trying to figure out the main differences between HDTV built-in and HDTV-ready TVs

can you please correct these assumptions

1. HDTV built-in could display HD content from a regural OTA or the wall/cablebox cable.

2. HDTV-ready can only get digital video signal via component inputs. If a digital cable box (or Dish receiver) has no component outputs (and I've never seen any that have); an HDTV ready TV is uselless

3. S-Video signal is not HD by definition. How can HD signal be transferred (i.e. is it component and DVI only)

4. do all DVD players output HD signals (or is it only progressive scan ones)

thanks in advance. I may have more silly questions

OTA - Yes.
Cable - No. The cable signal is encrypted and requires a cable tuner box, which will be proprietary from your particular cable company.

Component, DVI, or HDMI (depening on which the set has).

"Digital cable" is generally not high-definition. You have to pay extra to your cable company for a specific HD tuner box, which will have component outputs.

Correct. S-video can only carry an interlaced standard-definition signal. HD requires component, DVI, or HDMI.

"HD" and progressive scan are not the same thing. DVD is a standard-definition format, even in progressive scan.

High-definition DVD is not available to the public yet.

thanks Josh,

I have 1 more question then. If I were to connect a regural digital cable box (or dish receiver) to an HDTV built-in via the "regural cable" (75 oHM it's called I think), I could watch HDTV right? As long as there is an HDTV broadcast, and I do not use composite or s-video inputs of HDTV built-in TV...?

You will not get HD using the coax input to the tv. You can only use component, DVI, or HDMI.

thanks griz,

so how is Over-The-Air Antenna HD signal "gets" into a TV? Not coax?

I thought you could if the set had a built-in QAM tuner, under certain conditions...?

Mike -- for OTA, if you're using a set without a built-in tuner, you can get a set-top tuner for a couple hundred bucks.

Generally, one of two ways:

1) The set has its own built-in HD tuner, in which case you hook the antenna up directly to the TV and it decodes it.

or

2) If you have an "HD-ready" TV, there is no tuner built in. You must buy an outboard decoder box. The antenna is connected to the decoder, which is then connected to the TV by component, DVI or HDMI. Coax won't work. Ever.

HD cable works the same as #2, except that there is no antenna, and you rent the HD cable box from the cable company, not buy it in a store.

any antenna has only one "output", which is coax, right? It can be plugged in directly into HD-builtin TV or into an HD SetTop Box and then into HD-ready TV (via component or DVI)

with cable, the regular cable box is not HD, but the signal is decrypted there. (btw, I've heard that some HD programs are not encrypted; is that true?). So if one has HD--builtin TV, that's all that's needed to watch HDTV, right? just running coax from the wall to the regural cable box and coax from the cable box to the TV. am I correct?

No, you are not correct. Did you not read where Josh wrote that coax does not work ever?

A regular cable box will only deliver a standard definition signal. HDTV is a different broadcast format entirely. You will not get HD on an HDTV unless you have an HD tuner (either built-in or stand alone), HD cable box or HD satellite receiver. Period.

I have HD cable from Comcast. It works like this:

Coax cable from wall -> HD cable box -> Component cables -> TV

The only point where the HD signal is carried by coax is from the wall to the HD cable box. This is a heavily encrypted QAM signal that only the cable box from that cable company can decode.

Once it gets to the cable box and is decoded, it can only be transmitted by component or better, no coax anymore.

Just confirming my post -- I got a 36XS955 with a built-in tuner this afternoon, and even without a STB (I'm getting that tomorrow), I can pick up at least two stations in 1080i from my cable company directly through the tuner. Nothing 'premium' like HBO or HDNet, but I can get the local CBS affiliate and a channel dedicated to Braves games. Not much, but...whatever. I'm sure every provider is different, and your experiences may be different. I'm using Charter, incidentally.

My HDTV has a built in QAM decoder and it decodes all the HD signals that is on cable except for premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.). I get INHD 1 & 2, HDnet and my local CBS, ABC, NBC and PBS in HiDef. At first I thought I couldn't until one day I just thought I would try it out. Well, to my surprise it worked. However, next week I'm going to try out the new cable cards. My local cable company is giving them out for free. I know it has it's drawbacks but I want to see HBO in HD.

For anyone who can't get cable with HD or who like me hates cable, I've had sony sat hd200 unit since march of 03. It works great and can get Ota hd programs from local station(S).

sat dish -> coax -> Sony sathd200 -> dvi -> tv

antenna -> coax -> Sony sathd200 -> same dvi as above -> tv

Interestingly the Sony sathd200 and 300 have a coax input for cable. If for instance, you can't receive a good "local" signal you then could I suppose buy a very very basic cable pkg for that local station. I can't get my "local"ABC station over the air (60 miles away) and have thought about purchasing very basic cable. However since this ABC station is not hd yet and the fact that I don't watch ABC and I also hate my cable company, I have not yet purchased cable.

Josh Z or anybody with same equipment, if I did the above and purchased cable w/ local channels would my Sony sathd200 decode the local hd channels from the cable provider? My guest is it would but its a guess. I am tempted to try when ABC station goes hd. My espnhd Sunday night games are awesome and would like monday night hd games as well. I would also have to run another coax into exterior wall for the cable company, which if anyone has done is not the easiest thing in the world.

As always, thanks for any info.

I just got Adelphia's HD DVR and sadly the DVI output will not be active until Dec. or Jan.
But perhaps I shouldn’t care.

My Sony only has one DVI input. Should I use that for a DVD player with DVI output? Will it make any difference????

HD channels are great!
SD channels are worse.
DVI is addictive (my 1st.)