Essential HDTV Accessories

Want 1080p content (other than Blu-ray Disc) to go with your 1080p television? Get a satellite dish.

Earlier this month, the Dish Network began offering a pay-per-view movie--yes, just one movie--in 1080p resolution. Its main satellite-television competitor, DirecTV, announced that it will begin offering movies in 1080p later this year.

Of course, the amount of compression that Dish and DirecTV use will have a huge impact on the image quality at your end--a 1080p program that's subjected to heavy compression may look worse than a lightly compressed 1080i program. And the amount of 1080p content available will likely be very limited, too, because no television networks currently broadcast in 1080p. So you'll be limited to watching movies, not TV shows, in 1080p. But for the satellite services, it's a step in the right direction--and one that the cable television industry hasn't yet taken.

DirecTV | Dish Network