I have a HD-ready TV. What else do I need to get to watch Over The Air HDTV programs on the network TV stations (CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS, etc.)? Do I need some kind of special antenna, or a set top box of some sort? I don't have cable/satellite.
If your TV is just HD-ready (no tuner) you'll need a set-top box. If it has an ATSC tuner built-in, all you need is an antenna. Dedicated HD antennas are (IMHO, of course) a marketing gimmick, if you have a signal, a regular antenna with proper bands will work. This is an excellent site to figure out what kind of antenna you need, whether you need a rotor and so on.
Cool... thanks! Do you know of any particular models of set top tuners to look for (or avoid)? Points to any websites/forums would also be appreciated.
Did you buy a monitor? Or a TV with tuners? If you got a TV with tuners, just hook your regular coaxial cable into the TV. If you didn't, then a set top box, but I don't know if they're available yet -- the government is going to give $40 credit toward them if people ask for them, but not sure how you go about getting the credit.
I have a HD-compatible TV. I can hook up an antenna to it and get OTA analog signals. I would like to see the HD programs in all their glory, so I guess I need to get an OTA set-top tuner for HDTV. They are readily available (based on a google search), just don't know models/makes to look for.
Sorry, I don't I have DishNetwork and so no need for a standalone tuner. One thing I would look for (besides trying to find some reviews) is the ability to pass through signal in its native resolution. Some networks broadcast 1080i, some 720p and in certain cases your TV or an outboard scaler would do a better job of converting the signal to match the TVs native resolution that the tuner itself. Of course I don't really know if any of the current tuners even have that ability, it's just something I'd have on my wish list.
Well, Portland broadcasts HDTV on all of their major channels -- 27, 30, 33, 40, 43, 45, 46 and 48 for digital broadcasts. What kind of TV is it?
It is a Toshiba 57HX81 rear projection HDTV in Toshiba's Cinema series. It was a highly rated CRT RPTV about 6 years or so ago when I bought it but a bit long in the tooth now.
This adds another potential problem your TV is not HDCP-compliant, which means that should the studio honchos decide to turn HDCP on for their broadcasts your HD quality will be gone as the set-top boxes will be forced to down-res the component outputs. There's not telling how real this threat is, but it is a possibility.
