There are HDTV stations "on the air" in many large cities. The first HDTV station was WRAL-HD in Raleigh, NC. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that all stations be capable of broadcasting digital television by 2007. Click here to learn what's on HDTV today.

The FCC mandate affects broadcasters, cable companies and consumers in significant ways:

• Consumers have to buy new equipment, either a set-top box (to convert digital signals to analog signals) or a whole new TV set.
• Broadcasters have to spend a considerable amount of money to switch to DTV. They have to buy new cameras, new titling and editing equipment, new tape machines, new rigs for their news vans -- its a big investment.
• Cable operators have to convert all of their equipment and all of their set-top boxes.
• Communities need to agree to have new towers built for broadcast channels.

The station decides which DTV format it will transmit. For example, cable operators may push for 720p so they can fit more HDTV channels onto the cable. A clear pattern has yet to emerge in the industry.