What is HDTV Technology?
A Brief Introduction
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What is
HDTV?
The standard
for broadcasting picture and sound using digital signals, DTV allows
for dramatic improvements in both picture and sound quality versus
conventional NTSC analog programming. DTV programming can be
delivered in two basic formats: standard analog definition SDTV or high
definition HDTV.
| DTV Format Comparison |
| Transmission Type |
Analog |
Digital |
Digital |
Digital |
Digital |
| |
NTSC |
Standard Definition |
Standard Definition |
High Definition |
High Definition |
| Maximum Resolution |
480i |
480i |
480p |
720p |
1080i |
| Aspect Ratio |
4:3 |
4:3 |
4:3 or 16:9 |
16:9 |
16:9 |
| Channel Capacity |
1 |
5-6 |
5-6 |
1-2 |
1 |
| Description |
Standard TV as we know it today |
Good Picture and Sound —DVD or DBS Quality |
Better, depending on source; can be outstanding |
Best Possible |
Best Possible |
The highest form of digital television, delivering
up to 1,080 scan lines, HDTV produces images that go beyond anything
you've ever seen in a home environment. SDTV, or Standard Definition
Television, is also a dramatic improvement over today's TV, with
the added benefit of allowing stations to broadcast multiple programs
within the same bandwidth as an HDTV signal.
| DTV Format Detail |
| ScanLines |
Scan Rate |
Pixelization |
Frame Rate |
Aspect Ratio |
Formats |
| SDTV |
525 total
480 active |
15.75 kHz (60i) |
480 x 640 |
24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps |
4:3 |
4 |
525 total
480 active |
31.5 kHz (60p) |
480 x 704 |
24p, 30p, 60p or 60i fps |
4:3 or 16:9 |
8(4x2) |
| HDTV |
750 total
720 active |
45 kHz
(60p) |
720 x 1080 |
24p, 30p, 60p |
16:9 |
3 |
1125 total
1080 active |
33.75 kHz
(60i) |
1080 x 1920 |
24p, 30p, 60i |
16:9 |
3 |
Adopted HDTV
formats also include both interlaced and progressive broadcast and
display methods.
Interlaced Scanning: The frame/picture is made
up of two fields
—consisting of 525 lines (480 viewable) or 1125 lines (1080
viewable) |
 |
 |
 |
| All odd numbered lines are scanned on the screen in 1/60th of
a second |
All even numbered lines are scanned on the screen in 1/60th
of a second |
This presents an entire picture in 1/30th of a second |
Progressive Scanning : The frame/picture is made up of one
field
—consisting of 525 lines (480 viewable) or 765 lines (720 viewable) |
 |
|
| All horizontal lines are scanned in succession in a single pass |
This presents an entire picture in 1/60th of a second (twice
as fast as interlaced) |
Where is HDTV programming?
Right now, a little over 50% of American homes have access to digital
television through the four major networks. By 2002, 100% of all
commercial stations will offer digital programming. And according
to FCC mandate, all U.S. television stations must begin digital
broadcasting by 2003, and be exclusively digital by 2006. It's time
you went digital. It's in your future.
| HDTV Broadcast Timeline |
| 1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
| Top 4 Networks
and Top 10 Markets by May 1 (30% households) |
|
|
All Commercial
Stations by May 1 (100% households) |
| Top 4 Networks
and Top 30 Markets by November 1 (53% households) |
|
|
|
| 2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
| All PBS by May 1 |
75% Simulcast by April 3 |
100% Simulcast by April 3 |
All Stations 100% Digital |
| 50% Content Simulcast |
|
|
Return Analog Spectrum |
Learn
more - Get the Full Story on DTV
We would
like to express our appreciation for the preceding information provided
by Panasonic.
|
