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Connected by Cable? Top Three Questions to Ask about HDTV
from: George PhillipsNearly 75% of cable companies now offer HDTV broadcasts. TWC and Comcast are among the major cable companies that provide this extraordinary service. But, cable television isn’t always the best route for accessing HDTV. For this reason, it is important to ask three key questions when looking into receiving HDTV through cable in order to guarantee the best picture quality.
Do I Need a Set-Top-Box or a Built in HDTV Tuner?
A set-top-box is a device that connects to a television and an external source for a signal. The set-top-box turns the signal into specific content that is then displayed on the television screen. In the case of cable, the set-top-box receives a signal from the cable company through a coaxial cable. When used along with HDTV, the set-top-box decodes the High Definition channels and sends the information to the television. In order to reap the benefits of a set-top-box and an HDTV signal, it is necessary to also have an HDTV television that can unscramble the code. Televisions that need an HDTV set-top-box are generally called “HDTV ready” because they do not have a built in HDTV tuner, but they are compatible with an HDTV set-top-box.
A built in HDTV tuner, as the name implies, is a television with a HDTV tuner built in. These television sets do not require a HDTV set-top-box to receive an HDTV signal.
For cable users, purchasing a television with built in HDTV is unnecessary. This is because most of the large cable providers issue high definition set-top-boxes with their cable service. The picture quality received through a set-top-box issued through the cable company is about the same as a HDTV set-top-box that is purchased separately.
What is the Quality of HDTV through Cable?
The HDTV signal quality that is transmitted over a cable system depends on the cable company. This quality is dependent upon the capacity of the cable company’s system, as well as its philosophy in regards to signal transmission and image quality.
It is important to note that cable companies have limitations to the capacity of their systems. HDTV signals being transmitted at their fullest quality take up a lot of the space available. For this reason, many cable companies that claim to offer HDTV don’t actually transmit the signal to its fullest quality. This is done primarily to conserve space for video-on-demand, pay-per-view, and other services.
To be considered true HDTV, the signal being transferred must have 19.4 million bits per second. Often cable companies offering HDTV only transfer 10 million bits per second. The resulting picture still generally looks better than that received from a regular digital channel, but it is not of the full-quality that should be received from HDTV.
For this reason, a consumer should ask the cable company about its bit rate before signing up with a cable company. If the bit rate is not to the fullest 19.4 million bits per second, then the consumer is better off sticking with receiving HDTV through an antenna or through a satellite dish.
Is HDTV the Same as Digital Cable?
The short answer to this question is “no.”
The long answer is that a cable company needs to be digital to be able to offer HDTV, but having digital cable doesn’t guarantee getting HDTV. It’s just like gas for a car. A car needs gas to run, but having gas doesn’t mean a person has a car.
Unless a cable company specifically says that it is offering HDTV, it most likely is not broadcasting these signals. In fact, most digital cable services offer a mix of analog and digital channels. Analog channels are generally the lower-numbered channels. Furthermore, the digital channels usually look crisper and clearer than analog channels. Nonetheless, digital channels are not the same as HDTV channels. In addition, digital channels look no where near as detailed and clear as HDTV.
For cable companies that do offer HDTV service, the selection of HDTV channels can be sparse depending on the location. Before signing up for cable service, the consumer needs to ask the cable company if it offers HDTV and, if so, how many and which channels are offered through HDTV. This information will help determine whether or not it is worthwhile to sign up with the cable company.
Important Notice Concerning DTV and HDTV: Although many TV systems have already complied with earlier rulings for changing all transmission to digital TV, there still is doubt as to when overall compliance will be reached. Earlier it was scheduled for late 2006, but it is doubtful if this happens.
George Phillips is the webmaster of Better Home Living Guide and the
Continuing Your Education Online website ... Anything related to better home living can be found in our directory of topics at www.cashbuilder.com
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