High Definition Television (HDTV) FAQs

What is HDTV?

High Definition Television (HDTV) is a new type of broadcasting technology that will transform your television viewing experience. HDTV enables broadcasters to offer television with movie-quality picture and sound. It also offers far greater multicasting and interactive capabilities. The FCC has mandated that all stations are broadcasting in HDTV by December 31, 2006; however, this date will likely be extended as the date approaches.

Do I need a new television set to watch HDTV?

Yes. It is necessary to have both a high-definition tuner and monitor to properly decode and display HDTV signals. Current models can have either the a built in tuner or an external tuner so take care when purchasing an HDTV.

What do HDTV sets look like and what do they cost?

Most HDTV sets have wider, more rectangular screens than current analog TVs. This wide screen format allows for wider images that are more like those you see in a movie theater. Like current TV sets, a range of sizes is available. As with most new consumer electronics technologies, HDTV sets have become less expensive since their introduction. Prices are expected to continue to decrease over time and will vary depending on screen size, display technology, and other features. Plasma TVs are a type of HDTV.

What are the benefits of HDTV versus existing TV?

HDTV is a dramatic improvement to current television standards, the main benefits are:

• Picture Resolution: HDTV double or triple the amount of picture lines seen on tradition televisions. The result is crystal clear images, with razor sharp detail.
• Aspect Ratio: Aspect ratio, or the ratio of height to width of the image is significantly better on HDTVs. Traditional TVs use an image aspect ratio of 4:3, or 4 units wide and 3 units high. HDTV takes advantage of the human eye's ability to see much wider aspect ratios and displays images at 16:9 or the same aspect ratio as theatrical movies.
• Sound Quality: HDTV sound system, comparable to that on CDs, is a significant improvement over the analog sound found in traditional TVs. HDTV also enables the use some of the more advanced forms of surround sound typically found only on DVDs.

It is generally accepted that standard definition signals do not look as good on a HDTV set as on regular SD CRT televisions.

What are the various HDTV formats?

• 480 interlaced (480i): The digital imitation of traditional analog television, 480i provides a sequential 480-line display with a 30 Hz refresh rate. This is considered Standard Definition Television (SDTV) and is supported by most HDTVs.
• 480 progressive (480p): Another Standard Definition Television (SDTV) format that displays 480 lines progressively, the same way a computer monitor does, thus reducing flicker and motion artifacts.
• 1080 interlaced (1080i): The first of the HDTV formats, it means 1080 picture scan lines are shown from top to bottom as interlaced fields. The 1920 pixels per line result in just over 2 million pixels on the screen.
• 720 progressive (720p): 720p scans 720 picture scan lines at a 60 hr refresh rate. Proponents believe the high refresh rate produces the same "perceived quality" as the 1080i format, but the HDTV units can be produced for significantly less money!