Do I need a special TV to be able to see HDTV? – High Definition (HD) FAQs

Yes.  Most TV’s have 525 horizontal screen lines with the screen itself having a 4:3 ratio of width to height.  High-definition television sets, by contrast, get their better picture by having either 720 or 1,080 horizontal screen lines. Most models of high-definition television sets also have a wider movie-style display with a 16:9 ratio which allows you to view a larger area than traditional programming.