This is a screen shot of KVOA's 5 o'clock newscast Monday on a 32-inch plasma high-definition TV.

greg Bryan / Arizona Daily Star

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KVOA enters high-def era Which network newscast went high-def first?

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The switch to high-definition is a complicated one on the network's end, but it may be even more confusing for the consumer.

"There are people saying, 'Am I still going to be able to watch it?' " KVOA general manager Gary Nielsen said, pointing out that a recently published study by the Consumer Electronics Association estimated the penetration of HDTVs in American households at 28 percent — higher than it's ever been, but obviously still relatively low.

The short answer: Yes. For those with old-school TVs, you'll still be able to watch KVOA news on Channel 4 like always, and aside from that new studio set, you won't notice much of a difference. But that fortunate 28 percent with HDTVs will be able to watch the local news in high-definition on KVOA's digital channel, which has been broadcasting high-definition NBC programming for years. You can find it at Channel 704 if you're a Cox customer; Channel 211 if you're a Comcast customer; and at 4.1 if you're using an over-the-air antenna (yes, that's with a decimal — the digital channels come in that way over the air; although depending on your TV, it might show up as a dash). KVOA's digital channel is currently unavailable on DirecTV or The Dish Network.

Even though you don't have to rush out to get a new TV, you might want to — the Federal Communications Commission has decreed that all U.S. television broadcasts need to be digital-only by Feb. 17, 2009 (although if you have a digital cable box, you should probably still be OK). Like anything with government, that date could change.

Still confused? Maybe the accompanying Q&A will help.

Aren't high-definition TVs really expensive?

They can be pretty spendy, but it's getting better all the time. A 20-inch, Vizio-brand HDTV can be had for $400. The bigger ones (50 inches and up) still top out at a few thousand dollars. As with every big purchase, it's best to research everything that's out there before you jump into anything.

Those are the three current resolution standards of high-definition TV. "Resolution" refers to pixel count, and, basically, the more pixels, the better. 1080p, used in some video games, HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs, is currently the highest possible resolution, but only the most expensive HDTVs can display it properly (the rest will "downscale" it on your TV). No shows are currently broadcast in 1080p due to capacity issues. Most, including KVOA's local news, are broadcast in 1080i, although ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 broadcast at 720p. Basically, unless you're a hard-core video nut, you probably won't notice the difference between the three.

Sounds like you might not have it set up properly. Make sure your HDTV has both an ATSC and QAM tuner; if not, you just have an "HD ready" set, and need to add those things to get high-definition programming. If you don't have cable, you'll have to use an antenna — depending on where you live, a cheap indoor one should work just fine — to get the digital, high-definition channels for the major broadcast networks and PBS. If you have cable, the "scan for channels" function should work just fine in picking up the networks. But if you want more high-definition programming than just the free broadcast channels, you'll have to contact your cable provider and see about getting an HD cable box (also prepare to pay a little bit more a month). NBC and ABC both have special "HD" logos that will let you know you're seeing the real high-definition deal, although it should be pretty obvious.

Also, most programming is still broadcast in "standard definition," which is in the old standard aspect ratio of 4:3 (sort of like a square). Some HDTVs "stretch" that image to fill up the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio of an HDTV, which will distort and make your shows look pretty darn weird. This can be easily remedied by a settings button on the remote.

Keep in mind that high-definition broadcasting is still pretty new, and, as such, you might get some things like the screen pixelating and occasional audio dropouts.

All right, so what's broadcast in high-definition besides KVOA local news?

At this point, most network prime-time programming is on in high-definition — "The Office," "Grey's Anatomy," "Heroes," "24," "American Idol," "Lost" — all high-definition. Notable exceptions include "Scrubs" and "Deal or No Deal." Some daytime shows, like "Today" and "The View" are high-def, as are late-night offerings "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien."

There are only a few high-definition cable channels. HBO, Showtime, Starz, ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT all simulcast in high-definition. Plus, there are a few exclusively high-definition channels available, like InHD, Universal HD and MHD (which presents music programming from MTV, VH1 and CMT in high-def) and Discovery HD Theater, a high-def version of The Discovery Channel. Both Cox and Comcast recently added National Geographic HD.

Oh yeah. Think about it this way: Standard definition tops out at 345,600 pixels, while high-definition can go up to six times that, meaning six times more detailed images. The audio is better, too, often using theater-quality Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.