|
|
|
|
What is HDTV? |
Stands for "High Definition Televsion." HDTV is a high-quality video standard developed to replace older video formats often referred to as SDTV (standard definition television). While HDTV's video quality is one of the most noticeable improvements over SDTV, HDTV includes a number of other important improvements as well.
First of all, the HDTV signal is digital. Instead of an analog signal, used by traditional NTSC broadcasts, HDTV is always digital. This eliminates analog interference caused be electrical currents and magnetic fields. Secondly, HDTV uses a different aspect ratio than SDTV. While previous broadcasts used a 4:3 ratio (4 units wide for every 3 units tall), HDTV uses a ratio of 16:9. This wider aspect ratio more closely emulates how humans see the world, making the image appear more realistic. 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.S. contains a maximum of 525 horizontal lines of resolution, an HDTV signal supports up to 1080. The three formats used by HDTV are 1080i (interlaced), and 720p and 1080p (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.
To watch HDTV, you need an HDTV-compatible television and a means of receiving an HDTV signal. HDTVs come in both 16:9 and 4:3 formats (for backwards compatibility). Some HDTVs include HDTV tuners for receiving over-the-air broadcasts, but others require the receiver to be bought separately. Fortunately, most cable and satellite TV companies offer HDTV-compatible boxes with their digital service plans. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Return to Glossary |
|
|
| A special thanks to
Sharpened Glossary |
|
|
Popular terms beginning with 'H': |
What is Hyperlink?
A hyperlink, or simply a link, is a reference in a hypertext document to another document or other resource. As such it would be similar to a citation in literature. However, combined with a data netw... continue
What is Hover?
When you roll the cursor over a link on a Web page, it is often referred to as "hovering" over the link. This is somewhat like when your boss hovers over you at work, but not nearly as uncomfortable. ... continue
What is Hub?
This is a hardware device that is used to network multiple computers together. It is a central connection for all the computers in a network, which is usually Ethernet-based. Information sent to the h... continue
What is Hacker?
While this term originally referred to a clever or expert programmer, it is now more commonly used to refer to someone who can gain unauthorized access to other computers. A hacker can "hack" his or h... continue
What is Home Page?
This is the starting point or front page of a Web site. This page usually has some sort of table of contents on it and often describes the purpose of the site. For example, http://www.sharpened.net/in... continue
What is Hard Drive?
The hard drive is what stores all you data. It houses the hard disk, where all your files and folders are physically located. A typical hard drive is only slightly larger than your hand, yet can hold ... continue
What is Handle?
In online chat, the name you use is often referred to as your screen name, or handle. So if you decided to name yourself MooCow123, that would be your handle. Handles are nice because they allow you t... continue
What is Host?
This is a computer that acts as a server for other computers on a network. It can be a Web server, an e-mail server, an FTP server, etc. For example, a Web host is what provides the content of Web pag... continue
What is Hard Disk?
When you save data or install programs on your computer, the information is typically written to your hard disk. The hard disk is a spindle of magnetic disks, called platters, that record and store in... continue
What is HFS?
Stands for "Hierarchical File System." HFS is the file system used for organizing files on a Macintosh hard disk. When a hard disk is formatted for a Macintosh computer, the hierarchical file system i... continue
|
| |
|
|
