You've seen the impossibly expensive TV sets at your local electronics store marked high-definition ready. But just what are they ready for? And when? In a nutshell, high-definition television delivers a greatly improved wide-screen picture and better-quality sound (including the option of Dolby Digital surround sound). HDTV is also broadcast to your home in digital form. But in order to make the switch to the improved digital picture, there are some pretty significant changes at every step, from the studio where they film your favorite sitcom to the broadcast station to the airwaves themselves and finally to that expensive set in your home. Read on as we first go in-depth to explain what digital TV and high-definition television are, then tell you how shows in those formats can get to your house. Next, we'll describe the TVs and set-top boxes that are for sale, and we'll wrap up with a discussion of what sorts of programs there are to watch in the new format now. So if you're trying figure out what all the HDTV fuss is about, take a look here for a clearer picture.

The basics of digital TV and HDTV
This new era in TV offers a wide array of options for both broadcasters and viewers.

The slow transition to digital
DTV adoption has been slow for a number of reasons.

The new TV sets
Are these new TVs special enough to justify their high cost?

Digital and high-definition shows
There isn't a whole lot to watch during the transition to a completely digital TV system.

What is HDTV? 

Gordon Meyer is the Los Angeles-based editor in chief of Multimedia Technology News Service and has written for PC World, PC Portables, Home PC and Equip. He also appears regularly on the nationally syndicated radio show Internet Insider (www.insiderradio.com) as its Multimedia Mogul where he reports on convergence technology.