Find Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Watching, Recording, and Playing Back HD Programs

Are local TV stations broadcasting in HDTV?

Many local TV stations are transmitting digital signals. However, transmitting a digital signal does not mean transmitting an HDTV signal. Most stations, how- ever, once they begin broadcasting in digital are offering HD programs from their parent station, such as CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, WB, UPN, or PBS.

How can I find out which programs are broadcast in HD?

To find out which programs are broadcast in HD, log on to the Web site of your cable service provider. Many cable service providers list their channel lineups on their Web sites and indicate the channels that are broadcast in HD.

What are the differences between standard TVs and HDTVs?

•HDTVs can be 1/3 wider than traditional TVs, although some HDTVs have a traditional (4:3 aspect ratio).

•HDTV uses a much finer resolution to create the TV picture—1125 lines for HDTV, compared to 525 lines used in standard TV (SDTV). This means that the resolution for HDTVs can be up to 1920 x 1080 pixels compared with 720 x 480 for SDTVs.

•In the United States, HDTV is always broadcast with digital signals. SDTV is currently broadcast in both digital and analog. (However, HDTV and digital SDTV do not use the same digital signal.)

•Generally, all HDTV-ready monitors or integrated HDTV sets are capable of supporting an SDTV 480i or 480p signal. Not all HDTV monitors support both 720p and 1080i HDTV signals. For instance, some plasma displays support only 720p.

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