High Definition Television

High Definition Televisions (HDTVs) are the new generation of TVs. No longer is a TV bulky and projected through cathode ray tubes (CRT), but they are now thinner, more versatile and have incredible image quality. When shopping for a television, it is best to know what size and style you may be looking for.

During your search, you may see a series of numbers representing the resolution of any particular TV. Screen Resolution is a way of explaining how crisp the picture looks. Usually, the resolution is described in numbers and letters. 1080p, 720p, and 1080i are the numbers that are associated with High Definition TV (HDTV). The numbers stand for the lines of pixels in the screen. The total number of pixels is measured by multiplying the lines of pixels (horizontal and vertical). For instance, when a TV is 1080p, it is actually 1920 (horizontal lines of pixels) X 1080 (vertical lines of pixels) = 2,073,600 total pixels.

The letters associated with the numbers “P” and “I” stand for progressive and interlaced. Comparing screens with the same resolutions, progressive has double the picture information than the interlaced with a more fluid and stable image. Is there a noticeable difference between 1080p and 720p? Yes, especially when watching HD and Blu-ray DVDs. The 720p image will look as if it is lacking the same quality that the 1080p has.

Time to pick the TV you want. Think of the size. You don’t want a TV too small or too big, so think of your seating arraignment and room size. After deciding that, you can now determine what kind of HDTV you want. You can choose from an LCD, LED or a Plasma unit.

LCD is short for liquid crystal display. The LCD TV projects images using light emitting from behind the display creating a smooth, colorful image. An LCD TV is best for you if you want an ultra-thin TV — LCD TVs, run very thin. LCD TVs are also good if you do a lot of daytime viewing in a room with windows lacking blinds, curtains or drapes because an LCD's bright picture will be look better in bright light. Some LCD screens also resist glare. If you are also concerned with energy consumption, LCD TVs are on the lower end of consumption and are more energy efficient.

DLP, or digital light processing, is a TV that uses light projected through a prism to create multiple colors that create images. A DLP TV is the largest TV on the market, but also the most affordable when it comes to size. While the market is slowly phasing out DLP TV’s their quality is still great and come in full HD.

LED TVs, short for Light Emitting Diode is the thinnest TV on the market. Similar to LCDs the LED units use LED lights to illuminate the panel instead of fluorescent lights like an LCD screen allowing for a crisper, better looking image. LED TVs are extremely thin and provide the best imagery on the market.

Plasma TVs project images using plasma cells encased in fluorescent lamps. Plasmas are known for their smooth motion, rich colors, and impressive contrast levels. If you're considering a plasma, there are two things to keep in mind. First, they're not available in smaller screen sizes, just 42" and larger, so they're generally not a good fit for small spaces. Secondly, some plasma screens may reflect room lights. If you have a room with numerous light sources or windows, they may reflect off the screen.

Plasma Screen Difficulties: A Thing of the Past

In the beginning of Plasma TV history, the problem of burn-in was a concern for consumers. This was a concern because the phosphor based display systems, after a long period of time, would “burn” static images onto the screen. This caused shadowy menus or faint station logos to stay on screen that aren’t even being broadcasted. Technology has advanced drastically since the first plasmas hit the market and changes in the construction now make it extremely rare for any distortion to occur during long periods of watching your plasma. Pixel shifting is a method that prevents images from burning into the screen. This involves small adjustments of pixels, unseen by the naked eye, on the screen, which prevents images from burning into the plasma.

The earlier models of plasma TVs also fell victim to glare distortions. Since plasma TVs are constructed with glass fronts, the units would refract light from the room. The newer units are built with anti-glare technology such as angled glass to prevent any unwanted glare hitting the viewer’s eyes.

Beyond watching High Definition sports and programming, newer models of HDTVs can provide a plethora of new features such and online connectivity via Ethernet or wireless. You can easily surf the net from the comfort of your couch, check your e-mail, sports scores or stocks, or even enjoy streaming movies from Blockbuster.com or NetFlix. Newer models, such as Google TV have access to not only the internet, but hundreds of applications and unique TV remote capabilities that make just simply watching your TV, a thing of the past. You can even turn on your unit and scroll through programming with the touch of a few buttons on your cell phone.

16:9 and 4:3, also known as Aspect Ratio: An aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of an image’s width by its height. 16:9 is the universal standard for High-Definition TVs and 4:3 is the universal standard for standard definition TVs.

Bitrate: is measured in "bits per second." It is used to express the rate at which data is transmitted or processed. A higher bitrate equals more data processed per second as well as a higher picture resolution. Digital video formats typically have bitrates measured in megabits-per-second (Mbps). One megabit equals one million bits.

Component Video: Between S-Video, Composite, and Component—Component is the best signal you can send to your TV from your VCR or DVD player. The component signals are separated into color and brightness. The color and brightness signals are separated into two separate signals each. This gives a better, clearer signal, eliminates color bleeding, and improves color precision.

De-interlacing or called line-doubling: is the process of converting an interlaced-scan video signal (where each frame is split into two sequential fields) to a progressive-scan signal (where each frame remains whole).

De-interlaces are found in digital TVs and progressive-scan DVD players. More advanced de-interlaces include a feature called 3-2 pull down processing, which is the process of converting video based movies to progressive scan. The fluidity becomes uninterrupted when extra frames are created and two original frames are combined.

Digital audio output: is a connection found on HDTVs and HDTV tuners. It sends the Dolby Digital audio signals of HDTV broadcasts to an A/V receiver for Dolby Digital decoding. The two most common types of digital output are coaxial and Tos-link optical.

Dolby Digital: This surround sound technology gives the listener undeniable music quality from any source. Dolby can produce anything from 1-5.1 channels of surround. (Dolby Digital Plus offers up to 7.1 channels of surround) If the DVD player that you are purchasing does not include a Dolby decoder, then you will have to connect it with a receiver. Dolby Digital has been the standard for surround sound for many years.

Digital Light Processing (DLP) TV: A projection TV that uses light, split by a prism within the unit to multiply colors and create an image.

DTV (Digital Television): Is the digital TV broadcast standard.

DVI (Digital Visual Interface): Is a multi-pin computer-style connection intended to carry a High-Definition video signal from a digital set-top box (HDTV-capable DIRECTV, DISH Network, and cable boxes) to a HDTV monitor with via compatible connector. Signals are encrypted with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) to prevent recording.

High Definition Television: Screen Resolution is a way of explaining how crisp the picture looks. Usually, the resolution is described in numbers and letters. 1080p, 720p, and 1080i are the numbers that are associated with High Definition TV (HDTV). The numbers stand for the lines of pixels in the screen. The total number of pixels is measured by multiplying the lines of pixels (horizontal and vertical). For instance, when a TV is 1080p, it is actually 1920 (horizontal lines of pixels) X 1080 (vertical lines of pixels) = 2,073,600 total pixels.

HDTV-ready: Is the term used to describe a TV capable of displaying a digital High-Definition TV format when it’s connected to a HDTV tuner. They generally have built-in tuners for receiving regular NTSC broadcasts, but not digital. An HDTV-ready TV may also be referred to as an "HDTV monitor."

LCD: Liquid Crystal Display

LED: Light Emitting Diode

Luminance: Determines picture detail. It is the contrast between black and white and the brightness of the picture.

MHz (Megahertz): Is used to measure cycles per second. A Megahertz (MHz) is one million cycles per second, the higher the MHz, the higher the refresh rate. LCD and LED TVs range from 60Hz, 120Hz, and 240Hz and Plasma TVs range from 480Hz to 600Hz.
MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group): Is the group in charge of regulating motion picture audio and video standards. Day-to-day, the terms that consumers will run into most are MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. They produce high quality video by using a unique bitrate process that allocates more bits for scenes that include a lot of motion and reduces the bits in low-action scenes.

MPEG-2: This compression agent is used for TV broadcasts, standard definition DVDs, some Blu-ray and HD discs, and small satellite dish broadcasts.

MPEG-4: This compression agent is newer and more proficient than MPEG-2. It is used with Blu-ray discs, HD DVDs, and newer satellite dish broadcasts.

Plasma: A flat-panel TV that projects its images using plasma cells through fluorescent lights.

Progressive and Interlaced: The letters associated with the numbers “P” and “I” stand for progressive and interlaced. Comparing screens with the same resolutions, progressive has double the picture information than the interlaced with a more fluid and stable image. Is there a noticeable difference between 1080p and 720p? Yes, especially when watching HD and Blu-ray DVDs. The 720p image will look as if it is lacking the same quality that the 1080p has.

Set Top Box: Also known as Digital Converter Box.

S-Video: This cable carries the color and brightness parts of a video signal.

Revised 01/24/2011