What makes hdtv

Fortunately, a few basic facts easily dispel all of this confusion. In this article, we'll look at the differences between analog, digital and high-definition, explain the acronyms and resolution levels and give you the facts on the United States transition to all-digital television. We'll also tell you exactly what you need to know if you're thinking about upgrading to HDTV. The signal is made of continually varying radio waves that the TV translates into a picture and sound.

An analog signal can reach a person's TV over the air, through a cable or via satellite. Digital signals, like the ones from DVD players , are converted to analog when played on traditional TVs.

United States broadcasting is currently changing to digital television DTV. A digital signal transmits the information for video and sound as ones and zeros instead of as a wave. When analog broadcasting ends, you'll only be able to watch TV on your trusty old set if you have cable or satellite service transmitting analog signals or if you have a set-top digital converter.

This brings us to the first big misconception about HDTV. Unfortunately, none of this is true. As of March 1, , all new TV sets in the U. But the transition to digital TV isn't complete. These standards include how sound and video are encoded and transmitted. They also provide guidelines for different levels of quality.

All of the digital standards are better in quality than analog signals. HDTV standards are the top tier of all the digital signals. The ATSC has created 18 commonly used digital broadcast formats for video. The lowest quality digital format is about the same as the highest quality an analog TV can display. The 18 formats cover differences in:. Many of these standards have exactly the same aspect ratio and resolution -- their frame rates differentiate them from one another.

When you hear someone mention a "i" HDTV set, they're talking about one that has a native resolution of x pixels and can display 60 frames per second, interlaced.

Broadcasters get to decide which of these formats they will use and whether they will broadcast in high definition -- many are already using digital and high-definition signals. Electronics manufacturers get to decide which aspect ratios and resolutions their TVs will use. Consumers get to decide which resolutions are most important to them and buy their new equipment based on that.

Right now, people can watch an over-the-air digital signal only if they are tuned in to the broadcaster's virtual digital channel. After analog broadcasting ends, the only signals people will receive over the air will be digital. However, even though a digital signal is better quality than an analog signal, it isn't necessarily high definition.

First, the station has to be broadcasting a high-definition signal. Second, you have to have the right equipment to receive and view it. We'll look at how to get an HDTV set and signal next. MPEG-2 compression reduces the size of the data by a factor of about , and it discards a lot of the visual information the human eye would not notice was missing. In , NTSC standards changed to allow color television, and in , they changed to allow stereo sound.

Those changes were different from the DTV switch because they were backwards compatible -- you could watch the new signal on your trusty old TV. With DTV, you'll need some new gear, and the gear you choose will affect whether you can receive and view high-definition video. This ratio is also better for watching widescreen movies, which are recorded in widescreen for the same reason. True to its name, high definition television offers a much higher resolution than standard definition video.

While a typical analog broadcast in the U. The three formats used by HDTV are i interlaced , and p and p progressive. HDTV's higher resolution produces images that are much finer and contain more detail and more color than previous formats. HDTV also provides a higher-quality digital audio signal than SDTV and supports up to six audio channels compared to the two channels allowed previously.

HDTVs come in both and formats for backwards compatibility. If you would like to reference this page or cite this definition, you can use the green citation links above. The goal of TechTerms.

Finding a TV that matches all of your criteria is only half the battle, of course. The other half is the price. Price has a pretty direct relationship to the one thing we haven't talked about:.

That much is generally true. There are plenty of guides that tell you what size TV you should get, but to be honest, I've yet to hear of anyone who actually follows them. Most people buy a TV in the to inch range because they think it looks right, and because it's affordable. The truth is, you can go much bigger if you want. I sit 10 feet from a inch screen, and it's epic.

You don't need to go that big, but you can if you want to. It's a tough call between a good TV that's big, and a great TV that's small. I'd generally err on the side of larger, but really this is something that's best judged on a case-by-case basis. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic.

We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. What makes a good HDTV? We all want the best TV we can afford. But what makes a TV "the best"? Geoffrey Morrison. June 20, a. Well, I'm glad you asked. Contrast ratio or how every TV manufacturer lies to you Geoffrey Morrison Contrast ratio One of the most visible aspects of picture quality is contrast ratio.

Features Most modern TVs do at least a decent job of creating an image. So it's features that are the biggest differences between TVs. Price Tally up what you've picked as important for your future TV. Price has a pretty direct relationship to the one thing we haven't talked about: Size Small TVs are cheap, big TVs are expensive.