All About HDTV TCF April 2009

1. All About HDTVTCF April 2009 1

2. They Look Great • 50” Vizio

3. All About HDTV - Outline • Digital TV (DT) and High Definition (HDTV) • Frequency Allocation • What are Broadcasters Doing • Where are the Signals Coming From • Plasma, LCD and DLP Displays • How to Hook Up HDTV to Your System • HD Recording • Consumer Guide 3

4. Analog vs. Digital TV (DT) • OTA Analog transmissions ceased in 2009 after over 50 years. DT offers better picture quality – no “snow”, no geometric distortion, no convergence problems • Each pixel separately generated • Stereo and surround sound (5.1) built-in • MPEG-2 compresses 1 Gb/s video stream • One 6 MHz Channel can carry 20 Mb/sec or several DT (HDTV and SDTV) sub channels and other data (8-VSB and QAM) 4

5. Digital TV and HDTV (cont.) • DT Formats – 480i, 576i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p (1080p Blue-Ray, HD-DVD only) • Native HDTV Formats - 720p or 1080i, up or down conversion is required • Aspect Ratios – 4:3, 16:9 – black stripes, missing foreheads or 300-lb bodies • On-Screen Daily Schedules 5

6. 2009 TV Receivers • Sets with HD display and no tuners (HD ready or HD monitor) • Sets with HD display, NTSC/ATSC and QAM tuners with or without cable cards (most common) • Sets with SD display (LCD or CRT) and NTSC/ATSC tuner (least expensive)

7. Frequency Allocation • Old Assignments: VHF (Ch. 2-13) and UHF (Ch. 14-68) • New Assignments: Upper VHF, lower UHF (Ch. 7-53) • Government Will Auction the Vacated Channels for $$ Billions, issued rebate coupons for converter boxes 7

8. What Are Broadcasters Doing? • Broadcasters take advantage of uninformed public • Saving on Quality for Profits – more channels, less HD • Few Broadcasters provide a consistent true HD Signal • Cable and satellite providers degrade the HD signal by further compressing it • Over-the-air still the best – not publicized and hushed up by cable providers and retailers 8

9. Transmission and Modulation NTSC/ATSC/QAM Tuners QAM (Cable) 6 MHz + Video Stream 1 Gbit/sec MPEG-2 20 Mbits/sec 8-VSB (OTA) 6 MHz

10. Digital Transmission • 6 MHz Channel

11. Are You Watching HDTV? • Sleeping in the Garage Doesn't Make You a Car • Nearly half of the 24 million households with HDTVs don't actually watch high-definition programs • HDTV Material Doesn't Grow on Trees 11

12. Where Are the Digital Signals Coming from? • Digital Cable • Satellite (Dish Network) • Over the Air – An old antenna, even rabbit ears will often do • Blue Ray DVDs and other new formats 12

13. Over the Air (OTA) Transmission • Free and of excellent quality • No such thing as an HD Antenna • Depending on location – Rabbit ears, a good antenna on the roof or in attic • An inexpensive RF amplifier may help • For available channels, signal strength and directions: www.antennaweb.org

14. Plasma, LCD and DLP Displays • Plasma – Generates its own light, vivid colors, best viewing angle, but subject to burn-in, ambient light a problem (glare, reflections) • LCD – Backlit, (Venetian blinds) good pastel colors, poor blacks, low power consumption, low weight, good in lighted areas, 42” or less • DLP – Reflected light (Rear projection), bright colors, relatively expensive, fragile, 50” and up, • www.howstuffworks.com/lcd2.htm 14

15. Plasma Display • Panel Cross Section 15

16. Plasma Display (cont.) • Cell arrangement 16

17. LCD Display • Polarization 17

18. LCD Display (cont.) • More Details 18

19. DLP (Projection) Display • How it works 19

20. How to Hook Up HDTV to Your A/V System • Typical Input/Output Panel in Back of the TV

21. How to Hook Up HDTV to Your System (A/V Components) • Over-the-air and cable combination • Analog vs. digital cable (cable cards, boxes) • Use of additional tuners (VCR, ATSC) • Analog and digital audio to your HiFi • Use with laptop as monitor • DVD Player • Games, computer and other components 21

22. How to Hook Up HDTV to Your System (Inputs and Outputs) • Varies between Manufacturers and Models • Composite (3 RCA cables) – OK quality • Component (5 RCA cables) – Excellent quality • HDMI – Excellent quality but DRM restrictions • S-Video + audio – Good quality • RGB (15 pins) + audio • Analog Audio (Stereo) • Digital Audio (5.1) 22

23. How to Hook Up HDTV to Your System (Cable Types) • HDMI, RCA, S-Video, RGB 23

24. How I Hooked Up HDTV to My System (OTA and Analog Cable) • Combining Over-the-air with analog cable HDTV Cable VCR AV1 Antenna DTV/TV 24

25. Recording of HD/SD Programs • Lack of video outputs on most HDTV sets makes recording difficult (DRM raises its ugly head) • Recording to PC hard drive with external tuner • Regular VCR if analog output available from HDTV or digital cable box • TiVo recording to hard drive • DVRs with built-in ATSC/QAM tuners and DVD recording media coming down in price 25

26. Pinnacle PCTV HD Stick

27. HD Picture on PC Screen .

28. Current HD/SD Programming • Networks simulcast their main analog channel • Plenty of weather and cooking channels • News, sports, specials and some shows in HD • PBS carries a separate HD channel with high quality documentaries, cultural and science programs (3-hour operas from the MET, full concerts, etc)

29. Government Coupon Program • Analog OTA transmission ceased on 2/17/2009 • Between 1/1/08 and 3/31/09 you could call 1-888-388-2009 to apply • 1-2 $40 Rebate coupons per household • Coupons expire 90 days after issue • ATSC OTA to analog converters will give new life to old TVs and VCRs

30. D/A Converter Hook Up • .

31. Consumer Guide • Fit Size to Your Viewing Area • Built-in ATSC/QAM tuner or HD-Ready • Plasma, LCD or DLP • Availability of Inputs and Outputs • Price, warranties, repair cost • Ask questions on alt.tv.tech.hdtv and check http://www.avsforum.com 31

32. Additional Resources • Converter box site: www.dtv2009.gov: • Quiz to tell if you are ready for HDTV: www.dtvtransition.org: