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HDTV (high-definition television) programming options have increased over time as more and more people are discovering the advantages in sound and picture quality. The very first television station to broadcast HDTV in the United States was WRAL-HD located in Raleigh, North Carolina. HDTV is available in most areas of the U.S. today as 1,300 local television stations broadcast HD signals over-the-air. To put another way that means that an estimated 98-99 percent of American households are in range to receive signals from at least one station that broadcasts HDTV.

If you are a subscriber to digital cable and you live in one of the 100 major markets for cable then it is extremely likely that your local cable company offers one, if not many, HDTV channels. Keep in mind that if you are an analog subscriber then it will be necessary for you to upgrade your cable service to digital in order to receive HDTV programming. Living in a rural area should not prevent you from receiving all of the advantages that go along with HDTV service. Those living in a more remote area can still access HDTV by way of one out of two possible satellite providers, those being DirecTV and Dish Network.

A nationwide deadline has been set forth by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) for all television stations to cease broadcasting over-the-air VHF/UHF signals (or analog) by the first of January 2007, or to stop doing so once an estimated 85 percent of households in the United States have a television with a digital tuner for receiving HDTV. Whichever one of these things takes place first will determine when analog signals are to fade into the past.

Not everyone believes that choosing a random date such as January 1, 2007 is a realistic goal and those who legislate have put forth the suggestion that the move from analog to HDTV signals should not be so swift or aggressive and it should be pushed back two years. If this proposal were accepted that means that December 31, 2008 would be the official end date for all analog television broadcasts in the United States. The FCC has its reasons for choosing a specific deadline, those being that they want to make way for new technologies of the wireless kind to take over from the old analog way of transmitting broadcasts. Important to note is that this proposed deadline, whether it be the first of 2007 or the end of 2008 will in no way cause problems with cable or satellite service but will instead only affect over-the-air antenna (or terrestrial) broadcasts.

The appeal of HDTV programming has swept the American television market. A number of the major television networks in the United States including ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and WB are broadcasting an array of their regularly scheduled programs in HDTV. Another station to present HDTV is UPN although at present the programming in this manner is minimal. As of autumn 2004, FOX chose to join the lead of the other stations by starting to broadcast their programs in 720p (one of the many formats used in HDTV), as opposed to what they had done in the past which was programming in 480p of standard digital television.

HDTV is able to be broadcast in a variety of different screen aspect ratios, scan modes (interlaced and progressive) as well as vertical resolutions. These formats include 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 720i, 480p, and 480i. The most commonly used of these formats include 480p, 720p, 480i and 1080i.

Other American channels are also catching on to the advantages of HDTV. Some of these include popular channels such as Discovery, ESPN, HBO, Hdnet, FOX Sports, Showtime and TNT. Cable systems are tuning into HDTV as well. Many systems throughout the United States including Comcast, COX, Cablevision and Time Warner are providing cable service to their customers.

In order to take advantage of all of the benefits of HDTV programming, whether it takes the form of broadcast, cable or satellite, the proper equipment, an HD-antenna, an HD-satellite box, an HD-cable box or an HD-set-top box is needed as is a television set that is an integrated HDTV or can be upgradeable (much like a computer can be upgraded) to receive HDTV signals. These kinds of televisions go by a variety of different names, those being HD-compatible, HD-ready or HD-upgradeable.

To tune in or tune out to HDTV, that is the question. All of the major television networks in the United States including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and WB are broadcasting a number of their regularly scheduled programs in HDTV. Jumping on the bandwagon is UPN although their programming in HDTV is very limited. In the fall of 2004 FOX joined the other channels by broadcasting in 720p (one of the formats used in HDTV), as opposed to what they had done in the past which was programming in 480p or standard definition digital TV.

Other channels are also catching on to the appeal of HDTV. Some of these include popular channels Discovery, ESPN, HBO, FOX Sports, Showtime and TNT. Cable systems are tuning into HDTV as well. Many systems throughout the United States including Comcast, COX, Cablevision and Time Warner are providing cable service to their customers. DirecTV and Dish Network, the two main service providers of satellite television in the U.S. have decided to switch to HDTV as well. More and more broadcasters are choosing to tune in to HDTV and all of its benefits as opposed to tuning out.

HDTV however does have its down side. Gaining access to what is available on HDTV is not always an easy feat for the average television watcher. High-definition television is still not accessible for everyone to watch and many smaller stations cannot yet afford the cost of broadcasting its programs in this manner. For example, many local HDTV broadcasts only become available over-the-air if you have an antenna but some cable companies don’t have the resources to guarantee that all of the HDTV signals come through the television. For that reason many viewers are losing out. To use another example, most HDTV programming is available through satellite in the form of movie and sports channels. But local and/or network programming often suffers as it is broadcast less seldom in this manner. None of this is good news for television enthusiasts.

Price is often a factor in whether consumers can tune in or out to HDTV. Many cable companies price their HDTV service well out of range for the average low to middle income earner. While some companies opt to offer the very basic HDTV services with no extra charge whatsoever, a great majority charge more for the privilege of watching HDTV. Some cable companies choose to offer to their customers local and movie channels in a type of HDTV tier but there is an added cost for this. Even worse some companies take this a step further and charge their customers even more money for channels such as Discovery-HD for instance and ESPN-HD.

Another issue involved in the decision of whether or not to tune into HDTV is what exactly is required to be able to make use of HDTV. Let’s take a closer look at this important issue.

To break it down into its basic components, three things are needed in order to watch HDTV. They are a source of HDTV programming, whether it takes the form of Broadcast, Cable or Satellite; the proper apparatus, i.e. an HD-antenna, an HD-satellite box, an HD-cable box or an HD-set-top box, and lastly, a television set that is an integrated HDTV or is HD-upgradeable (also known as HD-compatible or HD-ready).

First of all before embarking on an HDTV adventure, make sure that HDTV service is actually available in your area. If it’s not, then it is a moot point to go any further. If your service area does have HDTV programming then you need to find out what you require in terms of an antenna, in order to be able to receive signals from HDTV. To use an example, if HDTV service in your area is broadcast over-the-air but your local cable or satellite service has nothing to do with the signals then it will be necessary for you to buy a HDTV-antenna in order for the HDTV signals to be passed through into your television. Finally the kind of television you invest in is of utmost importance. An integrated HDTV comes equipped with an HDTV tuner installed in it. This means no extra money must be put out to purchase an external box to receive signals. On the other hand, an HD-upgradeable television makes it necessary for you to add what is known as a set-top box to your television set in order to receive HDTV programming. This will involve an added cost to you and the prices for the box do vary from place to place.

HDTV or high definition television offers many benefits over traditional analog television. High definition television has excellent digital superiority, crisp detail, progressive scanning, digital audio, a wider viewing area and better quality DVD playback. However, the days of simply plugging a television into an outlet and calling the cable companies are over. Now, you must make sure your television is compatible with the type of service you want.

When you are ready to receive HDTV service you first need to check into a few things before making the switch. If you have a traditional analog television, you can receive digital broadcasts by purchasing a converter for your television. The converters for enabling traditional analog televisions to digital cost around $100. The picture resolution will not be the same, but you will still be able to see the broadcast.

More and more consumers are getting connected to high definition. As the technology to make smaller HDTV sets rises, the cost of these televisions come down enabling more people to purchase the sets. In addition to the cost of the actual television, the price of enhanced cable or satellite service must be considered before getting connected to HDTV.

High definition does have its benefits besides a better picture resolution. HDTV has none of the imperfections caused by a traditional analog broadcast. There is no snow from weak signals, no double images from ghosting and no picture sparkles cause by impulse noise.

Screen resolution from a high definition TV broadcast is almost five times as sharp as conventional broadcasts. High definition has double the lines of resolution compared to a traditional analog TV set. While a traditional analog set can only display 525 lines of resolution, HDTV technology takes this one step farther. HDTV broadcasts can display 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. This makes a huge difference in the picture clarity and quality. Often with big screen analog broadcasts, the picture is severely degraded because of the resolution lines.

To get your home ready to receive high definition television, you must first purchase an HDTV-ready or an HDTV capable television. There are several to choose from. Rear projection, plasma and LCD are all types of HDTV. When a television is labeled as HDTV-ready that means the TV has an HDTV tuner built in. This enables the TV set to get over-the-air high definition signals from local networks. HDTV-capable means that the TV set is able to receive high definition signals, but only with the use of an HDTV converter box that is available from the cable or satellite company, or a digital tuner and over-the-air antenna.

The next step in receiving high definition service is to acquire a converter box. A converter box usually costs between $5 and $10 per month, or some are available for purchase for several hundred dollars. Many HDTV sets available on the market now have built-in digital tuners that allow you to view the free digital broadcasts of major local networks. Additionally, converter boxes that are compatible with analog televisions can be purchased. These special converter boxes or adapters cost around $100. The picture will be similar to analog, but will be in digital format. The only downfall to this is if there is a weak digital signal, there could be no picture on the screen at all.

Next, when converting to HDTV, you must make sure that the channel you want to watch is broadcast in high definition. All major networks currently broadcast in both analog and high definition, but not all of their programming is in HDTV. The FCC recently gave networks channels in both analog and high definition with the hopes that networks would also make the switch to all HDTV. Besides the major networks, many of the movie channels also broadcast in high definition. Be aware that not all channels do broadcast in high definition, so if you have favorite channels it is important to call your cable or satellite provider beforehand to see what is and what is not offered. Some who receive high definition television are sometimes disappointed to learn that while all the major networks broadcast on a high definition channel, not all programs are in HDTV. Most networks will broadcasts popular sporting events and primetime specials in HDTV.