Friday, November 20, 2009

The History of HDTV (High Definition Television)

The History Of HDTV
By Mitchell Medford

For those of you unfamiliar with HDTV, it is the highest DTV
resolution in the new set of standards combined with CD-quality
Dolby Digital surround sound. This combination creates
spectacular illustration with stunning audio effects, which is
quickly moving HDTV to become the new standard in television
systems.

HDTV seems like a completely new innovation but actually the
system has been around in various forms since the mid-1970s and
has developed quite an impressive history.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the trial product for HDTV was
being developed in Japan as a way to improve television quality
and therefore sell more TVs. The first HDTV system was called
MUSE and employed filtering tricks to reduce the original source
signal to decrease bandwidth utilization.

The idea of introducing HDTV in the United States was met with
mixed responses. In the 1980s, the National Association of
Broadcasters in the United States invited NHK, Japan’s public
network, to present the ideas behind the MUSE system to the
Federal Communications Commission. At that time, there were two
groups that were adamantly against the introduction of HDTV in
the U.S.

The first group that opposed the introduction of this new
technology was the Terrestrial Television Broadcasters. They
were scared by the possibility of being excluded from the HDTV
market because HDTV required more bandwidth (the amount of
information sent through a channel or connection) than standard
TV. These broadcasters worried because the channels that they
already had license to would not be able to handle the bandwidth
of this new form of television.

The other group that became concerned about HDTV in the U.S.
was Congress. Congress felt threatened by the many Japanese
innovations that they saw arriving in the U.S. and ultimately
they didn’t want to introduce a new form of communication that
was owned by another country all together.

With these two complaints in mind, the American government
sought to invent a new form of HDTV. Groups of researchers and
manufacturers were gathered together to form different teams.
Each team would attempt to create an HDTV system that could fit
into the existing channels that were used by broadcasters.

After years of work, the separate teams of researchers and
manufacturers decided to combine forces. This unity gave birth
to a new group known as Grand Alliance.

As researchers continued their attempts to develop this new
form of HDTV, they discovered that this new technology would
have to be partially digital in order for all the necessary
information to fit into the existing channels. With this in
mind, they were able to develop a system that was quite
different from the Japanese system. The Japanese NHK version of
HDTV was analog but the updated version created by the American
researchers ended up being completely digital.

Unlike BETA VCRs and 8-track players, HDTV is one form of
technology that is being built to withstand the test of time.

With the decades of development and research that have gone
into optimizing the HDTV system, this form of television is
likely to endure for decades to come.

About the Author: Mitchell Medford is a popular reviewer of
consumer electronics and technology. He has written for numerous
publications and served as a product development consultant for
several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his site or
more information on HDTVs, DVRs, and special offers on Dish
Network packages: http://www.gnpstv.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Permanent Link:
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=13693&ca=Entertainment

Sunday, November 1, 2009

HD Projectors and What You Need to Know

HD Projectors and What You Need to Know
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Reddingworth]Sarah Reddingworth

Are you looking for to buy HD projectors? If so, what do you need to know? HD projectors are not like televisions, they do have differences. Let us discover more about projectors and buying HD projectors.

You buy a television, and it is not that complicated! You plug it in, and today's televisions are pretty much preprogrammed or have most of the process automated that it is a get up and go thing.

With HD projectors you have the same process, however, the difference, is that here you have some other factors to consider.

The biggest factor is how you use the HD projector. For televisions, the process is simple; you simply plug the TV in, switch on, and start watching. You can watch in your living room, the bedroom, even in the garage!

With HD projectors, you need to take more care. For example, a television could be taken outside, and it would work, but for projectors, you can't watch outside, and there is a good reason for this.

Projectors emit light, and this light needs to hit the projection screen. Any kind of interference would make a blank wall, so the projector needs to be kept in the dark, kind of like at a cinema auditorium!

This can be accomplished by having thick curtains to cover windows, and as in a cinema, turning the lights down so the projection can work at its best.

Now you are watching movies in style! Once complete, open the switch the lights on, and open the curtains. The result is home cinema, and it is amazing!

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HD Projector For the Pleasures of a Multiplex at Home

HD Projector For the Pleasures of a Multiplex at Home
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Landon_Canista]Landon Canista

Every one of us has at some time or the other dreamed of having our own home cinema. Relaxing in comfy leather couches with drinks and snacks at hand; it is a movie-lover's dream come true. Now, such aspirations need no longer be mere pipe dreams but can be a reality with an HD projector. Clever storage furniture means you don't necessarily have to devote a single room for home cinema and this arrangement can even be managed in cramped living areas of the house without compromising on viewing.

Projectors are amazing gadgets and HD projectors allow full control of playing whichever cinema you choose to play. They come with inputs which can be connected to all types of equipment like DVD players and gaming consoles. HD projectors come in various models ranging from average to top notch.

The average projector will obviously make less of a dent in your pocket but for best quality, and if you can afford it, it is better to go in for the high-end projector. The price factor apart there are many other things which should be checked before buying a projector.

The size and shape of the room in which the HD projector and screen will be set up is important to a certain extent. Even if modern day storage marvels have made it possible to put up a projector in the smallest of rooms the projector should at least be able to project to a decent sized screen.

Many times in our enthusiasm for new gadgets, we overlook small things which may turn out to be important. In the case of HD projectors, you may have zeroed onto a room or some space, set up the entire thing and felt satisfied about a job well done. But when you sit down to watch a movie, you find constant interruptions because the image projected cuts across a well used walkway of the room or the house as other members of the family go about their daily tasks. This will definitely ruin the whole experience so it is essential that this aspect is given due consideration.

The light in the designated room or area will also influence the extent of your enjoyment.
The main point to remember while using a projector is to keep the room dark otherwise the image will have poor color and contrast and may not be visible.

A great projector screen and sound system will enhance the whole cinema experience even though they may be additional expenses. The cost of a projector has gone down so much in recent times that it has become affordable for even families with limited financial means.

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Get HDTV - Get Entertainment

Get HDTV - Get Entertainment
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Reddingworth]Sarah Reddingworth

HDTV has become an instant hit. Millions of people are going for high definition. The question is why? Is it because it is the latest technology or is it the best technology? Don't buy a HDTV until you read this article.

Television technology has not changed much over the years. Take a look and we do see major improvements, but how long did they all take?

Twenty years of roughly the same television, then LCD came on the picture! Out went CRT televisions, and in came LCD televisions!

This route to television is a welcome one, and for many reasons. Yes, there is other technologies such as LED and even plasma, however, the benefits of LCD is immense.

Now we have HDTV, which stands for high definition television. People have said that HDTV looks like a picture. And when you view a HDTV television, you will find that it is indeed high definition, and does look like a picture.

To get this, there are 2 main formats you want to consider. The first is 1080p, and the other is 720p. There is another type of model that has an i, instead of a p, however, the i or interlaced version could flicker with gaming consoles and computers, so I suggest sticking with the p (progressive) models.

It is easy to get confused in technical know how, so I want do that here. One thing I can say though, is that HDTV is here to stay, and for good reason.

The upgrade in this technology, makes it ready for the new technologies coming out, such as Nintendo Wii, and other kinds of computer connecting with television applications.

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HDTV 101: Aspect ratio basics

One of the biggest differences between the old CRT-style TVs of yore and the new LCD, plasma and DLP HDTVs is the actual shape of the screen. While older TVs were nearly square — four parts by three parts, known as 4:3 — newer TVs are a very distinct rectangle, 16 parts by 9 parts (16:9). With this new aspect ratio comes some confusion about exactly which mode is right to display each source of video. Keep reading, as we answer the basic questions behind aspect ratios and aspect ratio modes.

There are a few standard aspect ratios used in video and film. We've already mentioned 16:9 and 4:3, but there are a few other aspect ratios that crop up frequently. 3:2 is a common aspect ratio for photography, while 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 are both common with hollywood movies. Whatever the numerical equivalent, all of the five common aspect ratios have specific purposes and all can be displayed by your HDTV.

HDTVs have a few ways of displaying differing aspect ratios. Each mode will either stretch, zoom or crop the image differently, and each mode can be used with differing results.

One of the methods used frequently on 4:3 video by consumers is the full or stretch mode. Like the name implies, the video from the source is simply stretched to fill the frame. In the case of 4:3 video, that stretching makes objects take on a wider look than they'd normally have. Stretching video is appropriate for TV watchers who'd rather fill the frame with video than maintain image quality. As you can see in our above image, the circular logo is stretched wide into an oval.

If the sidebars are still getting on your nerves, but you don't feel like ruining the whole image, Panorama mode is a middle of the road approach. Panorama stretches the outer edges of the picture progressively, filling the sidebars. The progressive stretching makes the center maintain its aspect ratio, but as is clear with the picture above, text and other objects in the wider parts of the frame are stretched. Quick pans left to right can also produce an extremely uncomfortable view, since the video is quickly being stretched and unstretched as the video pans from left to right. Panorama is best for "regular" TV programs that don't utilize very much movement, or ignore the outer elements of the frame. Local news is a perfect candidate for Panorama, while fast motion videos like sports are better off with another mode.

The last mode is for shoehorning other widescreen aspect ratios into a 16:9 frame. HDTVs typically offer two or three Zoom / Crop modes. The first crops 4:3 video into a 16:9 frame by zooming the video in, and then chopping off the top and bottom of the video. The other modes aim to eliminate letterboxing of content that is from cinematic sources. Most films are nearly 16:9, but most are just a tad shorter than regular 16:9 video in the case of 1.85:1, or much shorter than regular 16:9 in the case of 2.39:1. Other Crop / Zoom modes will zoom in the picture to eliminate the black bars at the top and bottom normally associated with watching movies on a TV.

When viewing a 4:3 source on a 16:9 TV, most TVs give an option as to which color sidebars the watcher prefers. At first, it might seem like a good idea to go with a simple black sidebar, but with plasma TVs especially, black sidebars can leave faint ghosting after the source changes. To avoid the ghosting, TV manufacturers provide gray sidebars. Gray isn't as high contrast as black, which means the ghosting effect won't occur. Modern plasma TVs are nearly immune to burn-in, though ghosting is still fairly common. The choice of sidebars is really an aesthetic one to minimize annoying ghosting effects. My TV is set to dark gray, for the record.

Now you're up to date on exactly what each aspect ratio setting does and how it affects your picture. Have any other questions you need answered? Hit our tips form and let us know, or leave a comment on the post and we'll fill you in.

What Do I Need to Get HD?




To watch programmes in HD, you will need the following:
An 'HD Ready' TV
An HD Receiver (a digital box that is designed to receive HD)
An HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) cable
A satellite dish or cable connection (from an HD service provider)
BBC HD steps

HD Ready TV

BBC HD: TV graphic

When buying a TV, make sure it's marked 'HD Ready'. Note that an 'HD Ready' TV won't turn a standard definition programme into an HD one; you will only get the full detail of an HD picture if the programme is broadcast in HD and you have an HD service installed.

HD Receiver

BBC HD: Digital box graphic

An HD receiver is a digital box that is designed to receive HD broadcasts. You might already have an integrated TV with an HD receiver built in. If not, you can buy a separate HD receiver from a satellite company (Sky or freesat), from a cable company (Virgin Media), or from an electrical retailer.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) Cable

BBC HD: HDMI cable graphic

Because HD transmits in greatly increased detail, if you have a standalone HD receiver, you'll need an HDMI cable to connect it to your HD Ready TV - just look for the marked output/input points on the back of your equipment and plug it in. If you have an HD integrated TV, you won't need an HDMI cable, as the HD receiver will already be built-in.

HD Satellite or Cable Connection

BBC HD: Cable and satellite dish graphic

If you do not already have a satellite dish or cable connection, one can be installed by an HD service provider*.

*It is also possible to buy an HD receiver and satellite dish from a retailer and arrange installation through an independent satellite installer. Once you have bought, installed and set up this receiver and dish to receive all available free-to-air channels you should be able to watch the BBC HD channel (provided you have followed steps one, two and three, above).

Kiril Jordanov, 08740

Which HDTV Format Is Better -- 720p, 1080i, and 1080p?

To put the 720 or 1080 lines into perspective, televisions of the past had 480 lines. Since more lines means a better picture then that alone shows why the HDTV has a nicer picture than an analog TV.More lines is nice but don't forget about the 'p' and 'i' in the 720p, 1080i and 1080p. The letter is an abbreviation for the type of scan the TV uses -- 'p' stands for progressive and 'i' stands for interlaced.

Progressive scan is better than interlaced because it processes the images twice as fast. This faster scan rate produces better clarity and color in the on-screen picture.The difference between 720p and 1080i is minimal but the TV industry is using 720p more than 1080i. So, buying a 720p HDTV is recommended over a 1080i HDTV.As far as 1080p, there is no doubt that 1080p is the best resolution on the market. However, there is little to no difference in picture quality between a 1080p and 720p at the 32" and below screen size.

Kiril Jordanov, 08740

What is HD?

High definition television (HDTV) is the highest form of digital television. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is similar in appearance to a movie theater screen. HDTV has a couple of advantages over the old analog TV format -- the wide screen and the resolution.The wide screen is good on our eyes -- we see the rectangular wide screen images better than the old square format. Basically, our eyes see better from left/right compared to up/down. The wide screen will also let us see more of the on-screen scene, which is great for sports and movies.Resolution is undoubtedly HDTVs biggest selling point. HDTV's resolutions are 720p, 1080i and 1080p -- the number stands for the number of lines that create the image and the letter describes the type of scan used by the TV to display the picture.Resolution matters because the more lines means a better picture. This is a similar concept to digital photos and how dpi determines print quality.