[ Photo courtesy of Sanja Gjenero ]

If you’re like me, you’re thrilled when a new high-def channel is added to your lineup. TV providers have been beefing up their HD offerings regularly over the last year or two, and many now offer dozens of stations. I get about 60 channels in HD, and if I subscribed to the premium channels, I’d get many more.

My cable provider, Cablevision, recently added HD versions of USA and FX, so I can watch shows like Psych, Burn Notice, and Damages in all their high-def splendor. Sometimes I’ve stumbled across these new offerings by accident, while idly surfing with the channel up/down button on the remote. Though the discovery gladdens my heart, I can’t help but wonder how long I’ve been missing out, unknowingly settling for their standard-def counterparts.

Cablevision does announce new HD offerings, but it’s usually in small type down the side of my monthly service bill, or in an occasional pamphlet listing the full channel line-up. But when I’m rushing to pay my bills, I don’t always read the fine print or flyers. Now, I make a point of doing so. I also check the onscreen program guide to see if any new channels have materialized in the high-def tier. And there's always the Web: Like most companies, Cablevision provides a full lineup of channels for my area on its Web site.

If you’re not regularly searching out new HD options, I recommend you start doing so. You might be happily surprised by what you find. – Eileen McCooey