Q: I am considering purchasing a wide-screen HDTV-ready television. I have standard cable with some premium channels. If I don't subscribe to the cable company's digital service, will the shows that say they are broadcast in HDTV come through in digital format? I can't afford to pay for the digital service, but do want a larger TV.

-- THERON J. ABBOTT, Derby, Kan.

A: You will not receive the digital signals from the cable company unless you subscribe to the digital service. It is important to distinguish between the types of digital signals you can receive from a cable company.

Standard digital cable delivers normal cable channels such as Cartoon Network, CNN and A&E. These are broadcast under the NTSC system, the television broadcast standard that has been in use since the 1950s. With digital cable, these analog NTSC channels are converted to digital form, transmitted along the cable lines and reconverted to analog for display on your television.

The new digital high-definition system most refer to as HDTV is properly referred to as ATSC. ATSC signals can take many forms, but the best known is the high-definition signals known for their stunning color and clarity, especially when viewed on a large television set. If your cable company transmits these signals, you will need a special box to receive them.

If you want to receive HDTV without paying for a digital subscription, you can buy an HDTV receiver that will tune the signals with an antenna. These receivers start at around $300, some of them incorporating a satellite receiver so you can receive cable channels via satellite and local HDTV channels through an antenna.

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Q: I'm looking for an excellent high-definition TV, but I also want a TV that will have an excellent picture in standard definition. Some of the DLP and LCD sets don't look so good in analog. Any suggestions?

-- TOM NOFFSKER

A: Standard definition signals can look very soft on large sets due to poor initial signal quality. This softness can be made worse by the progressive scan converter in the set, which can remove fine detail from the image.

The best way to improve the picture is by feeding the TV the best standard definition signal possible. I prefer digital satellite for the best broadcast television picture quality.

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Q: I just purchased a home theater system. I set it up to the instructions and everything is working fine except the surround speakers. All I get from them is a buzzing noise and a faint sound. What do you think the problem is?

-- IAN GREENALL, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

A: It sounds like you are experiencing some hiss that can often be heard when there is no information being sent to the rear channels. Make sure the surround sound option is turned on, and that programming you are watching is being broadcast.