Want to make your television viewing experience new again? Take advantage of CableSuite 541’s High Definition service. Currently, CableSuite 541 provides ESPN, Discovery HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies, and Starz in High Definition. High Definition Television provides a sharper picture, larger picture (with a widescreen television), and richer sound than traditional television broadcasts. Viewing HD programming requires a High Definition Television or HD Monitor, a High Definition Settop Cable Box, and an HD channel. Take a deeper look at the benefits of HDTV
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Sharper Picture: Televisions create the images on the screen by small circles of light called a “pixel”, which is short for “Picture Element”. Traditional televisions use 480 lines of pixels to create a picture, while HD televisions can use 720 or 1080. The higher the number of pixels, the clearer and more distinct the image will appear to the viewer. The other image enhancement is called “Progressive Scan”. Traditional televisions cheat in the way they change the pictures on the screen. Unlike movie projectors, which replace one frame after the other to create the illusion of movement, televsions only change half of the screen at a time using every-other of the 480 lines that make up the picture. This use of every-other line is called “Interlacing”. HD televisions can display programming by interlacing, or they can send all the lines at once, like a movie projector, and make the picture crisper. The technique of sending all the lines at once instead of just every-other line is called “Progressive Scan”. Starz HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies, and Discovery HD all use Interlacing. ESPN HD uses progressive scanning to make the action crisper.
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Larger Picture:
Traditional television tubes are made with the width of the screen 4 units wide and the height of the screen 3 units wide, when compared with each other. No matter the size of the screen, a traditional TV will always maintain the 4X3 ratio of width to heighth. HD televisions can be made “Widescreen”, which means their width is 16 units compared with a height of 9 units. This allows for programming, such as a football game on ESPNHD, to show more of the field than could be previously viewed on a normal TV.
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Richer Sound: HD programming and HD televisions both support Dolby 5.1 stereo surround sound. Dolby 5.1 surround sound provides 5 distinct channels of audio to be broadcast. These five channels include a center speaker (to be located above the television), two front speakers(to be located on either side of the television), and two rear speakers (to be located behind the viewer). In addition to these five channels, a subwoofer is added to enhance bass sounds. These six speakers allow the viewer to be “surrounded” by distinct audio making action movies and musical events a much richer experience.
HDTV-Frequently Asked Questions
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I have “Digital Cable”, isn’t that the same thing?
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No. Digital Cable is simply more channels provided by the cable company by using a digital settop box. The programming is still delivered with a 4X3 picture ratio, using 480 lines of resolution, and traditional two-channel stereo sound. HD is delivered digitally, but is a completely different technology compared to Digital Cable.
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What is the cost of CableSuite 541 HD programming?
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There are no extra charges for the HD programming from CableSuite 541, however, there is an extra settop box charge for an HD capable settop. Subscribers who already subscribe to CableSuite 541 Digital Cable, can upgrade to HD by upgrading their settop box to an HD model. Starz HD requires a Starz Premium subscription. Receipt of all HD programming requires an HD capable TV or monitor.
