I just got a mailer from a new satelite service whos main focus is HDTV brocasting. Supposedly they have 21 HD exclusive channels and 10 HD movie channels plus Showtime, HBO(Houston, Tx at this time), Cinemax and several other cable network channels, all in HDTV not to mention local broadcasting channels (if available). Looking into this but you have to pay for your equipmemt up front, $749. Ouch!

ANyone has any experience with this new servcie, opinions?

Here is the web site http://www.voom.com/index.jsp

Dunno about Satellite HD service. I just got Adelphia's HD service here in SoCal.

I'm very disappointed. Adelphia uses a Motorola set-top box. I get 5 HD stations, to broadcast channels (NBC, ABC), a PBS station, one Showtime and one HBO station. The picture format for HD is widescreen, but except for the PBS station, the others do not broadcast in 1070 format, so I get bars not only on top and bottom, but on the sides as well. Picture quality is a bit better than the digital picture quality I previously enjoyed. However, the picture quality on the 70 something analog stations is much worse than it was before. Picture quality from the digital stations is about the same as it was before. Sound quality is improved thanks to the Toslink connection. I get some stations in dolby digital, and in general it sounds better, although I have noticed some unpleasant audio artifacts with the new box/HD set up, i.e., popping, clicking, etc.

Conclusion? At this point, Adelphia SoCal's HD service is not worth the trouble or expense.

This is why I have stayed away from HDTV. They have dragged their feet way too long on this format. Hopefully in another year everything will be shaping up. THen again, i said this two years ago, also.

My understanding is that a court decision just upheld the law requireing all televisons sold after October 2004 to be equipped with HDTV tuners. I expect HDTV to go much more main stream, have the bugs worked out, and for costs to come down after that. I'm waiting to see what happens.

I don't think it was HDTV tuners....it was digital tuners that were required after OCt 2004.

You raise an interesting point showing just how confusing the whole area is. It is digital tuners that are being required. Digital television encompasses 18 different formats of digital broadcast which include current HDTV (1080i, 720p). Different broadcasters, (for instance, ABC uses 720p, while CBS transmits in 1080i, and FOX has elected to transmit only SDTV--480p), put out digital signals that may or may not be true high definition. My understanding is that digital tuners are HDTV tuners. Whether you watch HDTV depends on your TV's display, up and down conversion abilities and the signal being broadcast. Others may have a better or more detailed understanding than I do.