If you are not familiar with HDTV (high definition television) you probably will be soon. Already widespread in the U.S, Australia and Japan, it is becoming easier to find a variety of programs in HD format. Three main differences separate HDTV from regular TV: increased picture resolution, multi-channel audio, and a standard 16:9 widescreen aspect ration. Each of these differences contribute to what people describe as incredible sound and picture quality. With HDTV you receive about 6 times sharper of a picture than a standard broadcast, making viewing more lifelike with more detail and truer color. High definition is defined in part by the number of lines of resolution on your TV screen. The higher the number of lines, the more detail is available in the picture. Standard definition television typically contains about 480 lines of resolution, while HDTV can contain 1080 lines. Just as important, with regular TV every other resolution line is scanned continually to form the picture. HDTV, however, presents the picture all at once. These two facts combine to create the crisp, clear picture HDTV is known for.

Another difference between HDTV and regular TV is the aspect ratio. This number refers to the shape of the screen, with the standard 4:3 referring to the squarish shape observed in most TVs. High definition programming is broadcast in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which creates its characteristic wide-screen appearance. With a larger aspect ratio, you can observe more of the filming field and therefore see more of what is happening. This difference makes viewing an HDTV program similar to sitting in a theater.

The final difference in an HDTV system is the sound quality. All HDTV is broadcast is Dolby Digital Standard with some programs in stereo and others in surround sound. Surround sound combines multiple speakers in front of the viewer and behind plus a subwoofer to make the person feel as if they were part of the action.

DISH Network offers both the equipment and programming necessary to play HDTV programs on your HD-ready television. In order to view programs in HD format, you will need a special HD receiver. DISH Network offers 2 choices. The ViP211 HD receiver can be used for 1 television and supports both HD and standard DISH Network programming. It also can be used with Dolby Digital Surround Sound. For 1 or 2 TVs, the ViP622 DVR combines a HD receiver and digital video recorder. Like the ViP211, it can be used with both standard and HD programming and supports Surround Sound.

Once the HD receiver is connected to your television, you can start receiving programming. HDTV programming has increased greatly in the past year as companies have seen how popular the technology is becoming. Currently DISH Network offers 4 package levels for HD customers. Each level contains about 25 high definitions channels, plus a variety of standard channels. The Platinum package level also includes Showtime, Starz, and HBO in HD format. HDTV local channels are available in some areas for an additional charge.

The popularity of HDTV has brought down its cost to a reasonable level. DISH Network has packages that include HDTV for less than $50 each month. It is likely that more channels will be available in HDTV in the coming months and that the prices will be soon be comparable to that of standard definition programming. Overall, HDTV offers such superior quality over regular programming that, even with a small extra charge for the service, it is a good value.