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- High Definition Buyers Guide -




A critical step in choosing high definition digital equipment is understanding the different options that are available and then choosing the ones that you desire or are applicable to you. As all HDTV equipment manufacturers differ in terms of available features, having a good understanding in advance can ensure your choice in equipment will offer the features that are important to you. Many people rush out and buy equipment thinking that all high definition television equipment is created equal, and later find out that they will need to upgrade later to enjoy the maximum benefits. Others also end up paying premium prices for equipment with features that they may never use.

If you have not already done so, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of high definition technology and equipment on our Introduction to HDTV and HDTV Glossary. Once you have chosen your equipment, our HDTV Setup Guide will walk you through the basics of setting up your equipment.


Currently, there are three different ways to receive High definition programming.

  • Off-Air HDTV Signals. These come from your local broadcast stations, which requires a HDTV tuner as well as an antenna capable of HDTV reception and of course an acceptable off air signal. In order to receive them, you usually need to live less than 75 miles (Approximately 1 hours drive) from a major metropolitan area or television broadcast tower. The farther you live from the television, the larger the antenna required in order to receive the signal. There are exceptions to this of course, people that live on high mountains or hills will usually receive a stronger signal than people that live in a low valley. Unlike analog broadcasts, which can yield a snowy picture in "fringe areas", with digital, you will either receive the signal or you won't. People that live within city limits of major cities will more than likely be able to receive HDTV signals using a small indoor antenna. Rural residents will require a large outdoor antenna.
  • Satellite High Definition. All digital direct to home satellite broadcasters such as the American Directv, Dish Network, VOOM systems as well as Canadian Star Choice and Bell Expressvu offer a limited range of high definition television programming. To receive these signals, you will need a new satellite decoder capable of receiving high definition signals and you may need a second dish or one capable of receiving signals from multi- satellites, depending on your satellite provider. Be aware that HDTV content varies from provider to provider. Currently, VOOM offers the most high definition content available anywhere on satellite with over 30 channels. Most others offer only 6-10 channels. If you are planning to invest in a quality HDTV satellite IRD, the good news is that most mid-range to high end satellite receivers also have the capability to receive off-air HDTV broadcasts with the use of a HDTV antenna. Some also receive analog off-air signals. There are exceptions to this however as some will only process analog off air signals so be sure to check before you commit to a decision.
  • Cablevision High Definition. Many cablevision providers also now carry a limited selection of HDTV programming. In order to receive high definition cablevision signals, you will need access to digital cable and a special cablevision HDTV set top box. These can be purchased and also rented from most cablevision providers. Available programming varies from provider to provider. Some high end integrated HDTV televisions now come with a digital cable tuner built in. This is known as a CABLECARD module and it requires a special access card from your cablevision provider in order to receive cablevision. Some cablevision tuners also have the capability to receive HDTV off-air signals. Some also receive analog off-air signals. Be sure to check on your chosen model's capability before committing to a decision.
  • Integrated High Definition Personal Video Recorder A sub-category to all 3 HDTV tuner types are ones that have a built in personal video recorder. While there is an abundance of PVR's capable of recording standard broadcasts, ones capable of recording high definition programs are still rare and fairly costly. However in the coming years, they will become more and more common as prices drop and new manufacturer join in.



Available Options



Choosing the equipment with the correct options is one of the most important choices you will make, especially if you are on a limited budget. There is a wide variety of equipment available and by far, not all are created equal.

If you plan on receiving off-air high definition signals from your local television stations, you will need a digital tuner or HDTV set top box. There are a wide variety of digital tuners available on the market and not all are created equal. Some are capable of decoding all 18 formats of digital television, including all 6 HDTV and EDTV as well as SDTV. Others however, especially lower end models will only have the capacity to decode the more popular ones. For example, some models offer 1080i and 720p for HDTV broadcasts, while others only offer 1080i. While at the moment there are few broadcasts available in 720 lines progressive mode, in the future there are likely to be far more. Some models offer a number of output options, such as DVI/HDMI/RGB, while others offer only the basics. Generally, the more feature you desire in a HDTV tuner, the more you should expect to pay. While a low end model can be acquired for less than $250 USD, a top of the line model will be in excess of $750 USD.



Digital Television (DTV) Formats

There are currently 18 digital television formats, with varying degrees of resolution, frames per second and aspect ratios. These include HDTV, EDTV and SDTV signals. Your chosen HDTV tuner should offer the ability to receive most if not all 18 formats. If you have or are planning to purchase a progressive scan HDTV television, then you will likely want to invest in a HDTV decoder that can output both 1080i as well as 720p HDTV broadcasts. If your television is an interlaced model however, this may be an un-neccessary expense, unless you are planning to upgrade later.



Digital Video Connections

Supported digital outputs are an area that varies widely by manufacturer. The more outputs a model has, the higher the cost, therefor you should choose a model that offers the features that you will use now, as well as conceivably in the future.

  • Component Video (Standard) - Progressive component video connections are standard on most all HDTV tuners and they are the most common type of digital connection. They seperate the video signal into 3 distinct streams (red,green and blue), in which the video signal is carried via three individual cables using RCA type jack connections. HDTV decoders use progressive component video, identified by Y,Pr,Pb.
  • DVI - A DVI connector is an uncompressed video only connector that is standard on most HDTV components. DVI employs a copy protection scheme developed by Intel known as High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) which uses a special authentication protocol to protect programs from being copied. This allows a broadcaster to restrict the recording ability of certain programming, such as pay per view and special events. DVI operates in conjunction with digital video outputs, such as coaxial or optical or analog composite audio out. DVI/HDMI outputs will deliver the highest quality video possible.
  • HDMI - HDMI is the next generation of digital connections, allowing uncompressed video as well as digital audio. HDMI is the successor to DVI and also offers the HDCP copyright protection scheme. HDMI is also backwards compatible with DVI through the use of a HDMI to DVI adapter. It is expected that many devices ranging from DVD recorders to digital VCR's will eventually offer HDMI inputs in the coming years. HDMI is not yet widely available in most digital televisions, however it is an important consideration if your digital television supports it or you are planning to upgrade to a new one in the future and you want an all in one cable for the highest quality video as well as digital audio.
  • RGB+H/V - RGB+H/V digital connections also seperate video into distinct red,green and blue channels and are a consideration if you have a high end projector, which take advantage of wide-bandwidth RGB+H/V connections to deliver line-doubled images free of visible scan lines. You will not see a noticeable difference between RGB and component video on most televisions and projectors.
  • Firewire - Firewire is a two way connection that is capable of transmitting both video and audio and support a copy protection scheme known as Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) which is more flexible than the HDCP scheme used with DVI. This would allow a broadcaster to limit or restrict recording of certain broadcasts, such as pay per view or special events.Firewire outputs is a consideration if you would like to send your HDTV programs to a digital VCR or another digital device, such as a DVD recorder.


Digital Audio Connectors

Digital audio connectors also vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. As important as the types of connections offered, is the number of digital outputs. Most people with home theater and HDTV sets will want more than one set of digital audio outputs.

  • Optical Cable - This is the preferred and best method of sending digital audio signals from a component, which is capable of 5.1 surround sound. It utilizes a special fibre optic optical cable to pass the digital signals. The most common optical cable platform is TOSLink, which uses a square shaped plug, although some select components, such as mini disc recorders may use a small 3.5mm optical mini plug. You will want to ensure you match your optical cable type to your particular audio components. Optical cable outputs are a consideration if you have or plan to purchase a 5.1 surround sound capable audio receiver (Dolby Digital, DTS) which supports optical inputs.
  • Digital Coaxial - Another method of passing digital audio signals is by using a single digital coaxial connection. This utilizes standard 75 Ohm RCA-type video cables and allows a 5.1 surround audio signals to pass. Digital coaxial outputs are standard on many HDTV components. This method is usually used for older or low end 5.1 audio receivers which do not support optical inputs.


Analog Video Connectors

Your choice in HDTV component should also offer analog video outputs to enable you to send down-converted signals to analog components such as VCR's, Personal video recorders, as well as non-HDTV analog televisions. Most HDTV components offer analog S-Video, which allows 400 lines of resolution and also composite video, which allows 330 lines of resolution.


Analog Audio Connectors

Your HDTV component should also offer analog audio outputs to enable you to send Dolby Pro-logic audio signals to non 5.1 surround audio receivers. This comes in RCA type left and right composite outputs.


Other Features

There are other features that are offered as well that are worthy of consideration. These include features such as on-screen display and electronic program guide compatibility as well as other that are dependant on make and model.




HDTV Components Buyers Guide


Off-Air Tuners


Digital Cable/HDTV Tuners

Other models of Motorola HDTV/Digital cable tuners are available for sale or rent exclusively through your local cablevision provider. These include models with a built-in PVR for recording HDTV programs in addition to standard definition ones.


Dish Network Satellite

  • Vip722 - Dish Network satellite HDTV DVR
  • Vip622 - Dish Network satellite HDTV DVR
  • Vip222 - Dish Network satellite HDTV decoder
  • Vip211 - Dish Network satellite HDTV decoder


Directv Satellite


Starchoice Satellite


Bell Expressvu Satellite






Administrative Announcements
08/04/2008 11:20 AM
In order to give the website a better focus, we are phasing out the less popular areas of the site, including the high definition and digital video recorder areas and forums. This will leave the site focused on digital satellite television and satellite radio.

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