Antenna, Cable, Satellite, Oh My!

You wrote down the measurements and the fit is perfect—your HDTV slides right into your entertainment center. The cables are attached to your DVD player, but alas, what to do about getting the actual high-definition programming?

In all the hype and excitement of buying the TV, an important consideration is too often tossed to the side: what provider will bring you the HD? Don’t get your hopes up on one source before investigating them all, because one supplier does not fit all.

First and foremost, think about what you watch on TV. For the sports fanatic addicted to local sporting events, rapidly flipping back and forth between simultaneous games, you may be better off with cable. While satellite has more national HD channels (A&E, MTV, National Geographic, Bravo, etc.), most cable servers have a regional sports network (or more than one!) for your area. The best and only way to find what’s right for you is to browse the web for the channels offered by each provider.

And what about the newest technology, IPTV? WHAT? IPTV stands for internet protocol television, basically meaning TV broadcast over a broadband connection. Telephone providers Verizon and AT&T have the most popular versions of this fiber-optic display, Fios and U-verse. While these are often boasted to have the best quality and features, it’s difficult to know for sure—the areas where IPTV is even an option are extremely limited. But if it’s available at your home, this is yet another consideration to make.

CNET breaks it down well, tackling all aspects during this decision-making time. Don’t worry about being selfish—it’s your TV and you should enjoy the high-def features available! What provider do you use, if you picked one already, and why? [CNET]