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HDTV vs Regular TV (digital or not)? (1 Viewer)

Brad_H

Agent
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Nov 2, 1999
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26
Just curious,
Correct me if I'm wrong...but when watching Digital Cable on a regular tv you're not watching a true digital signal. Correct? I'm assuming the signal is only digital through the transmission to your home, regular tv's are not capable of displaying a digital signal.

Okay, when watching HD-HBO (or any other high definition content) on a HDTV are you watching a true digital signal? Do HDTV's display a digital signal in 1080i, 720p, etc. or is it like the first example, is it only digital through the transmission and then converted by your hdtv to an analog signal?

I've always assumed that HDTV's display an analog signal, but maybe I'm wrong...

Thanks.

Brad
 

Bill Slack

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 16, 1999
Messages
837
It has to be an analog signal, eventually, or you won't be able to see it! :)
Most sets take a component input, which is analog, and has the bandwidth to display the full HDTV resolution. A few newer sets and set-top-boxes have (or will have) DVI or Firewire interfaces which are digital outputs from the set-top-box, all the way to the display, at which point it is finally converted to an analog signal.
Just because it's digital doesn't mean it's good. You could get a digital cable box with a DVI output, and it will still look like the crappy over-compressed NTSC it is.
 

Allan Jayne

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Nov 1, 1998
Messages
2,405
If you have digital cable, each channel may be one of the following:
1. Ordinary analog, resembling an NTSC channel,
2. A digitized analog signal which must be converted back to analog (the cable tuner box does this) and then it resembles an NTSC channel,
3. A digital video signal, probably in a proprietary format, not resembling an ATSC over the air broadcast. The cable tuner box decodes the signal to yield component video or composite video or S-video.
Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm
 

Michael Reuben

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Feb 12, 1998
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Real Name
Michael Reuben
Correct me if I'm wrong...but when watching Digital Cable on a regular tv you're not watching a true digital signal. Correct?
No, not correct. Whatever display you're using, the cable box has converted the digital signal (assuming the channel in question is digital) into an analog form.

M.
 

Brad_H

Agent
Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
26
Michael - I think that's what I'm saying. Digital Cable is only digital through the transmission. Once it gets to the cable box in your house it's converted to an analog signal.

Ultimately I could care less about digital cable, my real question was about HDTV. If I have an HDTV (no set top converter box) and I'm receiving HD content from an antenna at what point is that signal converted from digital to analog?

Now, same question but using a HD-Ready display with a set-top converter box?

Thanks.
 

Scott Merryfield

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If I have an HDTV (no set top converter box) and I'm receiving HD content from an antenna at what point is that signal converted from digital to analog?

Now, same question but using a HD-Ready display with a set-top converter box?
With a true HDTV, the ATSC tuner is built into the TV, so the signal conversion from digital to analog will occur within the TV, somewhere between the tuner and the display mechanism.

With an HD-ready set with a set top box, the answer depends on whether the STB is connected to the TV via component, RGB, DVI or Firewire. For the first two, the signal is converted to analog in the STB, while in the latter two it is converted within the TV. Currently, the most common connection types are component or RGB (both analog transmissions).
 

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