station that's broadcasting in HD. If you're a digital cable subscriber, most cable companies rent HDTV boxes that allow you HDTV to display all of the cable company's HD channels and HD DVRs that allow you to record them. Satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network also offer HD set-top boxes, usually for a bit more than their standard-def counterparts.
Will my over-the-air HDTV picture ever suffer from static or ghosting?
Over-the-air HD broadcasts are still susceptible to interference from hills or tall buildings, but instead of getting static or ghosting--a faint double image--you'll just get a blank screen or occasional breakup for a weak signal. If you plan on receiving your HD from an over-the-air antenna, you'll need some patience and help from a resource such as AntennaWeb.org, a site that offers advice on which antenna to use and even coordinates for picking up local HD stations in your area.

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Which TV and cable networks are available in HD?
More and more television shows are being produced in high definition. For starters, all the major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and the CW produce at least some of their schedules in HD. The "big four" networks broadcast almost all of their scripted shows, including comedies and dramas, in high-definition. Sports fans will be happy to hear that their favorite events, such as the NFL, MLB, the NBA, and NASCAR, are well represented in HD. News and reality shows are typically standard-definition, although Fox's American Idol and a few other reality programs are exceptions. Meanwhile, cable networks such as HBO HD, Showtime HD, TNT HD, Universal HD, ESPN, and ESPN2 HD offer at least some of their shows and movies in high-definition. There are also a handful of all-HD networks, including HDnet, HDNet Movies, and Discovery HD Theater that run high-definition programming all day, every day. Finally, more and more regional sports networks are showing your local teams in high-def, although they're often restricted to cable.
What about CNN, MTV, and the SciFi Channel--are they in HD?
If not yet, they're probably coming soon. MTV already has an HD channel, called MHD. A high-def version of CNN may launch as soon as the fall of 2007, along with The History Channel and others. The Food Network, A&E, HGTV, The National Geographic Channel, and the NFL Network all have their own HD channels now. As for the SciFi Channel, Comedy Central, FX, IFC, Lifetime, and Sundance, they're not in HD yet, but don't be surprised if you hear of them launching soon. And while some cable networks don't offer HD versions, they hand off individual shows to other high-definition networks for the full HD treatment. For example, there's no SciFi HD, but second-run episodes of the SciFi Channel-produced Battlestar Galactica appear in high-def on Universal HD.
Will my cable or satellite provider carry all my local HD channels?
Sometimes for cable, not often for satellite. Cable and satellite providers have only a limited amount of bandwidth to play with, and because HD channels use six times as much bandwidth as standard-definition channels, cable and satellite companies have been slow to roll out local HD channels to subscribers. Cable operators, however, usually offer most local HD channels and local sports networks in HD. Satellite providers offer the big four local channels in HD (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) but usually don't carry PBSHD or the CW, and usually carry only select local HD sports channels.
Are all of the national HD networks available through my cable or satellite provider?
No, each provider offers different networks, and nobody currently offers all of the national HD networks. But thanks to new technologies, both cable and satellite are trying to increase the number of both local and national channels they offer. Cable companies are slowly transitioning to all-digital systems and next-generation technology such as switched digital video, which are both designed to free up bandwidth for more HD channels. MPEG-4 AVC compression technology, which greatly increases the bandwidth available for transmitting video, lets satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network ramp up their national HD networks offerings from just 5 or 10--typically HBO, Showtime, Discovery HD Theater, HDnet, Universal HD, and TNT, plus the national network feeds--to more than 100 (DirecTV's goal by the end of 2007). Dish Network, for its part, currently has more HD channels than any provider, thanks to its specialty Voom channels. Meanwhile most cable providers, who have yet to adopt the new MPEG-4 AVC compression standard, have fewer than 10 national HD networks currently available.