It's the newest revolution in home entertainment: High Definition Television, or HDTV, has dramatically changed the way that we will view, hear and experience TV in years to come. HDTV uses the best digital technology to enhance the television experience in several ways. First there's the picture quality. HDTV uses a wide screen format to give viewers the same experience they would get from watching a movie screen. This allows them to see deeper into the sidelines or end-zone during a football game, for example. HDTV also allows viewers to see things more clearly than ever before. Standard definition television uses 200,000 points of colored light to bring viewers the images they see on the screen; HDTV uses 2 million, giving viewers a picture that is 10 times sharper. In other words, they're not exaggerating when they say that you can see every single blade of grass on the screen. The superior picture quality is only half of the HDTV experience. Sound has also radically improved. HDTV sets use digital surround sound, putting viewers right in the middle of all the action; from your couch, you'll be able to feel the roar of the crowd as the game-clinching basket sinks through the net.

HDTV is taking the broadcast world by storm. Many cable, satellite, and over the air channels have begun producing their programs in HD. Viewers can now experience sporting events, newscasts, and their favorite primetime shows such as Desperate Housewives in ways that they never could before. And this experience isn't exclusive to the financially well-off. Consumers can now purchase HD television sets for under $500. Even the more advanced flat panel HD sets aren't extremely expensive, with most starting in $2000-$2500 range. With HDTV sets at all time low prices and the increase in HD programming, 2006 will mark the beginning of the HDTV takeover. Right now, roughly 4 percent of American households have an HDTV set. By the end of this year, industry experts expect that number to rise to nearly 20 percent. Within the next 5 years, they say that 64 percent of households will watch all their television in HD.

The HDTV revolution has hit us full force with no signs of stopping. HDTV will allow viewers to experience their highly defined world better than ever as we move deeper into the new millennium.