SDTV for the people who want cheaper TV sets - still digital capable

HDTV for the people who want the better picture on the HDTV channels and for Hi Def DVD players and Hi Def gaming systems

U.S. Analog TV over the air ends after February 17, 2009 - Except for low power stations and translators (repeaters) in some markets - on February 18, 2009 you need a converter or an SDTV/HDTV with a ATSC tuner

U.S. Analog TV requirement on cable or satellite ends in 2012 - Then you will need a converter but your cable company may provide this for a fee

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed a mandatory ‘digital tuner rule’ on the consumer electronics industry requiring that, as of March 1, 2007, all video equipment (including TVs) containing television tuners, which are manufactured, imported, or shipped for use in the United States must include a digital (aka, DTV) tuner; TVs equipped with analog only tuners are prohibited.

If retailers are selling any (remaining) ‘TV equipment’ equipped with analog broadcast tuners only, then those retailers are required by law to inform consumers that the they will need additional equipment to receive digital television broadcasts. At the present time the likelihood of purchasing a new DTV that was manufactured before March 1, 2007 is fairly low.

Be forewarned, the FCC’s “must carry” or “dual-carriage” analog cable TV provision applies ONLY to LOCAL TELEVISION CHANNELS, i.e., local television stations, and no other cable channels. Local television channels (i.e., those TV stations/channels that are capable of being received ‘over-the-air’ using a conventional TV antenna,) that are broadcast in your area will be the ONLY channels transmitted in analog form through February 2012 by the small number of cable TV providers who are yet unable to provide access to digital broadcasts or content for their subscribers.

If you purchase a new DTV that is labeled “Digital Cable Ready” (“DCR”) or “Plug-and-Play” then you should be able to continue viewing your current level of cable TV programming beyond February 17, 2009 without incurring any additional monthly fees.

You do not need to purchase an HDTV to watch television after the February 17, 2009 analog cut-off; you have the option of purchasing an SDTV (Standard Definition Television) or EDTV (Enhanced Definition Television.) Consumers with non-HD televisions - either digital SDTVs, EDTVs, or analog TVs equipped with DTV compliant set-top boxes (aka, digital-to-analog converter boxes,) or DBS/DTH (satellite) receivers - will continue watching broadcast television albeit at a display resolution limited largely by—in many cases—older display technology, with a maximum resolution generally topping-out at 720×480 (the same resolution provided by DVD-Video in North America) or in some cases, 854×480 (depending on the display.)

Not all ‘flat-screen’ TVs are HDTVs; there are several models currently available that are SDTV or EDTV. However, at the present time, HDTVs are being produced in greater volume and are much more plentiful than SDTVs or EDTVs. Thanks to the fairly strong consumer demand for HDTV and economy of scale, you are not likely to find a substantial difference in the prices between the current models of SDTVs, EDTVs and HDTVs.

Many of the latest HDTVs are fairly good at artificially creating high-definition images from non-high-definition content such as DVD-Video, though some brands and models are better than others. Be sure you take the time to carefully and thoroughly evaluate any TV you are considering purchasing; it’s become more important than ever before. Which type of display technology to buy is far from the only criterion to consider when shopping for a new TV. One of the most important factors is the performance of the embedded video and image processors. The simplest tool to evaluate the video and image processing performance of today’s new DTVs is the HQV Benchmark disc from Silicon Optix. Another very important factor is interoperability, i.e., can the TV perform properly with all of the video equipment that will be connected to it. These are but only two of several important reasons why I strongly advocate buying a new DTV from a reputable and knowledgeable local dealer rather than sight unseen from a mail order retailer.

Digital Television FAQs - Consumer Corner

DTV Definitions

HDTV Brochure Final

Compatibility of Cable TV and Digital TV Receivers

National Cable & Telecommunications Association

FCC: Dual Carriage Will Last Three Years

NCTA Backs 3-Year Limit

What is the difference between “enhanced digital TV” and analog TV?

Televisions?

HDTV resolutions and advertised HDTV specs don’t match. What’s up with that?

Buying A Digital Television

Read This Before Buying a Plasma or LCD TV
Article Archive

NIST Flat Panel Display Laboratory
Tips for Buying a HDTV

DTV Certified, What Should It Mean?

Home Theater Magazine, 2007-03-01 – Test DVDs

HQV Benchmark image quality testing tool
 

Listen….ALL TVS are HD right now. BUY ONE.

The GOOD NEWS IS YOU DON’T have to UPGRADE YOUR CABLE TO WATCH YOUR CABLE….the TV sets presently handle those channels with no problem….

That’s all you really wanted to know…..
Just tell the salesman you have cable and don’t plan on getting the HD CHANNELS….
He’ll fix you right up….

However, if your HDTV includes a QAM tuner, it will be able to pick up HDTV channels on your cable that are normally broadcast in your area. This usually includes your local FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC, and PBS stations. So, you can get those channels for free - even with your existing, non-HD cable subscription. Other channels, like Discovery HD, will need a separate subscription from your cable company.

Again, because the HDTV includes an upscaler, it will also upscale your existing DVDs. Just be sure to connect your DVD player to the HDTV using component cables, and set the DVD player to use progressive scan. This is the highest video quality that regular DVD players support. The better the picture you feed to the HDTV, the better it will look when upscaled. You might also think about getting a new DVD player with a built-in upscaler. These usually do a bit of a better job than the upscaler in your HDTV, and are generally around $100-200.

For now, don’t even consider any of the HD video players. They’re still fighting amongst themselves to determine if HD-DVD or Blu-Ray will be the standard format for the next generation of DVD, and frankly, you don’t want to be on the “losing” end here. Besides, regular DVDs on a HDTV will already receive quite a boost in picture quality without requiring you to buy new hardware or movies.

Finally, if you play video games, both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 support HD, allowing their games to use incredibly detailed graphics.