Dumb Question re: HDTV

"HD Ready" means if I want to get HD Signals over the air all I need is an HDTV antenna, correct?

 

actually you just need ANY antenna

 

From what I've heard you'll need a special "black box" to pick up HD over the airwaves(with an antenna). You don't need anything using cable and satellite. You can get a coupon from the gov for partial payment for up to two of these black boxes. Walmart's got them, btw.

 

No, the 'black box' is only needed in Feb 2010 when they shut off conventional airwaves, and it's only needed for NON-hdtvs.

HDTVs with an HD Tuner built-in will continue picking up digital broadcasts (HD) with just a regular antenna.

If your hdtv doesn't have an hd-tuner, those 'black boxes' will only deliver SD content to your HDTV. Otherwise you'll need a cable/satellite box to get HD content.

 

HD Ready

"HD Ready" refers to any display that is capable of accepting and displaying a high-definition signal at either 720p, 1080i or 1080p using a component video or digital input, and does not have a built-in HD-capable tuner.

If you want to receive an OTA HD signal, you need an HD tuner.

But TV reception starts with the right antenna.

Viewers should certainly try their old antenna first. It’s true that any of these older antennas will pick up some signals, maybe all the broadcast signals a viewer wants to receive, depending on their location. If they’re getting all the OTA channels they want and almost completely uncompressed DTV and HDTV, unlike cable or satellite, than they’re good to go.

Antennas can’t tell the difference between analog and digital signals, there are definitely certain models which have higher DTV batting averages than others. Not all antennas are equally suited for DTV which includes HDTV. A percentage of viewers will require something a little more tailored for DTV reception.

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Depending on the level of desire to receive an excellent picture, almost completely uncompressed digital and HD signals and multiple broadcast signals, considering the investment in TV entertainment already made by many viewers, you should consider up-grading to a new Digital Off-Air Antennas. Buy your new antenna from someone who will refund your purchase price, no questions asked, until you find the right antenna. [/font]
OTA viewers can go to antennapoint.com to see quickly what stations are available to them, the distance, and compass heading to help in choosing and aiming their antenna.

 

Can anyone that's not a spam-bot confirm this? I need to buy an HD Tuner too?

 

rabbit ears, hd ready... good to go

non-digital tv's in 2010 need a converter box

what else to confirm?

 

I got this email from Time Warner today:

On February 17, 2009, full-power TV stations will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. For more information, contact Time Warner Cable at 1.800.TWCABLE or visit www.DTV.gov. As a Time Warner Cable customer, your TVs connected to cable will continue to display full-power TV stations. However, analog-only TVs that receive those stations via an antenna won't display them after 2/17/09 unless you take action. (Those TVs should continue to display low-power, Class-A and translator TV stations and work with gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, etc.) One option: Contact Time Warner Cable at 1.800.TWCABLE to have those TVs connected to cable. (Installation fees may apply.) Other options: replace those TVs or buy converter boxes that will allow them to display DTV signals. The NTIA will provide up to two $40 coupons per household for the purchase of such boxes. For information, visit www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-DTV-2009.


NOTE: Federal Communications Commission rules require Time Warner Cable to provide notice of the full-power DTV transition to its subscribers in monthly bills or billing notices through March 2009. As an online bill pay user, you do not receive a paper version of your monthly bill. This email serves as the electronic equivalent to the monthly transition notices that Time Warner Cable provides to those customers that do receive paper bills.

 

Why don't you just tell us which TV you have and someone will tell you if your TV can get HD OTA.

 

I've got a Sony KP-57WS510. It says it's HDTV Ready. I've had it connected to an HDTV Box from DirecTv but just recently cancelled my service since I wasnt home enough to really watch it. Now that it's football season, I want to be able to pick up Panthers games over the air.