Friday, May
8, 2009
What constitutes HDTV?
I
have a fairly new Panasonic 50-inch plasma
high definition TV. It has 720p resolution.
Does the 720p limit my ability to benefit
from HD? Would I waste money upgrading my
Dish satellite programs to HD? Would I
benefit from Blu-ray? What about purchasing
HD movies?
James in Levelland, TX, listening on
KGNC 97.9 FM
High
definition television can be confusing,
can't it? You have to worry about the
different types of TV. You have to think
about digital vs. analog. And you have to
struggle with resolutions. Sheesh!
Well, let me set your mind at ease. Your
720p set will work fine. It is a high
definition resolution. Some broadcasts are
done in 720p, others in 1080i. High
definition discs come in both of those, plus
1080p.
The signal's resolution is not really
important. Televisions automatically adjust
them. So a 1080i broadcast will be adjusted
to 720p by your TV. That is true for 1080p
discs, also.
Before we go any further, let's explain
these resolutions. The 720 means you have
720 horizontal rows of pixels. The 1080
stands for 1,080 rows of pixels. The high
number of pixels makes both high definition.
The p stands for progressive; i stands
for interlaced. P is televisionese for
non-interlaced; you may have seen that term
in old monitor ads. It refers to the way
rows of pixels are refreshed electrically.
Row one is refreshed, then row two, row
three, etc. This happens many times per
second.
On interlaced monitors, row one is
refreshed, then three, then five, etc. When
the bottom is reached, the process starts
over. Row two is refreshed, then four, then
six, etc.
Those HDTV resolutions can be
confusing.
I have all the info here!
Every day, Team Komando produces some of the
best content you'll find anywhere on the
Internet. Here is a sampling of what's new
on our site today!
Video of the Day:
Youve heard classical music. But have you
seen it? What if music was for the ears and
the eyes? This is pretty cool.
Cool Site of the Day:
Wildfires have apparently started. Santa
Barbara, CA, is threatened by the Jesusita
Fire. Watch it on the Web.
News of the Day:
Keep up to date on all things digital with
the Daily News at Komando.com. You'll find
easy, fast video news releases, too!
Win a PlayStation 2
Buzz! Mega Quiz Prize Package:
Today is the last day to enter for the
Weekly Grand Prize: a
PlayStation 2 Buzz! Mega Quiz Prize
Package. PlayStation 2 is the
world's most popular game system and the
ultimate entertainment value for families
and individuals.
Enter here now for your chance to win!
And remember, winners are picked every day.
Click here to see if you've won!
Digital Minute, on
your radio: Backing up a
computer used to be a chore. But today, I
have some easy ways for you to protect your
data.
Free Download of the
Day: Today's program is
a to-do list. It's been designed to stay out
of the way. So, if you remember, download
it.
Tip on the site:
You're planning to buy a scanner, right?
Check out today's tip. If you're not, get
some fresh air. Go outside and play.
Monday's Tip, in your e-mail:
Why is my e-mail address online?
Kim :)
Want
to revisit an earlier Daily Tip?
Daily Tips are Archived for 14
days.
Click here to view previous Daily Tips
