HD TV Info

L.,

You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT have to buy cable to have HD tv. My husband has an HD tv that got the HD channels from an antenna in the attic until a month and a half ago when we signed up for Fios tv. HD looks great!

HD signals go over the airwaves just like analog signals, but you, of course, are limited to broadcast channel - ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and KERA. I think channels 27 and 33 have HD stations as well. If you have an HD tv all you need is an HD receiver for the antenna to go into - unless that tv says that you don't need it... some of the new ones don't need the extra receiver - they can find the "in-between" stations on their own.

I didn't know how good the picture would be until I saw it for myself (long story but the tv was in storage after we go married until we finally bought this house, so I didn't see the HD until past few months). They are good channels and it looks great. Plus, the digital stations come in clear or not at all... that is a good and bad thing. Since I only ever had rabbit ears before I got married, I was skeptical, but the picture quality is much better on broadcast tv than with the regular signal, which was mostly a little grainy on all the but the stations I worked to get to come in good... I guess I had just gotten used to it.

Bottom line, I guess, if you get an HDTV, the picture will be great. It's up to you guys if it's worth the money or not. But I will say, the picture on the regular stations is better than cable (non-hd cable, that is).

Hope that helps.

Go to this website:
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/learningc...

From the site:

Over-the-air broadcasts: Digital TV broadcasts are currently being transmitted by over 1500 local stations across the country covering over 99% of U.S. TV households (as of 1/06). Visit this website to find stations broadcasting digital signals in your area — just enter your zip code (the site also lists local cable HD availability). Over 90% of digital stations broadcast in the normal UHF range (channels 14 through 83), so you can receive them with a standard UHF antenna. For antenna info that's specific to your address, visit the Consumer Electronics Association's antenna selector website.

What you need:

· HD-compatible TV
· HDTV (ATSC) tuner — separate unit or built into TV
· indoor or outdoor UHF or UHF/VHF antenna
· local HDTV broadcasts (they're free!)

Good luck.

P.

1 mom found this helpful

We have an HDTV. It will work just fine w/ an outdoor antenna or if you get a boosted rabbit ear antenna.

1 mom found this helpful

L.,
Even if you buy an HD TV, you still have to subscribe to High Definition cable. You pay even more a month to have HD, on top of your cable or satellite bill.

L.,
We just went through all of this- and yes you do need to subscribe to some sort of High Def reciever type thing. We ended w/ a nice Flat Screen TV with a high resolution. Works well :-)

This is exactly what we went through.....I told my husband we could only get what fits in the armoire!!! no exceptions. So we were limited. We used to have a 36" regular TV(the biggest that would fit behind the armoire doors) and had to downsize to a 32" to get a LCD HDTV. We also do not have any type of cable, so we just got the antenna from walmart to work.

L.,
My husband just bought me for my b-day a 26" DELL HD/TV Computer monitor combo. I was getting a new computer for my birthday and he thought he'd spurge a little more and get a combo. I LOVE IT! It's the best thing I ever did, it switches easily to go from TV/DVD/VCR/Computer and I haven't had one single problem with programming, pictures etc. Not one problem. I love it and the picture is beautiful!
It's like the difference between DSL/Cable Modem and Dial up..Seriously, it's that good!
We want a HDTV for the Living Room now.
26" is perfect for the bedroom and the computer, but not the living room...
We started with reg. channels and just upgraded to Cable. There's not one single channel I don't get. I love it. Do your research, see what fits your family best and go with your heart!
T.