HD, or “high definition television”, has been taking the world by storm over the last several years. HDTV allows you to have a much clearer picture that you have ever seen in the past. Indeed, most people who finally get around to viewing a program in HD, claim that they will never be able to watch a regular program again.
How to Get HDTV
There are three basic components to getting HDTV. You need to have a television that is HD compatible, an HD receiver and an HD service. Most of the flat screen TV’s that you can buy these days are HDTV’s. What many people don’t realize is that it doesn’t stop there. They still need to have an HD receiver and a service that will broadcast HD programming.
Fortunately, the satellite TV companies have you covered with the last two requirements. As long as you already have an HD compatible television, Dish Network or DIRECTV® can give you an HD receiver and provide you with all the high definition programming that you could ever want. Just sign up online, have your equipment delivered and schedule a date for them to install your system in your home.
There is some controversy over which of the satellite TV providers offers the best HD programming packages and equipment but you can use our Dish Network vs DIRECTV® comparison page in order to see which company you would prefer. In general, DIRECTV® offers the most full time channels in HD while Dish Network offers the most HD channels over all (Some of their channels are only available on a part time basis). Also, DIRECTV® is now coming out with HD in 3D! Imagine that. If you want a true home theater experience then this should be some exciting news.
Technical Aspects of HDTV
traditional television systems have been referred to as SDTV. This simply stands for standard definition TV. With HDTV (High Definition TV), you get a resolution that is substantially higher than the traditional television systems could offer. HDTV offers more than 5 times the number of pixels per frame than standard TV. These days, HDTV is digitally broadcast, using video compression, to millions of homes in the United States.
There are many aspects of HDTV that we will not go into detail about. Just take our word for it. It is very long and boring. If you do happen to want to read all about the history of HDTV and the very technical aspects of HDTV then we suggest that you visit the HDTV Wiki page to get all the details. As a person who is interested in the entertainment value of HDTV, we will mostly just stick to the basics here.
HDTV Equipment
When you sign up for Dish Network or DIRECTV®, you will be given the option of ordering HD receivers. You can even get an HD DVR. This is just an HD receiver with a built in DVR (Digital Video Recorder). DIRECTV® even has a DVR that you can use in one room for recording and then watch your programming from any room in your home. In fact, both of the satellite TV providers have similar technology available for you to use.
Dish Network offers Duo HD receivers. These can save you some money but be aware that the Duo technology allows you to get programming in two rooms with only one receiver. One of the rooms will get HDTV while the other will just get standard resolution TV. If you want to have high definition in every room then you would need to select a different type of set up. Fortunately, Dish Network is now offering free HD for three rooms in your home (subject to change).
The best way to decide what type of HDTV system would be right for you be to actually visit each of the satellite TV providers and start the ordering process with each of them. You can back out of the ordering process at any time. By starting the ordering process in two separate windows with Dish Network and DIRECTV®, you will be able to add and subtract HD receivers in various rooms of your home. This will give you a good idea of what it will cost with each of the providers to get the HDTV services that you really want and at a price that you can live with.
