2. HDTV channel: High-def channels are just like regular channels, but they have the potential to carry HDTV shows. Every cable and satellite provider that offers high-def channels usually offers the regular channel, too. For example, if you subscribe to DirecTV's HD satellite service, the HD version of ESPN is on one channel while the regular version is on another. There are many more regular, a.k.a. standard-definition, channels than high-definition ones at the moment, but more and more networks are offering high-def versions. Some related channels, such as ESPN and ESPNHD, have the same shows and schedules, while others, such as Discovery and DiscoveryHD, are different.

3. HDTV show: If you're watching an HDTV that's plugged into your new HDTV cable box and tuned to an HDTV channel, then you're watching high-def, right? Not necessarily. Some HDTV channels, such as DiscoveryHD and HDNet, broadcast everything in high-def, including commercials. DiscoveryHD and the normal Discovery channel, for example, actually have different programming lineups. But most networks simulcast, meaning they show the same shows on both the high-def and standard-def channels. Unfortunately, not every show on a network's HD channel actually appears in high-def. Many games on ESPNHD, for example, still appear in standard definition, and a number of TV programs on the major networks--especially reality shows and local news--aren't in HD yet either. Non-HD shows on HD channels won't look nearly as sharp as the high-def shows do and usually don't fill the wide screen properly. ESPNHD, for example, usually shows bars to either side of non-HD games and events. Fortunately, almost all major sporting events, prime-time shows, and specials are in high-def.

Other HDTV notes There are a few other things to consider with HDTV. In no particular order, here they are:

All HDTV looks good. If you're in the store and you're looking at all of the HDTVs, it may strike you that they all look pretty dang good. That's because they're showing high-def television, which any store worth its salt will use to demo HD sets. Sure, you'll still notice flaws occasionally, but in general, even an inexpensive HDTV showing high-def looks much better than a standard TV showing the highest-quality material it can. Whether it's 1080i or 720p, over-the-air or cable, DLP or plasma, HDTV shown on a high-def television blows standard TV out of the water.

Regular TV looks underwhelming. Many people who first watch non-HDTV on their new high-def televisions are disappointed by how it looks. But it's not the television's fault. The single most important ingredient in picture quality is the source, and lower-quality standard-def TV, especially compared to HDTV, looks bad. The difference is often compounded by the fact that HDTVs are bigger and sharper than regular TVs and thus highlight the flaws of low-quality sources even more. No matter how nice of an HDTV you get, standard-def TV, at least compared to DVD and high-def, will look a lot worse.

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