Archive for January, 2012
Is It Time for HDTV?
So you love HDTV but you’re just not sure if it’s worth the investment. Here are a few things to ask yourself before you ditch your old set and spring for a new, fancier one
What will you be watching? – If you’re really into sports rather than CSPAN or you like to see exactly how old each Kardashian looks on TV, HDTV may be right for you. It’s all about the detail.
What other services do you have? – If you’ve got satellite service from www.directstartv.com, for example, you’re probably already supported and ready to take on HDTV channels. If you’re only using basic cable it may not be worth it.
Are you ready for an upgrade? – If your old TV set still works fine and you haven’t noticed it lacking anything, maybe you should wait. But if you’re facing a costly repair or there’s a great deal from your provider right now on great HDTV channels it may be a great time to make the switch. Just weigh your options carefully on both sides before you decide to make a change.
The Three Parameters of HDTV Broadcast Systems
Have you gone shopping for a new HDTV lately? In looking at the different TVs, have you ever wondered what 1080i25 stands for? Well, these are based on the parameters of the HDTV broadcast system.
There are three parameters of HDTV broadcast systems. The first is the frame size in pixels. A pixel is like a dot of color that is used to make an image on the screen. So, the frame size in pixels would be, how many pixels are used to make up the frame size, this is the 1080 in the example above.
The second parameter of HDTV broadcast systems is the scanning system. There are two types: progressive scanning (p) and interlaced scanning (i). The scanning refers to the way that the lines that make up an image move across the screen. With progressive scanning, the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. With interlaced scanning, only the odd lines, then the even lines are drawn alternately.
The last parameter of HDTV broadcasts systems is the frame rate. This is based on the number of video frames per second.
Now when you are browsing through HDTVs, you will have a little better understanding of what 1080i25 stands for.
A Brief History of HDTV Television
HDTV television is thought to take it’s roots in Japan in the 70′s. Initially the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers suggested it’s endorsement to the technology in the year 1989 which included a wide screen format and a resolution of 1100-line scanning The United States was initial introduced with a demonstration of HDTV in 1981. By the year 1987 the FCC partitioned advise from private soures who formed a committee on advanced television service. Advanced Television Read the rest of this entry »