HDTV Satellite Cable - Tutorial

Delivery

Just like analog TV, Digital Television and HDTV can be delivered in one of four ways:

• Over-the-air broadcasts

• Broadcast satellite

• Terrestrial cable

• Pre-recorded media

Over-the-Air (OTA) Broadcasts. Many local broadcasters in large cities and metropolitan areas have already started broadcasting Digital Television and HDTV over the airwaves.  Yes, this is old rabbit-ear indoor antenna (and unsightly roof-top outdoor antenna) approach to receiving television signals.  What you will need is an roof-top HDTV antenna (if your neighborhood and city code allow for it) or an indoor HDTV antenna to pull in these signals.  You will also need an integrated DTV (with a DTV receiver built-in) or a DTV receiver and a DTV monitor (also known as “DTV-ready television”).  Alternatively, you can use an DTV receiver and your existing analog TV, but you won’t be able to see DTV and HDTV in its native high resolution formats.  In this case, the DTV receiver will down-convert the high resolution DTV signal, scaling it down to a lower resolution that your analog TV can handle.  You will get the clear, noise-free digital picture benefits of DTV programming, but you won't see the much-improved high resolution picture due to limitations of your existing analog TV.  (This in fact fact how many consumers will transition to DTV when analog TV broadcasting stops.  More on this later.)

Fact: More than 861 stations offer over-the-air DTV broadcasts, and 60 percent of Americans are in areas where there at least five stations broadcasting in D TV, as of May 2003.

Broadcast Satellite. Broadcast satellite providers such as Dish Network and DirecTV were relatively quick to provide HDTV channels.  If you already have broadcast satellite equipment, you may still need to upgrade your satellite dish to a dual-LNB model (so it can receive from both the HDTV satellite and the “regular service” satellite.  You will may also need to upgrade your satellite set-top box so that it can decode the high resolution HDTV signals.  Check with your satellite service provider for the specifics.  (Note that “digital satellite TV” is not the same as DTV.  It is simply the NTSC analog TV signals, transmitted in digital form via satellite, then converted back to analog TV signal for display on your TV set.  These “digital satellite TV” signals do not provide any of the true 18 DTV formats, as explained above.)

• Dish Network: To receive HDTV programming, look for the Model 6000U series HDTV broadcast satellite receiver and a dish antenna pointed at 61.5 or 148 orbital locations.

• DirecTV: To receive HDTV programming, look for the DirecTV High-Definition Receiver and a 18"x24" DirecTV Multi-Satellite dish antenna with a Sat-C kit or an 18"x20" DirecTV Multi-Satellite dish antenna (Triple-LNB).

Terrestrial Cable. For some time, cable TV companies were reluctant to upgrade their infrastructure to provide HDTV.  In response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) strong urging, some terrestrial cable TV provides (e.g., Time Warner Cable) have begun to roll out HDTV channels.  With cable TV delivery, you may need a different set-top box, a “QAM-capable” DTV cable receiver, to decode the DTV signals.  (QAM stands for Quadrature Amplitude Modulation.  Simply put, this is the modulation used to transmit DTV via cable TV.  It differs from the 8-VSB modulation used in over-the-air broadcasts of DTV.  8-VSB stands for 8-level Vestigial Sideband.)  Some of the newer integrated DTVs incorporate a built-in “QAM-capable” DTV decoder for terrestrial cable, in addition to the 8-VSB DTV decoder for over-the-air reception.  The early integrated DTVs only have the latter for over-the-air reception of DTV, and require an additional set-top box for decoding cable delivered DTV programming.  Check with your local cable TV provider to see if and when DTV programming will be available.  (Note that “digital cable” is not the same as DTV.  It is simply the NTSC analog TV signals, transmitted in digital form via upgrade cable equipment, then converted back to analog TV signal for display on your TV set.  These “digital cable” signals do not provide any of the true 18 DTV formats, as explained above.)

Pre-Recorded Media. Today, you can view pre-recorded HDTV movies in 1080i on Digital-VHS video tapes using the D-Theater copy protection feature.  So far, only DreamWorks, Fox, Universal, and Artisan have embraced this format and released a handful of movies in D-Theater.  Read more about this in Digital-VHS and D-Theater Overview.

What's on HDTV?  A Question of Content

So what programming is available on DTV, and particularly in HDTV?  After all, “content is king” is the mantra of the broadcasting world.  Though many networks are national, the availability of these HDTV networks depends a lot on where you live.  Here is the information we have compiled.  Click on the web links for additional information (links open in a new web browser window).

Major national broadcasting networks:

• ABC is the only network to broadcast HDTV in the 720p format.  ABC HDTV programming include prime time shows such as “Alias”, “The Practice”, “NYPD Blue”, “My Wife and Kids”, “MD's”, and “The Drew Carey Show”, as well as network world-premiere movies such as “Gladiator”, “Charlie's Angels”, “The Green Mile”, and “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”.  Click here to check if your local ABC-affiliated channel provides over-the-air HDTV broadcasts.

• CBS feature HDTV broadcasts in 1080i for most of its prime time program, including shows such as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, “CSI: Miami”, “JAG”, “The Guardian”, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “The King of Queens”, and “Touched by an Angel”.  CBS also offers HDTV broadcast for major sporting events such as the NCAA Playoffs and even a day-time soap opera “The Young and the Restless”.  Click here to check if your local CBS-affiliated channel is currently broadcasting HDTV over-the-air.

• NBC also broadcasts HDTV in the 1080i format.  Prime time shows such as “ER”, “Frasier”, “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “In-Laws”, “Hidden Hills”, and occasionally feature films and made-for-TV movies are broadcasted in HDTV.  Click here to check if your local NBC-affiliated channel is currently broadcasting HDTV over-the-air.

• Fox broadcasts DTV in what they call “Fox Widescreen High Resolution TV”.  As if terminology wasn't difficult enough in today's world, Fox actually broadcast in one of the EDTVformats, specifically the 480 x 704 in progressive scan 16:9  widescreen format (480p/30, see format #11 in the table above).  The picture quality is comparable to a “enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TV” DVD-Video in progressive scan mode, but not quite as good as HDTV.  Fox DTV programming includes shows such as “Ally McBeal” and “Dark Angel”.

• PBS broadcasts in HDTV and “Widescreen Standard Definition” (similar to Fox's 480p/30, format #11).  Its programming includes specials and series such as “Nova”, “National Geographic Special”, “Nature”, “Smart Travel”, and “Great Performances”.  PBS also broadcasts an HDTV demo loop.

• For a complete listing of of local TV stations broadcasting in HDTV, click here.

Major national premium networks (available from cable or broadcast satellite providers):

• HDNet is the premiere premium network specializing in 1080i HDTV programming, as its name implies.  This premium channel is included for DirecTV subscribers.  HDNet features live sports such as NHL, USOC, CART auto racing, college and pro basketball, football, tennis, boxing, and horse racing.  It even features world news with its HDNet World Report programming.  HDNet Movies is another channel, providing movies in HDTV from Warner Bros. and independent studios, as well as made-for-TV movies and short features.

• HBO HDTV broadcasts movies in HDTV and is available on the DirecTV and Dish Network broadcast satellite systems.

• Showtime HDTV broadcasts movies in HDTV and is available on the DirecTV and Dish Network broadcast satellite systems.

• Discovery HD Theater offers select Discover Channel program in HDTV.  This channel is available on the Dish Network.

Major satellite providers with premium/optional HDTV channels:

• Dish Network offers the following channels in HDTV: Discovery HD Theater, HBO HDTV, Showtime HDTV and CBS HD.  To sign up for HDTV programming on the DISH Network.

• DirecTV offers the following channels in high definition: HDNet, HBO HDTV, Showtime HDTV, and a High Definition Pay-Per-View channel.  To sign up for HDTV on DirecTV, click here.

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