High-definition television in the United States

High-definition television (HDTV) in the United States was introduced in 1998 and has since become increasingly popular and dominant in the television market. Hundreds of HD channels are available in millions of homes and businesses both terrestrially and via subscription services such as satellite, cable and IPTV. HDTV has quickly become the standard, with about 85% of all TVs used being HD as of 2018.[1] In the US, the 720p and 1080i formats are used for linear channels, while 1080p is available on a limited basis, mainly for pay-per-view and video on demand content.

From proposals to introduction

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began soliciting proposals for a new television standard for the U.S. in the late 1980s and later decided to ask companies competing to create the standard to pool their resources and work together, forming what was known as the Grand Alliance in 1993.

On July 23, 1996, WRAL-TV (then the CBS affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina; now affiliated with NBC) became the first television station in the United States to broadcast a digital television signal.[2]

HDTV sets became available in the U.S. in 1998 and broadcasts began around November 1998. The first public HDTV broadcast was of the launch of the space shuttle Discovery and John Glenn's return to space; that broadcast was made possible in part by the Harris Corporation.[3] The first commercial broadcast of a local sporting event in HD was during Major League Baseball's Opening Day on March 31, 1998, the Texas Rangers against the Chicago White Sox from The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, TX. The telecast was produced by LIN Productions, and overseen by LIN Productions president and Texas Rangers television executive producer Lee Spieckerman. The game was also the inaugural telecast on the digital channel of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas NBC affiliate KXAS channel 5. The historic event was simultaneously shown via satellite at a reception attended by members of congress, the FCC and other luminaries in Washington, DC. This telecast was also the first commercial HD broadcast in the state of Texas.[4] The first major sporting event broadcast nationwide in HD was Super Bowl XXXIV, broadcast by ABC on January 30, 2000. By the 2014–15 season every network show producing new episodes had transitioned to high definition.[5] [6]

Satellite and cable

Satellite television companies in the United States, such as Dish Network and DirecTV, started to carry HD programming in 2003. Satellite transmissions in the U.S. use various forms of PSK modulation. A separate tuner is required to receive HD satellite broadcasts.

Cable television companies in the U.S. generally prefer to use 256-QAM to transmit HDTV. Many of the newer HDTVs with integrated digital tuners include support for decoding 256-QAM in addition to 8VSB for OTA digital. Cable television companies started carrying HDTV in 2003.

Currently, HD programming is carried by all major television networks in nearly all DMAs, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, The CW, MyNetworkTV and Telemundo; and on many independent stations. All but a select few of cable networks offer an HD broadcast to cable and satellite companies.

List of current American high-definition channels
Name First-launched HD service HD Format Category Type
A&E September 4, 20061080iEntertainmentCable
ABC September 16, 2001720pBroadcast
AccuWeather Network N/A1080iNewsCable
Adult Swim October 15, 2007Entertainment
Altitude N/ASports - Regional
AMCEntertainment
American Heroes Channel
Animal PlanetLifestyle
AT&T SportsNet April 1, 2011720pSports – Regional
ASPiRE June 27, 20121080iEntertainment
AWE June 1, 20041080iLifestyle
AXS TV September 6, 2001Entertainment
Azteca July 16, 2012Broadcast – SpanishBroadcast
BBC America March 29, 1998 EntertainmentCable
BBC World News August 5, 2013News
beIN Sports June 1, 2012720pSports
beIN Sports en EspañolSports – Spanish
BET March 23, 20111080iEntertainment
BET Her
Big Ten Network 2009720pSports - College
Bloomberg TV May 9, 20111080iNews
Bravo 2007Lifestyle
Cars.TV May 2009Sports
Cartoon Network October 15, 2007Family
CBS September 1998Broadcast
CBS Sports Network August 2008SportsCable
Cinemax (MoreMax, ActionMax, ThrillerMax, 5starMax, MovieMax, OuterMax, MaxLatino) N/APremium MoviesPremium
CMTEntertainmentCable
CNBC October 10, 2007News
CNN September 6, 2007
Comedy Central January 13, 2009Entertainment
Comedy.TV May 2009
Cooking Channel March 31, 2008Lifestyle
Crime & Investigation Network April 1, 2005720pEntertainment
The CW March 20121080iBroadcast
Daystar UK only720pReligionCable
Destination America March 31, 2008 1080iLifestyle
Discovery Channel June 2002 Entertainment
Discovery Family October 10, 2010 Family
Discovery Life February 1, 2011 Lifestyle
Disney Channel March 19, 2008 720p Family
Disney Junior March 23, 2012
Disney XD February 13, 2009
DIY May 1, 2010 1080iLifestyle
E! December 8, 2008
El Rey Network December 15, 2013 Spanish
Epix (Epix 2, Epix Hits) October 30, 2009 Premium MoviesPremium
ES.TV May 2009 EntertainmentCable
ESPN March 30, 2003 720pSports
ESPN2 January 2005
ESPNews March 30, 2008
ESPNU March 23, 2010
ESPN Deportes January 7, 2004 Sports – Spanish
EVINE Live February 13, 2015 1080iShopping
Flix August 1, 1992 Premium MoviesPremium
FM September 30, 2015 MusicCable
Food Network March 31, 2008 Lifestyle
Fox September 12, 2004 720pBroadcast
Fox Business Network October 15, 2007 NewsCable
Fox Deportes N/A Sports – Spanish
Fox News Channel April 29, 2008 News
FS1 N/A Sports
FS2
Fox Soccer Plus June 15, 2010
Fox Sports Networks (All Networks) Late July 2010 Sports – Regional
Freeform Early 2008 Family
Fuse N/A 1080iMusic
Fusion October 28, 2013 News
FX 2007 720pEntertainment
FXMMovies
FXX September 2, 2013 Entertainment
FYI January 1, 1999 Lifestyle
Galavisión June 1, 2010 (official)

August 15, 2013 (DirecTV)

 1080iSpanish
Gol TV August 1, 2010 (official)

August 27, 2010 (Time Warner Cable in NYC)

 Sports – Spanish
Golf Channel January 2007 Sports
Great American Country October 1, 2013 Music
GSN September 15, 2010 Entertainment
Hallmark Channel N/A Family
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries January 20, 2004 Movies
HBO (HBO2, HBO Comedy, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Signature, HBO Zone) March 6, 1999 Premium MoviesPremium
HDNet Movies January 13, 2003 MoviesCable
HGTV March 31, 2008 Lifestyle
History January 2008 Entertainment
HLN December 15, 2008 News
HSN August 2009 Shopping
HSN 2
IFC September 1, 1994 Movies
Investigation Discovery N/A Entertainment
Ion February 16, 2009 720pBroadcast
Justice Central N/A 1080iNewsCable
Lifetime April 16, 2008 Lifestyle
LMN June 29, 1998
Logo TV June 30, 2005
MASN (MASN2) September 16, 2008 Sports – Regional
MAVTV October 1, 2004 Sports
Mega TV March 1, 2006 Broadcast – Spanish
MGM HD October 10, 2007 MoviesPremium
Midco Sports Network N/A Sports – RegionalCable
Minnesota Channel 2007 EntertainmentBroadcast
MLB Network December 17, 2008 720pSportsCable
MLB StrikeZone
Motor Trend June 17, 2002 1080i
The Movie Channel (The Movie Channel Xtra) December 1, 2003 Premium MoviesPremium
MoviePlex (IndiePlex, RetroPlex) February 11, 2010
MSG (MSG Plus, MSG Western New York) January 22, 2009 Sports – RegionalCable
MSNBC June 29, 2015 News
MTV January 2006 Entertainment
MTV2 Early 2012
MTV Live January 16, 2006 Music
MyDestination.TV N/A Lifestyle
MyNetworkTV September 5, 2006 720pBroadcast
Nat Geo Wild March 29, 2010 LifestyleCable
National Geographic January 2006 Entertainment
NBA TV Octpber 30, 2007 1080iSports
NBC April 26, 1999 Broadcast
NBC Sports Regional Networks 2010 Sports – RegionalCable
NBC Universo N/A Spanish
NBCSN January 2007 Sports
NESN April 2006 Sports – Regional
Newsmax TV June 16, 2014 News
NFL Network August 2004 Sports
NFL RedZone September 13, 2009
NHL Network October 1, 2007
Nick at Nite 2008 Family
Nickelodeon
Nicktoons August 13, 2013
Nick Jr. August 1, 2013
One America News Network July 4, 2013 News
Outdoor Channel 2004 Sports
Ovation July 2010 Lifestyle
OWN January 1, 2011
Olympic Channel July 31, 2003 Sports
Oxygen March 2011 Lifestyle
Pac-12 Network August 15, 2012 Sports – College
Paramount Network N/A Entertainment
PBS March 1, 2004 Broadcast
Pets.TV N/A LifestyleCable
Playboy TV March 29, 2018 Adult
Pop N/A Lifestyle
QVC May 2009 Shopping
Recipe.TV N/A Lifestyle
Reelz August 1, 2010 720pEntertainment
Revolt October 21, 2013 1080iMusic
RFD-TV July 26, 2007 Lifestyle
Science September 1, 2009 Lifestyle
SEC Network August 14, 2014 720pSports - College
ShortsTV February 17, 2010 1080iMovies
Showtime (Showtime 2, Showcase, Showtime Extreme, Showtime Beyond, Showtime Next, Showtime Women) July 25, 2013 Premium MoviesPremium
Smithsonian Channel September 26, 2007 LifestyleCable
SNY March 16, 2006 Sports – Regional
Sony Movie Channel October 1, 2010 Movies
Spectrum SportsNet LA February 25, 2014 Sports – Regional
Spectrum SportsNet N/A
Sportsman Channel January 25, 2010 Sports
Starz (Starz Comedy, Starz Edge, Starz Kids and Family, Starz InBlack, Starz Cinema) December 2003 Premium MoviesPremium
Starz Encore (Starz Encore, Starz Encore Action, Starz Encore Black, Starz Encore Classic, Starz Encore Suspense) March 22, 2003
SundanceTV July 1, 2011 MoviesCable
Syfy October 3, 2007 Entertainment
TBS September 1, 2007
TCM June 2009 Movies
Telemundo April 23, 2009 Broadcast – SpanishBroadcast
TeenNick July 2011 FamilyCable
Tennis Channel December 31, 2007 Sports
TLC September 1, 2007 Lifestyle
TNT May 21, 2004 Entertainment
Travel Channel N/A Lifestyle
truTV March 2011 Entertainment
TUDN April 7, 2012 Sports – Spanish
TV Land November 2011 Family
TV One January 19, 2004 Entertainment
UniMás January 1, 2010 Broadcast – SpanishBroadcast
Universal Kids September 2010 FamilyCable
Univision January 1, 2010 Broadcast – SpanishBroadcast
Up N/A FamilyCable
USA NetworkEntertainment
Viceland February 29, 2016 Lifestyle
VH1 2005 Entertainment
WE tv N/A Lifestyle
The Weather Channel September 26, 2007 News
WeatherNation TV October 27, 2011
WGN America N/A Entertainment
World Fishing Network November 2007 Sports
YES Mid-July 2004 Sports – Regional
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See also

References
  1. HDTV SETS NOW IN OVER 80% OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS Leichtman Research Group March 16, 2015
  2. History of WRAL Digital
  3. "HDTV: Launched and Counting". Broadcasting and Cable. BNET. 1998-11-02. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
  4. KXAS Texas Rangers vs Chicago White Sox introduction – March 31, 1998
  5. End of an era: the last US broadcast network TV shows finally switch from SD to HD. Diverse Tech Geek. 11 June 2014.
  6. Tv looks good
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