Why High Definition Media

A new format is about to be unveiled to the TV and movie-viewing public: High Definition Television (HDTV). Closely following the advent of plasma and LCD screens in our homes, HDTV will capitalise on the increased resolution available through this technology and deliver pictures of unsurpassed clarity and brilliance.

However, this extra quality comes at a price: there’s much more information involved, and being transferred at a much faster rate - a high definition screen processes 124 million pixels per second, that’s around six times more than a standard definition screen. In order to provide content for this new breed of television, Hollywood and the TV studios have had to look to optical storage manufacturers to develop a new breed of disc.

Digital Quality

HDTV takes advantage of digital broadcasting technology. TV signals are now transmitted and received in a completely new way — in digital rather than analog format — which offers many extra benefits. With no analog interference, the picture is much sharper and there is no ghosting or “snow” effect as happens when analog reception isn’t perfect. And using digital technology, broadcasters can transmit far more information, so not only can you enjoy a far wider choice of channels, but also new interactive video and data services too.

High Resolution Picture

Standard Definition TV, whether analog or digital, is made up of 480 active interlaced horizontal lines, whereas HDTV contains either 720 progressive horizontal lines or 1080 interlaced or progressive horizontal lines. This increase in the number of lines provides a far more detailed picture. Hence the name "High Definition".

Widescreen Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio of HDTV is permanently 16:9 (widescreen), which is much more pleasing to watch as it’s a more natural realistic view of the world. Standard Definition content is sometimes broadcast in widescreen, sometimes the old-fashioned, square-ish 4:3 shape.

Surround Sound

For some time now, both satellite and digital terrestrial channels have been capable of broadcasting in surround sound, such as Dolby® Pro-Logic and 5.1, to take advantage of our increasingly popular home theatre systems. Likewise, HDTV can be broadcast in DVD-like multi-channel digital surround sound, and this is set to become the norm for the future.