HDTV questions

Slappy,

While I have TWC, I strongly suspect HD access will be the same with Comcast. Comcast should have some type of digital cable box with HD capability. TWC makes you rent theirs. It does the decoding. You'll need an HD ready set for HD and for progressive scan dvd. Most people use component video inputs for HD but RGB can be used if your cable box has RGB outputs. For progressive scan you must use component video.

1. If you have a dish like DirecTV, you need to buy a HDTV decoder for DirecTV. You also need a HDTV cable box but it is usually supplied by the cable company.

2. You don't need a HDTV to view 480P (progressive scan DVD player). You need a TV with component inputs and have wide enough video frequency response to handle the 480P signal. Nowaday, all the mid-price TVs with component inputs can do that.
If you want to do 720P than yes, you do need a HDTV set.

3. I like component input because it is the more compatible form of connection. Some HDTVs also have DVI and RGB inputs. DVI is for HDTV signal and is supposed to be the best but they might suffer compatibility problem across brands. Also on most TVs DVI input is fixed on a particular resoultion. RGB should be better than component also but RGB cables are more expensive. Unless you have a front projector, you won't see much different on most sets.

I just got Comcast HDTV in Atlanta. They replaced my existing standard box with the Motorola 5100. I use an RGB component video cable to connect to my HDTV "ready" Sony Wega. S-video cannot carry an HD or progressive scan signal. I get all my previous channels plus 5 HD channels (more to come later). The box also has digital audio out which sends a 5.1 digital audio stream to your processor. Since I do not have a processor, I use the standard analog audio out jacks to send the R and L to my preamp.

My premium channels, and the audio, are better than my previous box. The HD channels are incredible... DVD quality or better. Most of the standard channels are a bit grainier than before. There is an HDTV forum where someone posted that they resort back to S-video, or a standard RCA cable, to improve their basic channels. Thus they use 2 video inputs to their TV. Since I did not get HDTV to watch the shopping channels, I can live without using 2 separate video inputs.