High Definition Television

The first thing people notice when they watch HDTV is the clarity of the picture. With digital HDTV, watching television is more like watching a movie with its wider 16x9 aspect ratio. And it's so realistic, it's like looking through a window. Audio is also digital and can have up to 5.1 channels of surround sound, so it really is like watching a movie.

HDTV uses the same amount of bandwidth (the size of the communications channel) as the current analog system, but with HDTV, about six times more information is transmitted. This capability translates to much better quality in picture and sound.

What is High Definition TV (HDTV)? How is it Different From Analog Television?
HDTV is a name given to two of the digital television (DTV) formats. HDTV provides high resolution programming. Currently, television pictures are made up of lines that are scanned horizontally. HDTV pictures are created by scanning up to twice as many lines. This resolution and other technical factors improve the sharpness of the pictures, allowing you to read on your television screen small text commonly seen on your computer. HDTV sets have wider, movie-theater like screens that more closely resemble human peripheral vision, making it more natural to watch.

How Do You Buy an HDTV?
Buying an HDTV is no different than when you bought your current TV. When you bought that TV, you probably only thought about four things: price, size, features, and the picture.

It's the same with buying an HDTV. Figure out how much you want to spend. What size TV you want--based on how far away you'll be when watching TV or the size of an entertainment center or TV stand you'll use. What features you need--such as inputs, outputs, a built-in DTV tuner, and if you want a flat panel, big screen, or front projection TV. Then it's time to go shopping and find the HDTV sets that meet your price, size, and features. Then find the one that you feel has the best picture...and buy it. Don't worry about plasma, LCD, or DLP. Lots of people change their minds once they see the pictures for themselves.

What's the Difference Between 720p, 1080i and 1080p?
While these are all high definition TV formats, there are some differences. In 720p, the "p" stands for progressive. A 720p picture is made up of 720 lines drawn progressively, or one after the other, on your screen. In 1080i, the "i" stands for interlace. A 1080i picture is made up by first drawing 540 odd numbered lines...lines 1, 3, 5, and so on, and then slightly later, the 540 even numbered lines...2, 4, 6, and the rest. Your brain makes this interlaced picture look like one picture. Which is better? It depends. For fast action like sports, 720p makes a better picture, but for drama where action is minimal, then 1080i looks best.

1080p is the ultimate in HDTV with 1,080 progressively drawn lines. While HDTV broadcasts aren't in 1080p, HDTV sets and high definition DVDs are available in 1080p.

What's the difference between DTV and HDTV?
A lot of people are confused about the differences between DTV and HDTV. HDTV is the high definition form of DTV. If a program is on DTV it's digital, but not necessarily in high definition, unless the program says presented in HDTV.

What about my VCR, DVD player and camcorder?
Will I be able to use them with an HDTV set?
Yes... HDTV sets are “backward compatible,” meaning existing analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets, but not in high definition. Their video will be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each product.