What is High-Definition TV (HDTV)? – High Definition (HD) FAQs

HDTV provides pictures with several times the clarity of DVDs and over 5 times the resolution of a regular television picture. HDTV is the largest leap in TV technology since color TV replaced black and white.

Color: HDTV provides vivid color, including a wide range of hues (such as subtle purples and reds) without any bleeding at the edges of the image. Clarity/Detail: HDTV images are as detailed as a high-resolution photograph. It is like looking through a window. When watching a TV program in HD, you will be amazed at the sharpness of the picture. You can even pick up the specks of different colors in an actor’s eyes, or see individual sweat drops on a football player–details you could never see through regular television. Wide-screen: HDTV allows you to view content in a 16:9 wide-screen format, the same format used in movie theatres. Current TVs use a 4:3 image, which cuts pictures off because it forces a wide image into a narrow space. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound: All HDTV programming can provide 5.1 channel Dolby Digital Surround Sound–just like true theatre sound. Note: HDTV and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound content is dependent on broadcaster.