Everything HD Part I: HD Sources
posted Monday, July 17th, 2006 by Andy Gore
Part I in our Geek 101 users guide on HDTV focuses on the available live sources for HD content.
So, let’s say you’ve decided to invest in an HD-capable setup for your home theatre. What’s your first step? You need to figure out where your HD content is going to come from, that’s what. Sounds simple, right? Not so much.
First thing to note when selecting an HD source is it’s important to realize not all television programming is available in HD resolutions. In fact, only prime-time programming on the Big Four networks is universally available in HD. Some cable network shows are recorded in HD, but the cable networks may not offer an HD version of their channel, so you won’t be able to view that show in high definition. Until the U.S. has gone completely digital, your source must offer a separate channel for HD content before you’ll be able to view that content in high resolution. For example, if there’s no ESPN HD channel on your cable company’s line-up, then it doesn’t matter if the game you want to watch was recorded in HD – it’ll still only be displayable at the standard analog resolution.
Starting this summer you can buy prerecorded HD, which will guarantee you get the best possible quality (yes, there are differences in the quality of HD sources) whenever you want it. However, even that presents some challenges for the HD enthusiast (see “Blu-ray versus HD-DVD” below.) But before we discuss recorded HD, let’s get specific about live HD:
OTA HD. The cheapest source for HD content is broadcast. Yep, just like the old rabbit ears, only now it’s a high-definition image you’re capturing. Sometimes referred to as OTA (Over-The-Air) or terrestrial HDTV (the technical name for the U.S. standard is ATSC), you don’t have to pay anything for this content. In most markets you’re only going to get HD versions of the Big Four networks, but because right now the majority of available HD content is coming from the Big Four, that might be okay.
One critical thing to keep in mind about OTA HD: You must be able to get a clear signal to view your show. Unlike analog broadcast, which could tolerate marginal signals, the higher bandwidth required to deliver that higher resolution image also requires a correspondingly stronger signal. Before you go the OTA route, you’re going to want to test it out. You can enter your address at the CEA web site, which can give you an idea of where and how far away the local OTA HD transmitters are from your house. Distance is important as is positioning and the number of obstructions between you and the transmitter.
Ultimately, the only way to know for sure is to try it out. Get a television with an HD ATSC tuner (most come standard with this feature) and give it a whirl. You can start with an indoor antenna, although a roof antenna will always be better. If you can’t get a clean signal to enough of the stations you want to watch, you can always opt for cable or satellite and you won’t even be out the cost of the antenna, assuming you return it within your retailer’s grace period. Believe me, the retailers I do business with are accustomed to getting a lot of their HDTV antennas returned. It’s just hit and miss and setting up an antenna and trying it out is the only way to know for sure
Cable HD. With Cable HD service you can forget about messing with antennas and signal strengths. You can also forget about getting your HD for free. Most cable companies offer HD service as part of their digital cable packages and often these packages include premium HD channels like ESPN, HBO and the like. These packages can also be quite expensive and the cable company may also try and get you to rent a set-top box to unscramble the premium channels. For a slightly higher fee, some cable companies offer a set-top box with HD recording, which is a nice feature as standard digital video recorders (DVR), like a standard TiVO, cannot record HD content.
However, if you’re not interested in HD recording, you can bypass the whole set-top box thing by getting an HD television with a CableCard slot. A CableCard, which is usually available from the cable company, will allow you to use your TV to tune cable channels, even the scrambled channels, without the aid of a set-top box.
And here’s another trick: If you just want basic cable and don’t want to pay for premium channels or digital service, you can tune in the same channels available via OTA HD over an analog cable connection. All you need is a TV that is able to tune in QAM256-based cable channels (which is the standard used by most U.S. cable carriers); most TVs with a CableCard have a QAM256 tuner built-in. Thanks to a FCC provision that requires cable carriers to offer local OTA HD channels unscrambled, you can get the absolute cheapest analog service your cable company provides and still get the Big Four’s HDTV shows.
Satellite HD. The third way you can get live HD is via satellite services like DirecTV or the Dish Network. If you currently have satellite you may need to upgrade your receiver to get HD. Like cable, satellite offers the Big Four network channels plus a small slate of specialty channels (TNT HD, ESPN HD, Discovery HD) in HD. DirecTV also offers a set-top box with built-in TiVO HD recording capabilities (Dish also offers HD recording, it just doesn’t use TiVO’s excellent software). Unlike cable, there is no workaround for a set-top box. On the other hand, you can own the satellite set-top box and get one with TiVO HD recording for $299 after rebate.
As with cable, it may not seem like the satellite services are offering much in the way of programming HD choices. This is due in part to a lack of available HD content and bandwidth constraints on satellite and cable networks (HD channels require 5x the bandwidth of standard stations). DirecTV has recently launched two new satellites to help expand its bandwidth and is in the process of switching from MPEG2 to MPEG4 compression, all of which will increase its network capacity to 150 National HD channels and up to 1500 local channels by the end of 2007. And with HD becoming the recording standard for most new television shows, by the end of 2007 you should be able to get all the HD content you could ever want through satellite.
Our Geek 101 users guide on HDTV continues in Part II: Canned HD.
July 18th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
terrestrial HD is also offered by PBS stations nation-wide (so it\’s not just the \”big four\”).
February 2nd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I am attaining cheap cable at this time, and I am wondering if there is a way (other than calling my local cable company and asking to hook me up to HD) to attain HD TV if I just purchase the HD Box. Once I own the HD Box, can I just plug it in to attain HD Channels or does my local CC have to turn something on from their end.
I purchased internet service and told the cable company I have a Dish so I don’t want cable… but they just gave me the feed and I get all the channels anyway. I have recently got rid of the dish and I want HD TV, is there any way to achieve this without calling the CC? I purchased the new Sharp Aquos with built in receiver…
Randy
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Hi Randy,
All cable companies are required by the FCC to leave unscrambled the HD stations that you can get over-the-air in your area. For example, here in Los Angeles even basic, analog cable carries the digital HD signal for CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX and PBS.
So, with the right tuner you should be able to tune in these basic, unscrambled HD channels, no matter whatever service you’re gettting. Now, as for the right tuner, it must be capable of tuning in QAM cable signals. Be careful to double-check this: Many TV sets will claim they have HD tuners, but are only able to tune in ATSC signals (over the air), not QAM cable.
Hope that helps!
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Hey Andy… thanks for your input!!
I checked the specs on the Sharp Aquos LCD, and under Tuner is has “NTSC, ATSC & QAM”… so am I to think that any HD channels will come through automatically or do I still need an HD box?
I also tuned in the channels automatically (with the search tool) and found that there are some strange channels like 74.1, 74.2.. it is coming up as a digital channel with a mono signal. I can’t see anything, but the television detected these channels. There isn’t any sound either, just a black screen.
Thanks,
Randy
February 4th, 2007 at 11:31 am
If the AQUOS tuner says “QAM”, you won’t need an external box to tune in any unscrambled HD channels, only scrambled ones (like Discovery, etc.)
Those blank channels are either for pay-per-view or reserved for future use. There are a lot of channels on the digital spectrum that aren’t being used for anything right now, but a cable company set-top box filters those out, and a straight-up QAM tuner doesn’t.
Feel free to ignore them. You may also find so-called “low-res” digital channels, which deliver content at standard resolution. This is normal as well.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Thanks Andy….
I just purchased a “30 db Antenna” on Sunday. I get alot more channels than I anticipated. About 70 regular channles from the cable feed and about 40 additional (all 120 or so in HD). Good acquisition!! :~)
thanks again,
Randy
February 5th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Thank YOU for participating in our community. And feel free tap us next time you have a question.
So, did you get one of the RCA antennas? We’ve had really good luck with their indoor units.
February 6th, 2007 at 10:47 am
Yes Andy… the RCA antenna (30db) is great!! I am receiving a signal from 88-90 out of a possible 90. I see that the regular cable channels are still analog, while the higher channels that I never received before are digital. Somehow the picture (in analog) looks better than the direct cable hook-up (for regular cable channels), is this normal or is it just my imagination?
The analog channels I am receiving through the receiver are not HD, right? Channels 2 thru 70 are analog (same as regular cable), then the digital signals are all the other channels above that.
Thanks,
Randy
February 6th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Okay, so, pretty much everything you get through cable on that ATSC/QAM tuner is digital, just not HD. That’s why it looks better than your standard cable through an analog tuner.
The stuff you’re getting off that RCA antenna is all likely to be ATSC, which means digital. It’s not uncommon for networks to have several versions of the same transmission feeds in the same area, which explains why you might be seeing more than one ABC, CBS, etc. on the ATSC tuner lineup. Some of these offer HD versions of signal, while other offer SD (standard definition). However, in both cases, the signal is digital, not analog, which means there’s error-checking etc. to ensure clean video.
Bottom line is everything you’re getting on your new set-up is most likely digital; but you may be seeing them in two different resolutions (SD and HD). A smaller image size doesn’t necessarily indicate an analog source.
February 11th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Hey Andy… thanks again for all your input, but one more thing!!
When I flip the channels, I see all the standard Cable (2 thru 70).. they are even labeled “cable” on the display. It also says that these channels are analog and it only says digital when I get up past those “standard cable channels”. So as for SD and HD how else can I tell if the signal is digital or analog?
I also have a HDD DVD recorder. It isn’t Hi-Def, and it shows as recording 480 dpi… if I am recording a something with a 1080dpi input, will the HDD recorder also record on that level, or is it’s max 480 dpi regardless of the source?
Randy
February 12th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Whether or not the source digital or not doesn’t matter on cable because reception isn’t an issue. The only important distinction is that analog signals will only be available in SD resolution. If you’ve got something coming through at HD resolution, that will *always* be a digital signal.
As for your DVD recorder, if the max. recording resolution is 480p, then that’ll be what it’ll record at no matter what the resolution of the source is. So, in the case of a 1920p signal, the resulting recording will only be 480p.
- Andy
February 14th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Thanks again Andy…
Your input has been enlightening!!
Randy
May 18th, 2007 at 1:47 am
Seriously, you guys rock! This site has been so helpful. Just so others can follow my footsteps here’s what to do. Plug in your TV directly into the Analog feed from your cable company (I have a sharp Aquos). Go to the EZ Setup and have it scan for digital and analog channels. Then start at channel 2 and press channel DOWN, it will move to the HIGHEST found digital channel keep pressing down until you find the local HD feeds for your area. Kudos to the people who run this site!