HD Television Requirements
- Almost all HDTVs are flat-paneled.tv control and tv 3 image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
With the emergence of digital television, high-definition TV has expanded greatly. Many TV shows are broadcast in high-definition, and stations are available over cable and satellite in full HD. In order to fully view HDTV, however, certain devices, parts and connections are needed. - An HDTV set is a form of digital TV, but not all digital TV is high-definition. A standard definition digital TV or an analog set with a digital converter will be unable to receive high-definition channels. For this, the TV must have an ASTC tuner, not an NTSC. HDTV sets are sold in multiple forms. LCD TV sets are the most common, which use a liquid crystal display like most computer monitors. Plasma and rear-projection TVs can come in larger screens than LCD TVs.
- If you intend to receive HD stations over the airwaves only, you will need to have an HD antenna. These can be mounted outside your home, or you can buy one that functions indoors. The majority of these antennas will connect to the TV through the set's ATSC port, which is very similar to an RF coaxial cable port. Like other antennas, the reception will be best the higher you mount it.
- If you are hooking up the TV to a cable or satellite TV system, you need an HD cable or satellite receiver. If you subscribe to an HD cable or satellite package, it should include a receiver capable of receiving HD signals. The cable output port in the wall of your home also needs to be capable of transmitting the TV signal, which is the responsibility of the cable provider. A satellite dish antenna will have this technology installed.
- Not all cable connections will transmit and receive HD signals. An HD antenna or cable box will connect via the ATSC port. For the best HD digital cable or satellite TV, one must use a component, DVI or HDMI connection. A component video cable has red, green and blue RCA-style plugs and must work alongside a red/white RCA audio cable. DVI is very similar to the type of cable used to connect a computer monitor, while HDMI is the highest quality and is shaped like a stretched-out trapezoid. An HD DVD or Blu-Ray player must use HDMI, while a game console can only use component.
