High-definition television has transformed the TV viewing experience.
As with color television in the 1950s and stereo (multichannel audio) television in the 1980s, high-definition television (HDTV) has transformed television viewing. HDTV's enhanced picture quality, widescreen (16-by-9-inch) viewing format and Dolby Surround Sound offer a theater-quality audio and visual experience for movies, sports, crime dramas and other programs. Viewers can receive free high-definition programming with an antenna or pay for it through a cable or satellite provider.
Instructions
Over-the-air HDTV
1. Select an HDTV with a built-in, or integrated, tuner. Avoid a monitor designated as"HD Ready" unless you get a separate tuner to connect to the monitor. Find a monitor with either 720 progressively scanned lines (720p) or 1080 interlaced lines (1080i).
2. Choose an antenna. Go to the AntennaWeb site to find the optimal outdoor antenna recommended for the stations you wish to receive (see Resources.) Click on "Choose an Antenna." Enter your full street address, city, state and zip code, answer the questions that follow and click "Submit." View the map showing your location and click "Continue." Scroll down the list of stations. Select the link under antenna type for the station of your choice to learn the recommended antenna. For indoors, select an antenna with both "rabbit ears" and a loop, or a flat-surface antenna designated for HDTV.
3. Connect your antenna to the coaxial, or antenna, input of your television. Direct the outdoor antenna as recommended by the station table on AntennaWeb for the station you wish to view. Place an indoor antenna close to a window or an open or high area of your home.
4. Go to the channel scan feature on your television. Scan for stations. Those you receive will appear with the call letters and virtual channel number, such as 3.1 or 3-001. Readjust your antenna's direction or location as needed. Rescan your television when you adjust or change an antenna.
HDTV through cable or satellite
5. Component cable
Purchase an HDTV or HDTV-ready or capable monitor with an input for high-definition media interface (HDMI) cables or component video cables. Obtain a cable box or satellite receiver that can receive HD channels.
6. Contact your cable or satellite provider. Subscribe to a cable or satellite package with HD channels.
7. Connect the wall outlet to the "cable-in" slot on your cable box or satellite receiver. Insert one end of component cables (red, blue, green) into the "OUT 1" jacks on your box and the other into "HD 1" or component "1" on your television. If you have HDMI cables, place each end into the port on the box and television.
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