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High-Definition TV in our Area -- for Free!
Most area residents don't
know it, but High-Definition TV (HDTV) is
already available free in our area using an old-fashioned
antenna and electronics from local stores. Here's
some of what you can do, in order from least
expensive to most expensive:
1. Using an antenna that now picks up TV-3 and
WPVT-51 (not too hard in this area): Buy an
HDTV tuner (set-top receiver), hook up the antenna to the set-top box and
then run a video cable to a "video in" on your
existing TV. You'll get a perfect studio-quality
picture on TV3 and WVPT. It won't be
high-definition but you will find it impressive.
2. To your set-top box
and antenna as described in step 1, buy and hook
up an "HDTV-ready" television. Now you'll get
stunning picture quality and sound -- still
without any subscription fees.
3. Or, even easier, buy a television
with a built-in digital tuner. It will say "HDTV"
rather than "HDTV ready." It will have two or
more places, usually, to run an antenna or TV
cable. Hook up your existing cable and an antenna,
and then to your regular cable channels you'll add
-- again free -- over-the-air HDTV signals. Also:
If you buy an "SDTV" or "EDTV" television, you'll
still get picture-perfect digital pictures, just
not as detailed as HDTV.
4. Or, easier still but
requiring fees: Contact your cable or satellite
provider about adding HDTV service.
Several things to note:
1. If you want free HDTV, you'll need an antenna
that gets a good picture on TV3 and WVPT-51. If
your current antenna doesn't, you won't get good
digital signals. But if you're getting good
signals on channels 3 and 51, you do not
need any special HDTV antenna. Your current one
will do fine.
2. If you buy an HDTV,
ordinary broadcast or cable signals will look bad,
especially in comparison to HDTV.
3. If you're afraid of
all things technical, keep in mind that HDTV is
still a new technology. Still, there's plenty of
help available, and there's a
Harrisonburg-Charlottesville HDTV forum at
www.avsforum.com to help answer your
questions.
4. With rooftop antennas,
local viewers report a high degree of success in
getting high definition pictures from WVIR-29
(NBC) in Charlottesville and WRLH-35 (FOX) in
Richmond. Some get even more stations, and there's
a guy in Churchville who gets HDTV over the air
from Washington.
To
find out more, visit this antenna page. |
Multicasting: Yet
another reason to get a digital TV
Digital and
HDTV sets give you a better picture -- but they
also give you additional channels. For example, on
a conventional TV set, when you tune to Channel 3
you get only WHSV-TV, the Harrisonburg ABC
affiliate. But on a digital or HDTV set connected
to an antenna, you get the regular Channel 3
(listed as 3-1 on the new TV) plus:
3-2, The Valley's Fox, a new Fox station run by
TV-3.
3-3, TV-3 Winchester, with some separate
programming for northern area viewers.
3-4, My Valley, a new affiliate of My Network TV.
In a similar way, you get multiple channels for
WVPT (51) and any other station on which you can
pick up the digital signal. WVIR (NBC29) out of
Charlottesville has recently added a 24-hour
weather channel on digital 29-2, to go with its
CW29 affiliate of the CW Network on 29-3.
Cable and satellite providers are carrying at
least some of the subchannels -- check with your
provider for details. |
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