High definition TV (HDTV) is well and truly coming of age in the UK - Beijing was the first Olympics in history to be broadcast in high definition and the BBC showed over 300 hours of HD content during the games. And Sky, the UK's leading HDTV broadcaster, now has over half a million subscribers having only launched their service in mid 2006.

Moreover, all the big players see high definition as the "next big thing" for television in the UK and are investing heavily to greatly increase the variety of high definition content available to watch. But High Def' viewing doesn't come cheap and the breadth and depth of content on offer varies significantly across the various platforms offering high definition content.

So what is high definition (HD) TV and does it live up to the hype?

To view content in high definition you first need a "HD Ready" TV. This is a TV set which has many more pixels per square inch (4 times more than a standard set) allowing it to show pictures in far greater detail and with much more vibrant colours, but only if the content that it is showing is being broadcast and transmitted in high definition. So you will need the right TV and a set top box able to receive and decode a high definition signal. HD signals are also broadcast in surround sound making for a much richer sound as well as visual experience.

All the main manufacturers produce HD Ready sets and the chances are that if you have bought a TV recently (especially a flat screen) it will be HD Ready. But it is very important to check this before subscribing to an HD service.

So is HD worth the cost?

If you walk past a TV showing content in HD you will notice a big difference - in fact so proud are new HD viewers that they often ask their friends round to gawp at the clarity of the picture. Most viewers find that HD is particularly impressive for sporting events, documentaries and to a lesser extent movies and dramas. Football in HD for example is a huge improvement on the standard TV experience - with players (and the crowd!) visible in extraordinary clarity.

Who currently offers HD TV?

Sky has offered HD TV for some time, as have Virgin Media. Non subscription based companies such as Freesat and Freeview also offer HD content from the BBC and ITV.

So in a nutshell, to enjoy HDTV you will need to make sure you have the following:

1. A TV capable of displaying high-definition pictures

2. A receiver that can decode the high definition signal, such Sky's Sky+HD box or Virgin's V+ box

3. A TV package that includes high definition programmes