In the vein of "all dressed up and nowhere to go," HDTVs would be no good without content to show on them - native, high-definition content, that is. So where can you get that HD content you crave?
You can access HDTV broadcasting in a number of ways:
- Broadcasters: Four of the major broadcast networks (that would be ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) are broadcasting at least some HDTV content.
- Cable and satellite networks: The cable networks have their own high-definition channels - ranging from movie channels, like HBO or Showtime High Def, to sports, like ESPN-HD.
• An HDTV service contract with your cable or satellite company. Unlike broadcast, this isn't free - you have to pay the piper.
• An HDTV satellite receiver or set-top box (for cable).
- Specialized HDTV stations: Some networks specifically deliver HDTV channels to cable and satellite providers.
Making your choice
HDTV availability is highly dependent upon exactly where you live (right down to the street address - it can differ even within neighborhoods).
Here's what you can do to get the HD ball rolling:
- Figure out what's even available. Find out what you can get in your house from satellite or cable providers.
- Look at your budget. Keep in mind the fact that "free" OTA HDTV may not be free if you have an "HDTV-ready" system, meaning you need to spend hundreds of dollars on an external HDTV tuner. Cable, on the other hand, might include a monthly fee but doesn't require any "up-front" expenses for tuners or set-top boxes. Many cable companies give you local HDTV channels free for the price of the set-top-box rental. Satellite may have lower monthly fees than cable, but you have to purchase the receiver up front.
- Examine closely the channel lineups available to you. Remember that quantity and quality are two different things. Look for the channels that you love.
- Consider the performance. Various TV providers throttle back their HDTV signals to save bandwidth on their networks, so you may not be getting the high definition you're looking for.
All HDTV signals are not equal
Not all HDTV signals are equal across all providers. When the signal is sent from its source to you, it's usually compressed to cut costs and bandwidth requirements. How much the provider compresses the signal - and what digital encoding scheme it uses - determines a lot about what you see on your HDTV.
So, what's it all mean for the average buyer? Here's a summary:
- Not all HDTV signals are going to be the same. It depends on how the broadcasters compress the signals for the stations that you want to watch. Channels with a lot of action (like sports) tend to get more bandwidth; channels with a lot of static pixels - like the Home Shopping Network or any cooking channel - can survive more compression.
- If you plan on watching a few channels a lot, do some research. You want to find out how much bandwidth these channels are using. You can't (easily) measure this yourself (and it's about impossible without installing the service, if you're using cable or satellite), but try to find a local online bulletin board or newsgroup to see what the local HDTV nerds have to say.
