| Q: I hear about high definition being either 720p or 1080i, but my TV has 1000 lines of resolution? Will it do HD? |
| A: The fact that your TV has “1000 lines of resolution” doesn’t really relate to its compatibility with HDTV. See the question above about determining if your set is compatible with digital or high definition broadcasts. The 1000 lines specification instead refers to the TV’s horizontal resolution capability, or the number of black to white transitions the picture can create, from the left side of the screen to the right. This specification is typically mentioned in standard televisions. Standard video sources, including even DVD signals have less than 1000 lines of horizontal resolution to display on the screen. HDTV has greater horizontal and vertical resolution.
In tube-based displays, the image is created with a certain number of horizontally scanned lines. High definition signals are labeled as 720p and 1080i. These names refer to the number of scan lines used to create the image, measured vertically, from the top to the bottom of the image. If the TV can draw 720 or 1080 horizontal lines, measured from top to bottom, then it can display the HD signal. |
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