Analog television has been around for almost half a century while standard definition TV (SDTV) has been here for more than a decade. The situation now is more and more content is becoming available in high definition which are not anymore suited for viewing in analog TV and SDTV. The switch to High Definition TV (HDTV) seems inevitable but there are apprehensions whether to do it and what products to consider. This article will provide basic knowledge on HDTV and help in the selection process.
Evolution from Analog TV to Digital TV
Before HDTV was developed, there were two dominant analog TV standards - NTSC and PAL/ SECAM. Both standards use interlacing technology and 4:3 screen aspect ratio. During the analog era, there were also attempts to develop HDTV like the MUSE of Japan. This was eventually turned off because of big channel bandwidth requirement. Then came the development of video compression technologies like MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.264 and VC-1. This allowed HDTV to be suited for broadcast in available channel spectrum in satellite, terrestrial and broadband systems. This also led to the development of optical media like HD DVD and eventually Blu-ray.
Advantages of HDTV over Analog TV and SDTV
Higher screen resolution is the most noticeable advantage of HDTV over analog and SDTV. For analog TV, the picture is made up of horizontal interlaced lines. For SDTV, it is 480p wherein the picture is made up of progressively scanned frames. For all HDTV formats - 720p, 1080i and 1080p, the interlaced lines or progressive frames are far greater which result to better picture quality. Another advantage of HDTV is the picture or aspect ratio. It uses 16:9 versus 4:3 for analog TV and SDTV which result to cinema-like viewing.
What are the different types of HDTV display?
Plasma is screen technology based on gas made up of xenon and neon that are sandwiched between panels of glass. It offers better color and black picture response and has faster screen refresh rate which make it ideal for viewing fast-moving videos. Typical screen size is 50-inch with average cost of $1,500. LCD is screen technology based on liquid crystals. Advantages over plasma are longer screen life, no screen burn, better glare response and lesser power consumption. Typical screen size is 37-inch with average cost of around $1,000. Projection TV, the more popular of which is DLP, is a cheaper alternative to plasma and LCD. This is actually a rear projection technology that uses microchip projectors in conjunction with a color wheel and an array of tiny mirrors. This mechanism delivers a high contrast ratio and makes it possible for DLP to be lighter making it ideal for larger HDTV venues. Average price for a 72-inch screen size is around $2,000.
Analog TV and SDTV will be gone in a few years time and HDTV will be here to stay. If you plan to make the purchase now, you should select the choice that is future-proof. It should work for both existing analog and SD content and the increasing number of HD content. Also bear in mind that HDTV is a matured technology and like analog and SDTV will also be gone sometime in the future. Join the others who have made the switch. Enjoy the technology now because the next-level high definition technology Super Hi-Vision is just around the corner.
Gigi Martin is an HDTV expert who regularly writes for HDTVreviewlab.com.
HDTV Review Lab is a specialist HDTV website which offers a wide selection of expert HDTV reviews and also offers a large number of HDTV user reviews.
To learn more about HDTV technology or read the latest LCD TV or Plasma TV reviews please visit HDTVreviewlab.com
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