Can I get HD on my lcd?

I have an lcd monitor that I want to use to watch tv. I know I can buy a video card with a tv tuner with hdtv support or, theoretically, I could get a hdtv tuner and a cable that's vga or dvi on one end and has hd inputs on the other end and then use the remote from the tuner to change channels (I think). Either way, will I be able get HD quality tv signal on my lcd? My monitor is a pc, lcd monitor, not a tv/monitor and not hdtv enabled. What can I do to get full quality hdtv on my lcd monitor? Thanks

Just about any pc monitor will do to watch HDTV from a HD tuner inside your box. It doesn't matter whether the monitor has a VGA or DVI connection.

Having said that, there are video quality issues and presentation issues that can make for a better HDTV experience.

The preferred monitor is one with a DVI input and has a wide screen resolution. DVI is digital as is your DVI output from your computer's graphics card. A HDTV tuner picks up the HD overtheair signals, is processed, and then sent to the graphics card to the monitor. Usually, there is no direct connection between the TV tuner and the monitor.

A widescreen resolution is one that is at least 1280 x 720 (aspect ratio of 16:9) or supports 720p screens. All locally broadcast HDTV in the USA is either in 720p or 1080i and 5.1 audio.

If you have a pc monitor this is not widescreen, but is standard screen of 480i or in aspect ratio of 4:3, you can still watch HDTV on it but the program will be in letterbox, which means that there will be thick black bars above and below the video.

In my view, one of the best LCD TV's on the market is the Sharp AQuos 45" that supports 1080p resolutions and has builtin HDTV tuner. It also has numerous video inputs like DVI for a connection to a PC.

So, start from that great but expensive set and work backwards to something that you can afford or suits your needs. For instance, this Sharp large screen LCD TV is for watching on the sofa or from a distance, not at the desktop.

But, for entry level desktop use, check out Westinghouse's model 19w4 19" widescreen pc monitor. It has DVI and VGA inputs. About $300US, at Best Buy. Add a set of 5.1 surround sound speakers would be a pretty good personal station. This model does not have a builtin TV tuner.

There are other brands that sell widescreen pc monitors that are just as good values. Some have builtin tuners, some don't.