What You Really Need To Get HDTV (It's More Than Just a TV!)

Are you watching standard definition TV on your new HDTV? Here are a few things many people don't know.

Once you've bought your shiny, new high-definition television and properly set up all your living room furniture around it, you'll be more than ready to plug the sucker in and start enjoying the next-level of picture quality. But wait! First you need to be sure that what you're plugging your TV into (and what you're plugging your TV in with) is capable of providing a true high-definition picture, otherwise, you'll be stuck with a sub-par picture and a thick sense of disappointment. If you want to avoid such a dismal fate, read on to learn everything you need to know to get a great HD picture when you need it.

Start With the Source

High-definition TV, much like a mighty river, starts with a source. Wherever you're getting the television signal from, whether it is from a cable or satellite service, DVD player, or anything else you hook up to your TV, it needs to be capable of serving up high-definition content.

Many cable and satellite TV services had HDTV channels that are distinct from their regular TV channels. For example, if you're used to watching NBC on channel 7, you may need to start watching it on channel 212, as HD channels are often placed in the very high hundreds. Channel 7 will still be there, but it will only look marginally better than it did on your old TV, channel 212 is where you'll get the best HD picture possible. Keep in mind that you may need to upgrade your plan or cable box to access these HD channels, so check with your service provider to make sure you're all set to receive them. Most basic channels like NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS, should be available to you with at no additional cost.

If you've got a DVD player, you'll notice improvement in the picture quality because your new HDTV set is superior to your old TV, but it's not an HD picture. To take greater advantage of your new set's capabilities, you'll want to buy an "up-scaling" DVD player, which digitally scales the images to appear better on an HDTV, though it is not true HD resolution. Only Blu-Ray and HD-DVD players are specifically designed to be high-definition, but the cost of entry for these accessories, and the dozens of new movies you'd have to buy, probably isn't worth the hassle at the present time.

Make the Right Connections

Now that you're sure that the source of your TV broadcasts is in HD, you need to make sure that it can get from your source to your TV set without any loss in quality. To do this, you'll need a cable connection capable of high-definition, one that both your TV and your source support.

The three most-common types of HD connection are HDMI, Component, and DVI. HDMI is probably the best, as it carries both audio and HD video, and has quickly become the standard. While many unscrupulous companies are selling HDMI cables, for hundreds of dollars, you can get a good-quality HDMI cable for as low as $10. Don't be suckered into thinking you need to overspend for better quality; the cables are very simple and all the same.

Component connections look a lot like the old red, white, and yellow RCA/Composite connections you used to connect your DVD player to your old TV. These red, green, and blue connections are capable of handling extremely high quality video, however, even HD resolutions. Though they are being replaced by HDMI, Component connections are a great back-up, and many older DVD players already have these outputs.

DVI is less common than HDMI or Component, and is sometimes found on computers, so if you're looking to use your HDTV as a large computer monitor, you'll want to make sure you've got a DVI input ready.

The Checklist

So here's what you need to truly enjoy high-definition television in all its glory:

• A High Definition Television (720p/1080i/1080p resolution) with HD Inputs (HDMI/DVI/Component).
• A High Definition Source with HD Outputs (HDMI/DVI/Component).
• A HD-capable cable (HDMI/DVI/Component) to connect the source to the TV.
• Make sure you're tuned to a TV channel that supports HD content.