If you have a high-definition television, it's given that you will want to watch your cable broadcasts in high definition. However, in order to do that ,you will need to convert your cable signal to HD, which will allow your HDMI cables to carry the HD signal into your television.
Why Upgrade Your Cable to HD
With high-definition television and the use of HDMI cables, you can increase the picture resolution by almost three times the normal standard-definition picture. Standard definition has 480 lines of vertical resolution. HD, on the other hand currently has up to 1080 lines of resolution. The size of the image you see will also increase. Standard definition is viewed in four-by-three format (four inches wide for every three inches tall), which is the normal proportion of a television. However, high definition is displayed in 16-by-9 format, which makes the image almost twice as long as it is tall. So not only will you see more information on your television, but you'll see it more clearly as well.
Upgrade to HD Service
Contact your cable provider. Before you can being watching HD stations you will need to purchase the HD cable package. This typically isn't very expensive (around ten extra dollars a month). Depending on your cable provider, you may need a new HD cable receiver. When you make the upgrade, you will be informed of this need or not. If you need to exchange the receiver, the cable company typically will send out a technician to install the HD receiver
Purchase the HDMI Cables
In order to get the high-definition signal from the receiver box to the HD television you will need HDMI cables. However, before you purchase them you should measure to see how much cable you'll need to connect the two devices. This is important because HDMI cables, especially higher-end brands, can be expensive. The difference between four-foot and six-foot cable can be around $20.
Attaching the HDMI Cable
Insert the HDMI cable into the HDMI port of the cable receiver. This port will be found on the back of the box. Connect the other side to one of the HDTV's HDMI ports. You will probably have multiple ports available to do this. Once this has been completed power on both the HD receiver and the television. Press the HDMI button on the remote to switch through the available ports until you find your connection between the TV and receiver.
Tags: HDMI cables, will need, your cable, cable provider, cable receiver, high definition