Today, HDTV is still in it's infancy, progressing slowly towards mainstream television. Though the technology has been around for many years, televisions only recently have been showing High Definition pictures. Programmers too, have only recently begun to show and film programs in HDTV formats, some in 1080i/p, some in 720p. So what can a person do to receive HDTV in their home? There are many choices...
A local antenna installation will give a person many programs, from Alias and CSI to Local Channel Football in High Definition for FREE. One does need an ATSC Local channel HDTV tuner to watch these channels, and both Directv and DISH Network have these tuners built into their HDTV receiver models. They even have 1080i/p PVR's (personal video recorders) on their highest end models, the newest and best digital recorders. You may also buy these ATSC Tuners as standalone units, some up to $1800 and more, because their are so many formats and Commercial Establishments demand it. Today's newer HDTV televisions also now have ATSC tuners built-in to the set for reception of the channels from a local antenna or cable. Interactive Program Guides (satellite or cable) and paper television guides, show High Definition programs with a "HD" mark in the program listing. If that mark is not shown, the program probably is not in a High Definition format (today, considered a 16x9 viewing ratio because of TV manufacturing). DVD's use the language of ratio's, such as 2.35 or 1.33, to identify different width to height ratio's so that you can format your television accordingly. Many channels available through local television have mapped their digital signals to both Directv and DISH Network HDTV satellite receiver IPG's (Interactive program guides). This allows information to be shown for the channels that are digitally broadcast over their satellite systems. Many premium services, such as Discovery and HBO, even have special channels for High Definition programs. Remember, the camera's, all the way to the providers, must all have High Definition equipment to provide you with HDTV. The programs not filmed in 1080i/p do not look as good because they are converted to 1080i/p, then shown on your set. Many types of pictures exist in production studios, so if a 480i or 720p picture is broadcast, you must also then put your tuner (or TV) into that mode, allowing each type of picture to be shown in it's correct format. Upconverting a picture to a higher definition can help show you the differences in production quality. Most of the newer DVD's have component video outputs that provide 720p pictures, and are a highly regarded picture. The engineers say 720p is better at fast motion, so the NFL and NBA chose it. It is widely held that 1080i/p has the highest technical merit in the 16x9 arena when it comes to picture quality because of total number of pixels, and these producers film you the most programs that can be found on television. In a true 16x9 setting 1080i/p gives a TV 1080 x 1920 = 2,073,600 pixels (+- a few, depending on the HDTV you own); compared to 720 x 1280 = 921,600 pixels (+- a few, depending on the HDTV you own). This shows 720p has less than 1/2 the pixel resolution of 1080i/p, yet is still highly rated for fast motion events like basketball and football. Technically, and I won't go into too much detail, this is because they can scan the data for each frame in a quicker fashion. The Producers make a big difference, and whether the pictures you see are crystal clear or not, depends upon them. Each display does have a different "true" resolution though, and you need to pay close attention to this factor more than the "HD" sticker.
Other formats exist, but both 1080i/p and 720p seem to have found the most comfortable positions as "HDTV". 1080i is a digital definition that "interlaces" vertical and horizontal scan lines on your HDTV into a 16x9 (width 16 / height 9 = 1.778 ratio width to height) format. Interlacing was, and still is, in part, a televisions way of doing things. Progressive scan is the way computer moniter's, basically, have been working for many years, and can be 480p, 720p, or 1080p. If a progressive scan type is filmed in a 16x9 ratio (1.778), your HDTV is much more able to show you the highest quality. Your HDTV has a large impact on picture quality. The ability of your television to define on its screen the information it is given, the lighting in the room the television is in, and many other factors determine the final production that becomes your HDTV's real picture. So look for the most control over your satellite system, TV, video and audio tuners, and also make sure your components interact with each other in a high quality manner.
Many HDTV channels require a local antenna --->LOCAL ANTENNA INFO
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