The Basics of HDTV

Buying a TV is not as simple as it once was. Not more than a few years ago, the average TV buyer needed to really only think about three things when buying a TV: the price, the screen size, and the picture quality. High Definition Television (HDTV) has changed all of this, and has made buying the right TV more challenging then ever. Luckily, guides like cheap-plasma-tv.com are here to help you navigate the maze that is TV buying today.

HDTV is finally here, and everyone wants one. It has taken years of slow starts by manufacturers, high prices for consumers, and differing standards to get where we are today. Although still young, HDTV is here to stay, has dramatically grown in popularity, and is finally getting the programming support from broadcasters, cable and satellite providers needed to jump-start sales. But, if you are reading this, you probably know this already, so let's jump into the basics of HDTV.

What is HDTV?

To begin, HDTV is a set of standards for higher resolution display set by the Advanced Televisions Standards Committee (ATSC). The ATSC set about to create a variety of resolution standards to help benefit both television manufacturers and programming providers. There are 18 HDTV standards set by the ATSC, with them differing in pixel resolution and scan rate.

The good news is that all current HDTV sets for sale on the US market will receive, display or convert all of these 18 formats. So, there is no need to worry that a HDTV you buy today will not be able to display one of these different formats, depending on what format your favorite television stations finalize on.

Continue to Basics of HDTV: Resolutions