I just bought an HDTV. I do have digital cable but do not have an HD box. I know some primetime shows on the major networks are broadcast in hd. I have the cable box hooked up through the standard coax cable. Will i still get the shows in HD that are broadcast that way?

You need a special cable to get shows in HD. The ones that have three separate connections for video, red, green and blue.

No.

You need an HD receiver. If you like soccer and/or hockey, it is a must-have.

Yeah, you're gonna probably need a new cable box (more expensive per month than the regular one, at least for me). Then you might need to pay extra for HD service, or if you're lucky you won't. Finally, you'll need an HDMI cable or component video cables. HDMI looks better, but the cable alone costs more than $100, and you'd have to make sure that both your TV and cable box support it. Component video looks good, but then you need to buy seperate audio cables. Any other type of connection (coaxial, yellow red white, etc) will NOT show HD video.

And the HD channels aren't the same as the regular ones, they are usually at then end of the spectrum. For example, regular ABC is channel 5 for me but ABC in High-Def in channel 705.

It's a pain in the ass to set up, and far more expensive than it should be, but trust me--it will all be worth it.

get the HD box and invest in a Monster HDMI-HDMI cable, well worth it. Don't go cheap and use the component cables.

these you describe are component video. Nowdays there is HDMI connection that is even better.

They have better connections already. It wasn't too long ago when I got the component. They update everything very quickly these days.

While component video is 3 cables for video, HDMI is 1 cable for audio and video that can stand 5Gb/s

Where does it go on the tv? I don't know if my tv has the right connections for that.

I picked up a RCA HDMI cable for about $45. Works incredibly. Looks just as good as my friends who bought the expensive cables at Best Buy.

I got the toshiba theater wide from best buy and I am thinking of taking it back. They said I have 30 days to return it, "no questions asked". I am not sure how true that is or if they were just trying to get me to buy it and leave. I like widescreen movies on my standard full frame tv better. It looks like the screen is cutting off parts of the movie. 2.35:1 Movies look good but it cuts off the top and bottom of 1.85:1 movies.

My HDTV experience is not getting off to a good start

Sorry about the double post.

Im waiting till 2009 or whenever the governement regulated HDTV initiation is. By then new tvs will come down. I own a 20" Magnavox circa 1992-3? I figure if I buy a new tv I would spend too much time at home as well.

I've got a tv.

i just bought a westinghouse 32 inch hdtv, with a new stand and 4 year warranty for 843 total

it fucking rocks

My tv has an HDMI input, but the Comcast HD box doesn't seem to have an output for it. It has USB/Firewire/regular component/DVI/s-video/optical/ and IR outputs.

Is there a cable that will digitally convert the signal from one of the above to HDMI? We're currently using component for HD and I really want the best possible.


edit: I think I found what I need
http://www.hdmiplanet.com/hdmidvi.html
will this be a significant upgrade from regular component?

That's a nice price.

Yes it is a huge upgrade.
I was helping my dad put up his christmas stuff, and he had one of these cables in a box in the garage (he had bought it for the tv he sold me)...
The DirecTV hd Box has HDMI.. but the TV has the DVI thing... so i replaced my component with that and am VERY happy with it.