• Television has come a long way since the inception of the first black and white televisions tubes. Color, 3D, cable, and high-definition are all innovations that have enhanced the television viewing cable experience. Although HD Cable provides some of the most stunning imagery on cable television, all HD cable broadcasts are not created equal. The FCC definition of HDTV is very broad and the HD cable broadcast standards are vague, if not non-existent.
  
  

What is HDTV?

• HDTV (High-Definition Television) is a DTV (Digital Television) broadcasting format. It offers viewers up to six times the resolution of traditional broadcasting images. The sound of HDTV is also capable of 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound versus the two-channel stereo sound of analog television.
  
  

HDTV Formats

• The three primary formats for HDTV are 720p (1280 x 720 progressive lines of resolution), 1080i (1920 x 1080 interlaced lines of resolution), and 1080p (1920 x 1080 progressive lines of resolution). All three of these formats are in the 16:9 wide-screen aspect ratio, as opposed to the 4:3 aspect ration of standard definition television.
  
  

HDTV Broadcasts

• Although all broadcasts in America are now digital, not every channel is an actual high-definition channel and most high-definition channels do not show 100 percent high-definition content. Furthermore, a cable channel may be broadcasting in 1080i, while the cable provider may only be broadcasting in 720p. All of the above contribute to the absence of HD cable broadcast requirements, and a reduction of quality in picture and sound.