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By: Richard Del Cazzo
Web site: http://www.hdtv-hdtv.com
All TV stations and networks in the U.S. are required to
transmit their programming only in a digital broadcast signal
by the year 2006 which means high-definition television,
or HDTV, is quickly becoming the norm.
"The transition has been under way for five years now,
but it's really reaching warp speed this year," said
Consumer Electronics Association spokesman Jim Barry.
Industry experts say it may take longer, since not all of
today's TV sets are designed to receive digital transmissions.
But next-generation sets called "plug and play"
are being manufactured to help meet the deadline.
"That means you can plug the cable right into the back
of the set and it has the digital high-definition tuner built
right in. You get a little access card from the cable company,
a cable card, and that gives you access to the premium channels
like Showtime and HBO in high definition," Barry said.
High-definition TV is the best digital quality available.
The image is extremely sharp and detailed, the audio is CD-quality
sound and the TV screen is a widescreen format.
"High definition is the best ... [it] gives you the
picture quality that makes it seem as though you're right
there at the game or in the movie," Barry said.
The picture is so clear, viewers can see performers and athletes
as they really are. Not even make-up or fancy lighting can
hide facial imperfections or signs of aging.
"With high-definition TV you can see every bit of makeup
on a celebrity face," Rachel Hayes Gayle, beauty director
for Cosmopolitan magazine, told Fox News.
As for Barry, he's looking forward to seeing football and
baseball from his own sideline seat in front of the
television.
"The NFL, the World Series in digital high definition
and widescreen ... that is going to be absolutely spectacular,"
he said.
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