What is High Definition Television (HDTV)?

Question: What is High Definition Television (HDTV)?

Answer: High definition (HD) is at the top of the digital television (DTV) spectrum. The reason is simple - resolution. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) divided HD into three categories listed in two different forms - 'number of lines + type of scan' or 'number of pixels' (vertical by horizontal).

Here is a breakdown of the HD formats listed by how manufacturers label them on their product summaries:

720p or 720x1280 - 720 lines, progressive scanned

1080i or 1080x1920 - 1,080 lines, interlaced scanned

1080p or 1080x1920 - 1,080 lines, progressive scanned

The number of lines/pixels and type of scan matters because more lines/pixels and faster scan equals a better picture. In ranking the HD signal formats, 720p and 1080i are virtually equal in overall resolution while 1080p is the best.

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