Help! Can I get HDTV programming in my country?

[manotas83]

Hi, I live in Argentina
Here HDTV doesn t exist, but Im considering to buy one in the states.
My question is: would I receive HDTV signal if I get a STB for Directv (I have Directv now, but we dont get any HDTV programming here)
What I want to say is: is the STB needed to convert analgo signals to HDTV or is it to convert HDTV signals to HDTV.
I mean do I need to receive an HDTV signal + a STB

Other 2 quiestions:

-if the signal is HDTV the STB isnt neccesary, is it?
-if the signal is analog the STB is Always necessary, isnt it?


Thanks guys (sorry for my newbieness):D :D

[zarlor]

I don't know what sats you can see from Argentina. I do know that DirecTV uses a different satellite from their standard one in North America for HDTV programming. (2 different ones, actually, since SHO-HD is on a seperate satellite from the other HD channels.) I can't remember their locations, but they shouldn't be too tought to find with some searching on the internet.

At any rate, the need for a STB is strictly for digital channels. The tuner that most HDTV and HDTV-ready sets have will allow them to pick up analog channels just fine. A full HDTV has an ATSC tuner as well allowing it to also pickup up Off The Air (OTA) digital signals, i.e. the stuff you local TV station would send to you in the USA when they go digital. I have no idea what Argentina may or may not go to for their digital standard.)

DirecTV, however, requires a STB to pick up their signal at all, anyway. With a regular DirecTV STB connected to an HDTV you would only get the same DirecTV channels you get now. If you wanted HDTV you would have to have a dish pointing to a satellite with HD content, an HD-specific STB, and your HDTV. The HD STB will pick up normal DirecTV channels available on a satellite as well as any HD channels that might be there and such an STB may also pick up local channels if connected to an antenna or local cable service.

From here in New Orleans, Louisiana I can use an Oval dish that can pick up the signals from all 3 of the DirecTV satellites for all available standard and HD programming from DirecTV. I don't know what the footprints look like for Argentina, though, so I'm not sure if you'll be able to get any of the signal from one of the HD birds from there.

[DTC mac]

North american satellites do not provide coverage in the southern hemisphere. If all of south america is not "below the horizon", be assured that the signal level is at or near the noise threshold.

[manotas83]

thanks guys I guess i wont be enjoying hdtv for a while!!!

:( :( :(