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When you start shopping, keep in mind that HDTV requires three parts:
- A source, such as a local, cable or satellite HDTV station
- A way to receive the signal, like an antenna, cable or satellite
service
- An HDTV set
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If you purchase an HDTV-ready set,
you'll need a receiver before you can watch high-definition broadcasts.
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Most people start with the set.
You can choose:
- An integrated HDTV, which has a digital tuner, also known
as an ATSC tuner, built in. If a station near you is broadcasting in HDTV, you
can attach an antenna to an integrated set and watch the station in high
definition.
- An HDTV-ready set, also called an HDTV monitor, which does
not have an HDTV tuner. HDTV-ready sets often have NTSC tuners, so you can still
watch analog TV with them. This is the option for you if you want to have HDTV
capabilities later on but aren't ready for the financial commitment now. Your
picture quality will still be better than on your old TV, but it won't be high
definition until you get an HDTV receiver.
Designing and building an HDTV that could display all of the ATSC formats
would be virtually impossible. For this reason, HDTVs have one or two native
resolutions. When the TV receives a signal, it will scale the signal to match
its native resolution and de-interlace the signal if necessary. A good rule of
thumb is to choose a set that has a native resolution matching the signals you
plan to use most often. Film fans will generally want displays with the highest
possible resolution. Sports fans will generally want displays with the highest
possible progressive frame rate.
If you receive a signal that has
a significantly lower resolution than your screen can display, all the extra
pixels won't help it look better. This is why some people who have bought HDTVs
have been dismayed at the quality of the picture - the existing analog signal
just doesn't have enough detail to look good on a high-definition set. As
broadcasters change to a digital signal, this problem will improve
substantially.
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