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Updated 8:25 PM Monday, April 27, 2009

What is digital television?

Digital television (DTV) is a new technology that will replace today's analog system. Digital signals are transmitted using computer code, which means they are less susceptible to interference and provide a higher quality picture and sound than analog. DTV is not always HDTV.

High-definition TV (HDTV) is the best quality DTV. HDTV's sound and picture quality are many times better than todayís analog TV. DTV can also be standard definition (SD) [good] or enhanced definition (ED) [better].

What you need to watch DTV: DTV (including HDTV) is available over the air using a standard antenna, or via digital cable or satellite. No matter how you receive your TV signal, you will need DTV equipment to watch DTV programming.

DTV equipment may be purchased as an all-in-one or component solution. "Integrated" DTV sets with built-in tuners are and all-in-one solution for DTV. They include a digital tuner to receive over-the-air DTV broadcasts and a monitor to display the programming.

A "component" solution includes a DTV monitor without a DTV tuner. These monitors are sometimes labeled "HD ready." Monitors must be paired with a cable or satellite set-top box, or a stand-alone DTV tuner.

"Digital cable ready" or "plug and play" televisions can receive digital cable TV without a set-top box. A separate plug-in card (CableCARD) is needed for certain programming.

Analog TVs will eventually need extra equipment to receive over-the-air signals.

The new target date for ending analog broadcasting is June 12, 2009. When analog broadcasting ends, consumers with analog sets will need to obtain a separate converter box to watch over-the-air TV.

DEFINITIONS

Analog TV: Today's TV system using radio frequency waves to transmit and display pictures and sound.

Digital TV (DTV): Television delivered and displayed using radio frequency waves that contain information that is digitally encoded for improved quality and efficiency. DTV comes in three levels of picture quality, as described below.

Standard Definition TV (SDTV): Basic digital television transmission that may be displayed with fewer than 480 progressively scanned lines (480p) in 16 x 9 or 4 x 3 format. 480 interlaced (480i) is the quality of today's analog TV system.

Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV): A better digital television transmission than SDTV with at least 480p, in a 16 x 9 or 4 x 3 display and Dolby digital surround sound. 480p is the quality used by most DVD players.

High-Definition Television (HDTV): The best quality digital picture, widescreen (16 x 9) display with at least 720 progressively scanned lines (720p) or 1080 interlaced lines (1080i) and Dolby digital surround sound.

HDTV Monitor (sometimes called HDTV Ready): A set that can display HDTV programming if you have a separate HDTV tuner, HD cable set-top box or HD satellite set-top box receiver.

HDTV Tuner (also decoder, receiver, set-top box): A device capable of receiving and outputting HDTV signals for display. May be stand-alone or integrated in the set.

Integrated HDTV: An HDTV that has the digital tuner built into the set. It does not need a separate set-top box to receive over-the-air DTV signals.

Plug-ann-Play or Digital Cable Ready: A DTV or other device for digital cable customers that plugs directly into the cable jack and does not require a separate set-top box. Plug-and-Play TV owners must obtain a CableCARD from their cable company in order to view scrambled programming services.

Interlace Scan: A way to scan vertical lines onto a TV picture by scanning all the odd lines first, then filling in the even lines (this happens instantaneously).

Progressive Scan: A way to scan vertical lines onto a TV picture by scanning all lines consecutively (progressively).

Aspect Ratio:

4 x 3: "Traditional TV" screen's width as compared to its height. For example, a "32-inch TV screen" would be 25%-inches wide and 19-inches tall.

16 x 9: "Widescreen TV" is more like a movie screen than a traditional TV. For example, a 32-inch TV screen would be 28-inches wide and 16-inches tall.

Source: Consumer Electronics Association

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