What Does Hd Mean, Anyway?
There’s an old Friends episode where Joey buys an encyclopedia volume (just one, “V”) off a door-to-door salesman who hooks him with the line, “Let me ask you one question. Do your friends ever have a conversation and you just nod, even though you’re not really sure what they’re talking about?” The line is followed by a series of several flashbacks in which Joey does exactly that.
With all the technical jargon getting thrown around these days, you might find yourself nodding along to conversations you don’t understand, too. For example, you’ve no doubt heard a lot of hubbub about this thing called HD. Sure, you’ve seen the icon on the corner of your TV screen from time to time. It has something to do with picture quality, right? Plus, you probably know that it stands for high-definition. But what exactly does high-definition mean?
People have been buzzing about it for the past ten years or so, when commercials started appearing promising viewers awe-inspiring experiences through out-of-this-world resolution and digital surround sound. They heralded a new era in television for the new millennium. But for many people, what this meant for their own personal TV-viewing experiences has not been crystal-clear. When it comes to following the advice of these transcendence-touting ad campaigns, confusion has been the result of many people’s shopping experiences. Overwhelmed by too many choices and befuddling abbreviations, many people have returned home with high-tech TV sets only to turn them on and find pictures that are, well, less than life-changing.
If you’ve been considering an upgrade but still feel in the dark about HD, it’s important to know the facts before making a purchase, to avoid disappointment. Here are some things you should know about to get you started on your way to being a savvy consumer (and to know what the heck your friends are talking about!):
1. The digital transition. When people hear that America is transitioning to all-digital TV, sometimes they think this means all-HD. But this is not the case. The digital transition is away from the analog signals, which are made of continually varied radio waves that TVs convert into a picture and sound. Analog signals reach a TV over the air, or through cable or satellite TV. Digital signal, on the other hand, transmits data as a series of ones and zeros, not as a wave. This allows for, among other things, interactive options, better overall picture quality, and the ability to support HD broadcasts. In this way, HD is one part of the digital transition, but the two are not synonymous.
2. Digital vs. HD. The Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) has set standards for digital television pertaining to how video and sound are encoded and transmitted. As far as level as quality goes, all digital standards are higher than analog standards, and HD signals represent the highest level of digital standards and require a higher bandwidth to broadcast.
3. Having the right TV. Even if you’re receiving digital and HD signals, if you don’t have the right TV, the picture is still converted to analog. That means for many of you, you’ll need a new TV. Likewise, if you have a TV that is capable of displaying more pixels than the signals you receive provide, it won’t look good. Thus, when shopping, it’s important to remember the three parts that are necessary for receiving HD resolution: a source, such as a local, cable or satellite HDTV station; a way to receive the signal, like an antenna, cable or satellite service; and an HD-compatible TV sets.
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