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HDTV Cable Box Facts- Some Basics About High Definition Television

In order to enjoy HDTV in your home you’ll need a few things. Here are some basics you’ll need to understand before you even start.

1) A local source of High Def programming

This will be from broadcast, satellite or cable. Before choosing and buying a High Def Television, do some research to see which HDTV services exist in your area.

2) Either an HD Satellite box, HD Cable Box, HD Set-top Box, or an External Indoor/Outdoor Antenna.

What you found out in determining local sources of HDTV programming determines what you need in your home to receive HDTV signals. If you have local stations in your area that broadcast High Def signals over the air, find out if they are included through the local Cable service or Satellite service providers. If not then it could be you’ll need an antenna to receive these channels. If this is the case, whether you can get away with an indoor antenna, or will need a more powerful outdoor antenna will be determined by how close you are to the local transmitter.

Your choice of cable or satellite box is next. If you determined your local cable or satellite provider includes HD programming, so some research on what the costs involved will be, and find out what the rental fee is for their cable box (or if you can purchase it outright). Also see if a generic HDTV Set-top box will work instead.

You’ll want to pay particular attention to which HDTV channels are offered- local, national and premium. Again, they may not supply the feeds supplied by your local stations, In which case you’ll need an antenna (and an HDTV with a built-in tuner) along with the cable box. This will become an issue with local HD sports broadcasts.

The same applies to DirecTV or DishNetwork Satellite HD services. Get a good grasp on exactly what they offer in their satellite packages before making a decision.

3) Cable Cards

As an additional note, some HD-ready TV’s can receive a ‘Cable Card‘, which is a card similar to a PCMCIA card for your laptop, that can be inserted into the TV to enable receiving cable channels, both HD and regular. Like having a built-in HD tuner, this is an option that may become obsolete very quickly, and not provide access to all the channels you’d have with a regular set-top box. You still have the monthly cable cost, and it may not be compatible with a Digital Video Recorder such as TiVo. This is an option to be wary of.

4) ATSC Broadcast Tuners Required in all Televisions

All TV’s manufactured at present, whether HDTV or SD (Standard Definition) Digital TV’s, are required to include an ATSC (Advance Television Systems Committee) tuner in each TV. All TV’s will be able to receive SD and HDTV signals, but only HDTV’s will be able to display the High Def signal at the full resolution and clarity of picture.

5) QAM Tuner may be include in the HD Television

As well as an ATSC tuner, many HDTV’s have what is called a QAM tuner. Having this tuner lets the HDTV receive unscrambled (non-premium) HD-cable signals without a cable box. You’ll have to check with your cable provider for your area. A QAM tuner is not mandated, as is the ATSC tuner, but is getting more and more common. Check the specs of the HDTV you have your eye on to see if this is included.

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