News recently emerged that an overwhelming majority (91 percent!) of HDTV owners in the UK still only watch standard-definition signals. The reasons for this were not clear, but we can think of two possible causes – lack of availability of HD, or improper use of the equipment.
Lack of availability is at least understandable; as we mentioned in our news section, the only way to access a decent range of HD channels is by paying a monthly subscription to Sky+HD. Likewise, Blu-ray players are significantly pricier than DVD players. Improper use, on the other hand, seems like a silly reason to miss out on proper HDTV. It might sound rich coming from an expert, but HDTV isn’t all that hard to set up.
Just make sure you’re not making the worst error of all: using standard-definition cables to connect high-definition devices.
OK, cable jungles never look easy to understand, but modern connections like HDMI have made hooking up a Blu-ray player or HDTV receiver much easier than you might think. If you don’t know your HDMI from your YUV – and you certainly won’t be the only one – you should start by reading our article on TV connectivity. Advanced users will find more to sink their teeth into in our article on HD connectivity.
One you know which one’s which, you can start thinking about where to get hold of HD signals – this could be via Freeview HD, which is currently rolling out across the UK, or freesat, although both of these currently offer a very limited number of HD channels. Virgin Media’s digital-cable service offers a handful of HD channels, and the number is going up steadily. But yesterday’s launch of MGM HD on the Sky+HD digital-satellite service brings Sky’s total to 37 HD channels – the widest selection on offer in Europe at the moment. For a full round-up of HDTV options in the UK, check out our HDTV how-to guide First Steps to HDTV.
If, once you’ve got the whole thing set up, you run into problems with your HDMI connections, you might find some helpful solutions in our problem-solver First aid for HDMI.
I must say i have researched HDTV’s for some time and decided the plasma was the best for me…. viewing sports etc. This panasonic has been superb, awesome picture and easy setup plus amazon did a top notch job on delivery. I haven’t used the internet connection much yet, it seems very handy, but the TV really came to life when i got HD hookup from direct tv. Now it’s hard to watch sports any other way!
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Keep up the good work!