Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What is HD TV?

By Ruth Smith


As of right now, HDTV is the highest possible form of television. It is popular for a number of different reasons, one of which is the wide screen that it features. It has been scientifically proven that our eyes see better from left to right rather than up and down, which makes the HDTV the preferred choice as of right now. But what is HDTV? What makes it so much different?

The first thing we will address is that digital TV is not HDTV, though this is a common misconception. It is true that after the digital switchover more broadcast HDTV channels became available, but the biggest difference is in the resolution. Similar to the ever-evolving computer monitors in the industry, televisions have increased their resolution, thereby increasing their level of detail.

There are two major formats which are considered to be "HD", and they are 720p, and 1080p. Yes, there is a resolution called 1080i, but we will get to that in a moment. The numbers 1080 and 720 show you how many lines are in the television in question. Obviously more lines will give you a better picture, but the p and I are equally important.

P stands for progressive and it tends to be much better than interlaced due to the fact that it can process the image twice as fast. In addition to that the image is much clearer, and it will ultimately lead to a much better viewing experience. Something to note is that most production companies and television stations are using 720p at the most part, which means that if you want to save a bit of money, and are planning to buy a television below 32", then you might want to invest in 720p. On the smaller televisions the resolution will not provide a difference in quality, which means that for now you can save quite a bit of money.

So there you have it, the HDTV provides a higher resolution than your standard television and as such it would be a great idea to purchase one if you wish to enhance your viewing and your gaming experience. Keep in mind that for the best gaming experience you will want to purchase HDMI cables, and to be perfectly honest, the larger the television you can purchase, the better off you will be.

Though 1080p might not be the standard right now, humanity has a habit of moving forward with its technology whether for the good or for the bad. It is clear that the move to digital and HDTV was a great move, so let's see where it is going next. Chances are that you will be absolutely amazed.




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