HDTV Basics

High Definition Television (HDTV) promises to be the most exciting innovation in television since the introduction of colour television in the 1960’s. It will deliver to European Households a picture quality nearly equivalent to 35mm cinema film together with multi-channel audio. HDTV represents a true revolution in resolution for television.

Resolution means that the number of lines and the number of pixels per line in the television picture are substantially increased. (Pixels are individual addressable picture elements arranged in rows and columns that together form the television picture.)

Whereas traditional SD (Standard Definition) television pictures are broadcast with a size of 720 x 576 pixels, HD (High Definition) television pictures have a size of up to 1920 x 1080 pixels. The number of picture elements conveyed per second is multiplied by a factor 5.

This results in pictures with a greatly increased clarity, sharpness and detail and explains the fascination that HDTV images have when viewed on high quality large flat-panel displays or viewed via home-cinema projectors