Confused by EDTV vs HDTV? We don't blame you. The number of acronyms floating about with regard to digital TV is frightening. What's even more worrying is that very often they are used by people who have little or no knowledge about what they mean. If the person selling you doesn't know the difference between EDTV vs HDTV, how are customers supposed to decide which TV or projector to go for?
In our guide below, we've tried to distill the technical info into as few words as possible and make it as straightforward to understand as we can.
To properly explain EDTV vs HDTV, we need to step back a bit. Traditional TV has 525 lines of video which are interlaced. Interlacing just means that every frame of video is split into two fields and each field is shown alternately. Although there are 525 lines in the signal, only 480 lines contain video, so it is sometimes referred to as 480i (480 lines interlaced). This is known as Standard Definition TV, or SDTV. While this has worked well enough for fifty years, as TV sets have got bigger and projectors more popular, the quality deficiencies have become increasingly apparent.
The ultimate answer to improving the quality of the image displayed on your TV is hdtv, however, as a step on the road to HDTV, the industry came up with Enhanced Definition TV, or EDTV. This system contains the same 480 lines as SDTV, but they are progressive scan. Hence EDTV is also known as 480p. Progressive scanning just means that instead of splitting the signal into two fields and showing half the lines at a time, all 480 lines of video are shown at once. This results in a noticeable improvement in the quality of video.
The bad news in relation to EDTV vs HDTV is that you need a completely new TV or projector to display both EDTV and HDTV. Most DVD players on the market today are progressive scan, meaning they output EDTV signals, however, in order to view the progressive scan picture in all its glory, you need a TV or projector capable of displaying it and that, unfortunately, means getting a new TV.
In terms of content, there is very limited TV content available in HDTV format, and there is still wrangling about the standard for HD DVDs. However, every DVD disc on the market can be displayed in EDTV right now.
Bottom line? Pretty much every HDTV projector or TV on the market today will display EDTV as well. So even if you live in a country or area where HDTV content is limited or non-existent, it is worth it to watch your DVD collection in EDTV, the difference between SDTV and EDTV really is that big.
Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of hdtv - a guide to the kit, the technology and the programming on HDTV.
scheduled cleaning services Winnetka ..Maintaining your computer is extremely important ? especially if you... Read More
Time is money. And when you constantly have to divide... Read More
Computers have replaced typewriters, but two-finger, hunt-and-peck typing can never... Read More
System File Checker is a great utility that is typically... Read More
Do you use Windows standard uninstall feature? How do you... Read More
When studying for your Cisco CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE exam,... Read More
Confused by EDTV vs HDTV? We don't blame you. The... Read More
Have you ever thought about building your own computer system?... Read More
Each of the items in the checklist below is part... Read More
Most people download and save so much information on their... Read More
Stimulus thru Caffiene or Visual Input?It appears that the Mobi... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions is on the way to popularize it's... Read More
Winter?the official start of the cold and flu season. Though,... Read More
Plasma and LCD TVs are the latest trend in home... Read More
If you're like me, you occasionally find the ubiquitous mouse... Read More
What led them to this choice, as all four studios... Read More
Are you thinking of buying an Apple iPod? Or have... Read More
JVC developed and used a high-performance reflective film to produce... Read More
A Computer in Your HandCarrying around an address book and... Read More
Digital cameras ratings are great tools for deciding which camera... Read More
The year is 1981. IBM has just released the Personal... Read More
Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More
Occupational Therapy Made EasierMedical downloads for the pda have improved... Read More
Enhanced Definition Television ? also known as EDTV ? is... Read More
Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due... Read More
reliable maid service Lincolnshire ..Just The Facts, Ma'mPalm pilots are all the rage now.... Read More
Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or... Read More
HTTP ProtocolThe web is run on port 80. You are... Read More
A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be... Read More
This is not your typical lost data story. I was... Read More
Stimulus thru Caffiene or Visual Input?It appears that the Mobi... Read More
This article describes the basic properties of color, what the... Read More
MP3 players are everywhere! It seems that the number of... Read More
Get started creating web pages using text files and HTML... Read More
Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital... Read More
Plasma and LCD TVs are the latest trend in home... Read More
Viruses, software failures, power failures, human errors, hard drive failures... Read More
Understanding digital camera prices makes finding the best camera value... Read More
JPEG, GIFF/JIFF, BMP, and TIFF are the most commonly used... Read More
If you're like me, you occasionally find the ubiquitous mouse... Read More
Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These... Read More
If you ask most people what frustrates them most about... Read More
When studying for your Cisco CCNA, CCNP, or CCIE exam,... Read More
The best way to get the gaming computer that you... Read More
Peoples' private information needs to stay private, even after it... Read More
MP3 players are Hot! Playing music has come a long... Read More
Unless you place your faith in internal search engine software... Read More
One of the most common questions computer users ask is,... Read More
Tech support tells me to type 'regedt32' as opposed to... Read More
It seems like fast never quite rates fast enough.No matter... Read More
Personal Technology |