Get the Signal – Top Ways for your Household to Receive HDTV.

By: Thomas Hunter

No one wants to miss out on the wonderful picture quality which HDTV offers. The question is how to best obtain it. It seems like there are a million different kinds of TVs, receivers, cable boxes and satellites out there with a lot of technical jargon to go with them. With a few tips to keep in mind, however, it can be easy to get that HDTV into your home in no time.

Just as a reminder, HDTV formatting is not available in every area or for every channel. There has been a lag time between the technology and what broadcasters have upgraded to themselves. Starting in 2007, all stations are supposed to be digital ready. Hopefully, competition will get as many channels as possible into HDTV formats. When that happens, stations will be able to offer more and more high definition, or HDTV transmissions. In the meantime, cable and satellite seem to be the way to go if one wants to experience high definition TV for them selves.

The availability of HDTV means that the first step to getting it is to either look at some of the online sites that will tell you how to get it in your area, or to ask your local cable or satellite providers about it. Knowing what your area offers, will give you clues to the next step. Most people are choosing satellite or cable as their means to getting HDTV channels. The reason is simple. While some local stations are offering HDTV formatted transmissions, cable and satellite often have two or three times as many.

If you still want to go with the analog technology, and your TV has an HD tuner built into it, then all you need is an antenna. Keep in mind that this will not be as consistent of a picture as going through cable or satellite. You also will have fewer choices in stations, if you have any at all. If you are a cable subscriber, then you can get an HD cable box from your subscriber for an extra $5 or $10 per month. If you are a satellite subscriber with dish network, then you can rent a box for an additional amount that will give you the HDTV channels. However, DIRECTV will sell you the box, so you can have HDTV access with a one time purchase.

You should also know that there are three different kinds of connections through which HDTV is transmitted from your cable or satellite provider. DVI (digital video interface), HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) and Component Video, also known as RGB (red green blue) are the three types. Neither the Component Video, nor the DVI carries any audio information. This is relevant because you will need separate audio connections such as digital optical or digital coaxial to receive your 5.1 (or greater) sound, which is one of the other features of HDTV transmissions. In contrast, HDMI does carry audio information, but at this time only a handful of audio manufacturers include HDMI connectivity on receivers and preamps. None of these connections are usually included with your HDTV or your HDTV source. One should plan on purchasing these separately for anywhere from $30 to $140.

To summarize the options available, one can view the source of HDTV either from a broadcasting station, or through their cable or satellite provider. Check with these sources to find out how many, or what kind of HDTV channels they offer. Depending on what stations are offered by what source, you can know whether to purchase an HD-antenna, HD-cable box, HD-satellite box or an HD-Set-top box. The HD-Set-top box is sometimes offered by cable providers instead of the HD-cable box. These can vary in price, so make sure they give you all of your options. Consider buying an HD-capable, HD-upgradeable, or HD-ready TV monitor, rather than one with the built-in tuner. The tuner TV does not guarantee that you do not have to buy or rent another box from your cable provider. Also, HD-capable and ready monitors allow you to upgrade as the technology quickly moves along. As a final note, make sure that any cable company you speak to lets you know whether they offer a Cable Card for your HD-upgradeable or HD-capable monitor.


Wake Up Richer Every Morning... Instant Internet Business Makes Money Automatically... Thomas Hunter is an Internet marketer, author and publisher and has helped hundreds of people become successful Niche Marketers. Explore the highly profitable world of Niche Marketing at http://SixFigureNiches.com our popular website.
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