HDTV Chat

By Joe Lanzendorfer on Oct 1, 2009 | Reply

In order to watch HD broadcasts, you must have a screen with a high enough resolution to display the HD image, and a TV tuner. An HDTV has both of these things and will work out of the box, but you can do it on your computer. The first thing you will need is a computer monitor, and you will probably need one that has HDCP support. HDCP is a consumer nightmare, and it is too complicated to keep this answer to the point, but you need it to watch some content in full HD. Google HDCP for more info. You will need a monitor that has at least a 1366×768 resolution, or a 1920×1080 resolution if you want to eventually get a Blu-Ray player for your computer and watch movies in full 1080P. These resolutions are at a 16:9 ratio. Your monitor may have a 16:10 ratio and have a resolution like 1920×1200, but don’t worry. It will just cut a little off the top and bottom. If you prefer a monitor with a native 16:9 ratio and a 1920×1080 resolution then I recommend this one:

The second thing you will need is a TV tuner for your computer. I will recommend this one:
To use the above card, you will need an available PCI-Express x1 slot in your computer. If your computer does not have one available, then you may be able to use a regular PCI slot. If this is the case, use this one instead:

Third, you may need a graphics card. This will help your computer process the video. It will give you much better quality than your computer’s integrated graphics and will also take a load off your CPU so your computer won’t have to work like crazy to keep up. You will also need a graphics card that is HDCP ready for the reasons I mentioned above. Pretty much all graphics cards on the market now are HDCP ready, so it just depends on if you want a very basic card to just get the job done, or maybe something a little better for gaming and higher quality.
For very basic:
For better quality:
And for incredible gaming quality:

You might already have a good monitor and graphics card. I don’t know your computer situation, but see how much this would cost you and research some small TV prices and decide for yourself what will work best.

Edit: One final note. You do not need a converter, and a converter alone will not work either. You would only need a converter, and a converter would only work, if you already had an analog tuner in your computer but no digital. Then it could convert the digital signal into analog. The tuners I recommended have digital and analog built in, so you will not need a converter.

By classicsat on Oct 1, 2009 | Reply

You do not need an HDTV to just watch the HD channels.
Just about all HD tuners output SD.

You do need an HD set and possible a tuner which outputs an HD signal to watch in full benefit of HD quality.

You an likely get an ATSC tuner to watch broadcast or clear QAM HD channels on your computer display, in HD if your computer/display supports it.

The DTA converters will tune HD channels into SD analog video, and will receive every channel your HD set can tune, including the HD ones..

By Stephen P on Oct 4, 2009 | Reply

Do I have to have an HDTV in order to watch high-definition broadcasts

No.

Can I simply purchase a video card that will allow me to watch high-def broadcasts on my computer?

You can buy a digital tuner (ATSC) card (or USB tuner) for your computer and attach it to a TV antenna. (This is not a video card.)

Will using a converter give me all the channels as if I actually did have a HDTV?

Yes. The converter boxes being sold in the US can receive all digital over the air broadcasts. Basically the output of the converters is no better than what you would get with a DVD player. The extra HD picture detail is thrown away in the conversion process.

Canada and Mexico are using the same digital (ATSC) broadcast system and the US, so the converters will also work there.