Are TV viewers HD-ready?

0 Comments | USA TODAY, July, 2007 | by Mike Snider

About half of all new TV sets and displays sold this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, will be HDTVs, capable of showing crystal-clear video with about six times the resolution of standard TV.

But what to watch, besides DVDs?

Fewer than half (44%) of HDTV homes actually receive high-definition channels on their new set via cable or satellite, a recent CEA survey found. Forrester Research estimates somewhat higher, about 53%.

A fierce competition to convert that growing market is underway. Satellite providers DirecTV and Dish Network tout their growing capacity, while cable systems criticize satellite's picture quality. Fiber-optic offerings from AT&T and Verizon are encroaching on both.

In general, the differences...