HDTV 101: A beginner's guide
By CNET StaffFeb 22, 2008
3. What else you'll need to watch HDTV
If you bring home your HDTV and plug it into a standard cable box, you'll see a picture, but it won't be high-definition television. To actually watch high-def, you need three other ingredients besides that shiny new HDTV: an HDTV source, an HDTV channel, and the HDTV show itself.
(a) HDTV source:
If you're a cable or satellite subscriber who's just bought an HDTV and wants to watch high-def, you'll need a special high-def cable or satellite box--the "source"--that can deliver HDTV channels and shows to your HDTV. High-def boxes usually cost more than regular ones, and in the case of cable, they might not be available in all areas or carry all of the HDTV channels you'd expect. In addition to cable and satellite, there's a third source available if you connect an antenna to just about any current high-def set: free over-the-air HDTV broadcasts of the major networks, which are available in most areas of the country.
(b) HDTV channel:
*Applicable for USA region only*
High-def channels are just like regular channels, but they have the potential to carry HDTV shows. Every cable and satellite provider that offers high-def channels usually offers the regular channel, too. For example, if you subscribe to DirecTV's HD satellite service, the HD version of ESPN is on one channel while the regular version is on another. There are many more regular, a.k.a. standard-definition, channels than high-definition ones at the moment, but more and more networks are offering high-def versions. Some related channels, such as ESPN and ESPNHD, have the same shows and schedules, while others, such as Discovery and DiscoveryHD, are different.
(c) HDTV show:
If you're watching an HDTV that's plugged into your new HDTV cable box and tuned to an HDTV channel, then you're watching high-def, right? Not necessarily. Some HDTV channels, such as DiscoveryHD and HDNet, broadcast everything in high-def, including commercials. But most are simulcast, meaning they have the same shows on both the high-def and standard-def channels. The catch is that not every show on the HD channel actually appears in high-def. Many games on ESPNHD, for example, don't actually appear in high-def, and a number of TV programs on the major networks--especially reality shows and local news--aren't in HD yet either. Non-HD shows on HD channels won't look nearly as sharp as the high-def shows do and usually don't fill the wide screen properly. All of the major networks, namely ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, are simulcast in HD and non-HD versions, and by this point, almost all major sporting events, prime-time shows, and specials are in high-def.
