If your cable provider provides HDTV service, make sure you know the pricing of their service, and whether you need to pay a fee to rent or purchase their HDTV cable box. Inquire if a generic HDTV set-top box can be used instead of their box. Finally, make sure you understand which HDTV channels are offered, many cable systems offer some national HDTV programming, but may not offer HDTV feeds from local station affiliates. If that is the case, you may need to get both cable and an antenna to get all of the nationally and locally available HDTV programming.

Because VOOM, DirectTV, and DishNetwork Satellite offer HDTV service, find out if what they each offer suits your needs, in addition, just as with cable, satellite services offer some national HDTV programming, but may not offer HDTV feeds from local station affiliates.

3) An integrated HDTV or an HD-upgradable (or HD-ready, HD-compatible) TV.
An integrated HDTV is one that has a built-in HDTV tuner built in to the TV. The advantage is that you don't have to spend additional money for an external box to receive HDTV. However, the disadvantage is that if you subscribe to a cable or satellite service, their box may be required to receive their HD channel service. Also, if standards or technology do change, you are stuck with the tuner you have in the set.

An HD-upgradable, HD-ready, or HD-compatible TV has everything you need to watch HDTV once your HDTV signal is acquired, but you must add an additional set-top box to receive HDTV signals. The advantage is that you have the flexibility to add the type of set-top box that suits your needs, such as broadcast, satellite, or cable. The disadvantage is that you may have to pay, rent, or lease the set-top box in addition to paying for the TV itself.

In addition, an increasing number of HD-ugradable televisions have a special slot that allows Cable TV providers to simply insert a special card, referred to as a Cable Card, that enables your TV to receive cable television channels, including HDTV channels. Of course, you still have to pay subscription fees, and the card has to be removed if you move to another area with a different cable service. In addition, since the Cable Card is inserted into the TV directly, you may still need a separate cable box for you to be able to record cable TV channels on your VCR or DVD recorder. You must check all this out with your Cable TV provider.