©2008    Elite Media Solutions    
All Rights Reserved.   No part of this web site ( including all text, graphics, or photographs) may be reproduced in whole or in part without the expressed written permission of Elite Media Solutions.
Elite Media Solutions    9 Forest Street     Wellesley Hills , MA    02481     tel: 781-237-2929

HDTV

Simply put and without overstatement, High Definition Television (HDTV) is and will be THE standard for video quality and excellence in the 21st century, and maybe thereafter. Nothing except cinema film comes close to approaching it in terms of image clarity and sharpness. One critic said watching a DVD on an HDTV display was 'stunning - like looking out your window". That's why you'll want it. And anyway, America IS going digital, with or without you.

Let's back up a bit. These days, browsing the TV department of your local electronics superstore can be confusing. That's because we've just entered a period of transition from the old analog system of TV broadcasting to the new, improved world of Digital Television (DTV), including High Definition Television. More than 200 DTV products are already being displayed alongside the older analog sets and making shoppers scratch their heads.

Digital television first became available when companies like DirectTV started transmitting digital signals from earth-orbiting satellites directly to homes; now some cable companies have begun to offer digital cable to their subscribers. For over-the-air DTV, by federal mandate, television stations in the top 30 U.S. markets - 70% of the country - are now simulcasting digital TV signals alongside their normal analog transmission. And even though as of February 2001, there were only about 100,000 digital receivers in use, all U.S. television stations will be required to broadcast digitally in 2003, and by the end of the year 2006, analog television broadcasting will no longer exist. Does that mean your current televison set won't work any longer? Not necessarily. Only those people still using "rabbit ears" will have to purchase equipment to decode the new digital format. For those of us using their local cable provider or satellite, the change should be seamless.

So. What is it? First of all, it's important not to confuse DTV with HDTV - they're NOT the same thing. Digital Television is an umbrella term describing a method of transmitting a video and audio signal as a digital stream of information instead of the old analog (known as NTSC) system of broadcasting with 525 lines of resolution. Digital television sets can display an image far superior to standard sets - up to 1080 lines of resolution - with crystal clear digital sound. 'High Definition' describes a specific type of DTV. By FCC rule, a signal can be called 'High Definition' only if has at least 720 lines of resolution, adheres to the widescreen 16X9 aspect ratio (meaning it's 16 units wide by 9 units high - traditional sets have a 4X3 aspect ratio), and carries 5.1 channels of Dolby Digital audio. Anything else may be DTV, but it's NOT High Definition Television.

What about a set that's tagged 'HDTV-Ready'? It's important to understand that an HDTV-ready set can display High Definition Television only by the addition of a component that can receive and decode the HDTV broadcast signal and deliver it to the set through a special cable and connector. A true HDTV set has all the necessary receiving and decoding components integral to the set and will display High Definition images as a stand-alone unit. If you're considering upgrading your home theater all the way to HDTV - and when you see it, you will - talk to us first at Elite Media Solutions. We can't decide for you, but we can give you the information you'll need to decide how to spend your money.

Of course, there's a lot (!) more to digital broadcast technology and High Definition Television than we have space for here. So if you'd like something substantially more in-depth, here are some links we've found interesting.

DigitalTelevision.com In-depth technical, professional, legal and consumer information about DTV.

DTV Public Interest Advisory Group Comprehensive examination of government policy regarding the development of digital television and its public interest implications.

HDTV Newsletter This site bills itself as "the leading online source of information on High Definition Television"

HDTV Magazine It's not your father's television any more. A decidedly consumer viewpoint, including an HDTV program guide and other HDTV links.