High definition TV explained

What is High-Definition Television (HDTV)? If you've recently ventured into any high street retailer selling the latest LCD and plasma TV screens, you'll have noticed the 'HD-Ready' stickers plastered everywhere. In case you weren't aware, the HD is short for high-definition - a technology that has been heralded as a huge leap forward, with many in the industry drawing parallels with the change from black and white TV to colour. But how is it different from conventional LCD? Well, HDTV screens are capable of displaying far higher resolutions - around four times more data than a standard display – and on a large LCD or plasma screen, this means images can be rendered with an incredible level of detail. What are the benefits of HDTV? • Vastly improved picture clarity with sharper images. • Stunning, almost true to life colours and textures. • Signals broadcast with Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound. • HD programmes broadcast in widescreen (16:9) format. • An almost 3D-like depth of field and image quality • A home viewing experience similar to that offered in cinemas. What can I watch? HDTV broadcasts began to appear earlier this year with live coverage of major sporting events such as the World Cup and Wimbledon. Since then, films, documentaries and dramas have become available via Virgin Media high definition TV and through Sky. ITV and the BBC have embraced the HD format providing daily programming on dedicated channels (BBCHD & ITVHD) and all BBC TV output is expected to meet HDTV standards by 2010. Factor in the widespread adoption of the technology in the US and it's clear the schedules will soon be full of HD programmes. What do I need to get started? An HD-Ready TV: After an uncertain start on the high street with confusion among retailers, over which sets were genuinely compatible with the technology, the 'HD-ready' labelling scheme was introduced and it is now easy for consumers to choose a TV that can support HD signals. However, there are different formats to choose from. For the technically minded, these are 720p (which displays 720 lines of pixels using progressive scanning) and the higher definition 1080i (which displays 1080 lines of pixels using interlaced scanning). Some of the very latest high-end TVs also support the new 1080p format or 'full HD'. In addition to supporting these high definition signals, HDTV sets must also come equipped with the necessary inputs – either DVI or HDMI - so they can be hooked up to a HD set top box, computer, or console.

An HD set-top box: Both Virgin Media and Sky offer HDTV and you'll need a HD set top box to receive the high definition content that is being broadcast. Contrary to popular opinion, HDTV can't currently be accessed via freeview - the signals contain more data than a conventional signal and there is not room on the spectrum. An HD-DVD or Blu-ray player: If you don't have a set-top box, you won't be able to receive broadcast HD but you can still watch HD movies via either a Blu-ray player or an HD DVD player. However, these rival technologies are only just starting to appear on the market and it is unclear which of them will be adopted as standard. Many movie studios and hardware manufacturers are supporting Blu-ray and the discs have higher capacity, but the backwards compatibility of HD DVD with the current DVD format may sway consumers.