What is HDTV and How Does it Work?
High definition television (HDTV) is the highest level of digital television broadcasting. Because digital signals stream more data, HDTV has video resolution significantly higher than traditional analog or standard-definition TV (SDTV). HDTV has one to two million pixels per frame. This is approximately five times more than the SDTV signal could transmit. This increased pixel count makes the picture sharper, more realistic and produces the high quality picture on an HDTV.
The aspect ratio of HDTV is similar to a movie theater, allowing for a widescreen image on your HDTV. This picture format is easier to view because we see better left to right. As opposed to the square SDTV format which forced you to view the picture in an up and down manner.
Television programming is now recorded and transmitted digitally. Digital signals aren’t affected by external factors in the same way as the older analog signals were. Digital signals can travel further without degrading; eliminating a lot of the fuzzy pictures that appear on SDTV. We no longer depend on analog signals, antennas and older technology. Although we can still get TV via antennas, digital signals allow us to receive broadcast over cable or via satellite as well.