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What is a High-definition television (HDTV)?

High-definition television (HDTV) is a digital television broadcasting system with a significantly higher resolution than traditional formats (NTSC, SECAM, PAL). While some early analog HDTV formats were broadcast in Europe and Japan, HDTV is usually broadcast digitally, because digital television (DTV) broadcasting requires much less bandwidth. HDTV technology was first introduced in the US during the 1990s by a group of electronics companies called the Digital HDTV Grand Alliance.

The History

High-Definition television was first developed by Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai, and was unveiled in 1969. However, the system did not become mainstream until the late 1990s.

In the early 2000s, a number of high-definition television standards were competing for the still-developing niche markets.

Three HDTV standards are currently defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R BT.709). They include 1080i (1,080 actively interlaced lines), 1080p (1,080 progressively scanned lines), and 720p (720 progressively scanned lines). All standards use a 16:9 aspect ratio, leading many consumers to the incorrect conclusion of equating widescreen television with HDTV. All current HDTV broadcasting standards are encompassed within the DVB specification.

HDTV is also capable of "theater-quality" audio because it uses the Dolby Digital (AC-3) format to support "5.1" surround sound. It should be noted that while HDTV is more like a theater in quality than conventional television, 35 mm and 70 mm film projectors used in theaters still have the highest resolution and best viewing quality on very large screens. Many HDTV programs are produced from movies on film as well as content shot in HD video.

The term "high-definition" can refer to the resolution specifications themselves, or more loosely to media capable of similar sharpness, such as photographic film and digital video. As of July 2007, HDTV saturation in the US has reached 30% – in other words, three out of every ten American households own at least one HDTV. However, only 44% of those that do own an HDTV are actually receiving HDTV programming, as many consumers are not aware that they must obtain special receivers to receive HDTV from cable or satellite, or use ATSC tuners to receive over-the-air broadcasts; others may not even know what HDTV is.