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HDTV (high-definition television) programming options have increased over time as more and more people are discovering the advantages in sound and picture quality. The very first television station to broadcast HDTV in the United States was WRAL-HD located in Raleigh, North Carolina. HDTV is available in most areas of the U.S. today as 1,300 local television stations broadcast HD signals over-the-air. To put another way that means that an estimated 98-99 percent of American households are in range to receive signals from at least one station that broadcasts HDTV.

If you are a subscriber to digital cable and you live in one of the 100 major markets for cable then it is extremely likely that your local cable company offers one, if not many, HDTV channels. Keep in mind that if you are an analog subscriber then it will be necessary for you to upgrade your cable service to digital in order to receive HDTV programming. Living in a rural area should not prevent you from receiving all of the advantages that go along with HDTV service. Those living in a more remote area can still access HDTV by way of one out of two possible satellite providers, those being DirecTV and Dish Network.

A nationwide deadline has been set forth by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) for all television stations to cease broadcasting over-the-air VHF/UHF signals (or analog) by the first of January 2007, or to stop doing so once an estimated 85 percent of households in the United States have a television with a digital tuner for receiving HDTV. Whichever one of these things takes place first will determine when analog signals are to fade into the past.

Not everyone believes that choosing a random date such as January 1, 2007 is a realistic goal and those who legislate have put forth the suggestion that the move from analog to HDTV signals should not be so swift or aggressive and it should be pushed back two years. If this proposal were accepted that means that December 31, 2008 would be the official end date for all analog television broadcasts in the United States. The FCC has its reasons for choosing a specific deadline, those being that they want to make way for new technologies of the wireless kind to take over from the old analog way of transmitting broadcasts. Important to note is that this proposed deadline, whether it be the first of 2007 or the end of 2008 will in no way cause problems with cable or satellite service but will instead only affect over-the-air antenna (or terrestrial) broadcasts.

The appeal of HDTV programming has swept the American television market. A number of the major television networks in the United States including ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS and WB are broadcasting an array of their regularly scheduled programs in HDTV. Another station to present HDTV is UPN although at present the programming in this manner is minimal. As of autumn 2004, FOX chose to join the lead of the other stations by starting to broadcast their programs in 720p (one of the many formats used in HDTV), as opposed to what they had done in the past which was programming in 480p of standard digital television.

HDTV is able to be broadcast in a variety of different screen aspect ratios, scan modes (interlaced and progressive) as well as vertical resolutions. These formats include 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 720i, 480p, and 480i. The most commonly used of these formats include 480p, 720p, 480i and 1080i.

Other American channels are also catching on to the advantages of HDTV. Some of these include popular channels such as Discovery, ESPN, HBO, Hdnet, FOX Sports, Showtime and TNT. Cable systems are tuning into HDTV as well. Many systems throughout the United States including Comcast, COX, Cablevision and Time Warner are providing cable service to their customers.

In order to take advantage of all of the benefits of HDTV programming, whether it takes the form of broadcast, cable or satellite, the proper equipment, an HD-antenna, an HD-satellite box, an HD-cable box or an HD-set-top box is needed as is a television set that is an integrated HDTV or can be upgradeable (much like a computer can be upgraded) to receive HDTV signals. These kinds of televisions go by a variety of different names, those being HD-compatible, HD-ready or HD-upgradeable.

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