HDTV Lounge

Q: Many agree that HDTV shows up best using an antenna. However, many people do not have a TV with a built-in HD tuner, so they cannot enjoy the antenna broadcast and must pay for some set-top box that deteriorates the picture. Also, I’ve found that with antenna digital tuning the picture is either great or not good at all — unlike antenna analog tuning, which varies all over the place.

A: It’s easy to add an HDTV receiver to a set that doesn’t have one. And it’s not expensive. RadioShack, for instance, sells an HDTV receiver for $69.97. Just ask for the RadioShack HDTV Receiver with HDMI Output Jack, Model: HTS 6000, catalog number 16-3499. I’m not recommending for or against that receiver, just using it as an example of a serviceable receiver for a low cost.

A Web search for HDTV receivers will turn up dozens of models. And some experts believe it’s smart to buy a set with a separate receiver. That way, as advances in the technology are made, you can simply replace the receiver without the need to buy a new set. I’m neutral on that issue — my HDTV does have a built-in tuner — but the argument is a good one.

I’ve found that even inexpensive digital receivers, just because of the nature of digital transmissions, do a fine job.

Source: AJC.Com Business

Thomson’s Jensen electronics unit showed off a prototype for attaching an HDTV over-the-air receiver to a laptop via a USB cable.

The MPC4000, as the product is known, is currently being test-marketed to potential customers, in time for a product launch later in the fall, Thomson executives said. The company also launched its H20 set-top box, which U.S. satellite carrier DirectTV will begin providing to customers this month.

Finally, the company also said it was showcasing a chipset to assist “legacy” analog TVs to the new digital formats throughout the next few years.

Not surprisingly, Thomson revealed the new products at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, dedicated to the evolution of electronic media and broadcasting. Notable announcements at the show included Apple’s new 15-inch notebook, the Apple MacBook Pro, together with a call for advertising to educate parents on the power of the second-generation V-chip.

Not surprisingly, one of the most significant topics for broadcasters at the show is the conversion from analog to high-definition digital broadcasting, also known as HDTV, which is currently set for Feb. 2009.

Viewers currently have three traditional ways of receiving digital broadcast signals: via cable, via satellite, or through “over the air” digital terrestrial broadcasts, similar to the way analog television broadcasts are received today. At the end of 2005, there were 19 million households with HDTV sets in the U.S., or 17 percent of the available sets, according to Screen Digest, a DTV analyst firm.

Although most HDTV broadcasting has been delivered either over cable or satellite, Thomson executives said they envision a future where viewers will demand portable television capability on their laptops, not just at home.

“The MPC4000 is only one example of what we expect to be a line of terrestrial reception products,” said Dave Arland, vice president of marketing for Thomson’s audio/video and accessories business, which owns the Jensen brand. “It is designed to easily turn a laptop computer into a digital TV receiver. As the U.S. broadcast signals are sent ‘in the clear’ and not scrambled, there is no such thing as ‘premium’ channels on the public airwaves that are designated for free over-the-air TV.

“The market for this type of product is potentially quite large, not only for business travelers with laptops but also a growing cadre of computer users who would also like to watch TV programs on their computer, rather than on the traditional TV,” Arland added.

HDTV: the time is now?

The market is already being served by smaller companies such as OnAir, whose $249 USB HDTV unit, like the MPC4000, attaches to a PC or Media Center PC. The Jensen MPC4000 will cost somewhat less than $400, Arland said, although the final price and feature set is still being worked out.
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