HDTV DTV OTR 1080P What does it mean (again)?
This Post has been edited, because the text wigged out too many times in the previous post.
HDTV DTV OTR 1080P What does it mean?
For my less consumer electronic savvy friends, I thought I would explain a bit on what is set to happen in 2009 in regards to the FCC requiring all television broadcasts to be in digital.
The FCC is requiring all television broadcasting stations to go to a digital format for broadcasting, in order to reacquire the radio frequency bands (VHF, UHF or for techies: 55.25MHz through 3GHz) they currently occupy for both emergency services, and sale-to-the-highest-bidder. It is needed, I believe, because there is already quite a bit of overlap. For example, television channels 2-6 overlap with military radios and non-commercial FM radio. Three "devices" on one "outlet" is quite a bit.
What is DTV?
DTV is the new digital television signal being broadcast to your home. It is what Fox, CBS, NBC is sending out from their antenna in order for you to watch television. A newer television may have a built-in DTV tuner (many times incorrectly stated as an HDTV tuner), requiring almost no change to your existing set-up to watch digital television.
What is HDTV?
What it is:
HDTV is a high-definition television standard for defining picture quality. The "standard-definition" televisions we have had for decades are known as 480i, or 480 vertical lines that are interlaced. In computer monitor-like terms, a non HDTV is 720x480.
An HDTV is one capable of any one of the following formats: 720p, 1080i, 1080p
. What the hell is p? P stands for progressive, or a manner of updating the picture on the screen by writing the image from top to bottom. It is the same speed if you were to interlace them, which is drawing every odd line followed by every even one (30 frames every second) however progressive scanning results in a much smoother image . 480P is another possibility, but is technically not an HDTV format, it is considered Extended Definition TeleVision. Any television that can display 480i/480p only should be labeled EDTV for this reason. You're not getting the whole package.
What resolution do I need?
The age old question used to be: How big is that screen? Nowadays it seems to be: Can it do 1080p? Well, having a little inside info into what broadcasters are doing with their new bandwidth, I'll let you in on a little secret: Unless you have a honkin mammoth of a TV that you are sitting WAY too close to, 720p is enough resolution to keep you happy. With 480p, a TV station has enough bandwidth to transmit 4 channels simultaneously. Call it: channel 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, and 3-4. With 720P they could broadcast two channels, but with 1080i they can broadcast only one channel (for special events, like the Superbowl). What about 1080P? It, at least as of now, WILL NOT be broadcast, because it requires twice the bandwidth that 1080i is allocated for. 1080P can only be used with HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats for now. It will do nothing for television viewing.
Why do I recommend 720P? Because it will provide you with the smoothest, best looking picture in a reasonable format. 1080i does have more lines of resolution, but because the image is interlaced, begins to lose picture quality for any fast-motion images. Plus, for screen sizes under 52", I believe that 720P is still plenty of resolution for a great picture.
Do I have to upgrade/buy a new TV by 2009?
NO! You do not have to have an HDTV to view DTV signals, only a DTV tuner. This means when the switch to DTV is completed, you simply need to get a set-top box to tune the DTV stations, and run the outputs to your TV through the RCA jacks (the yellow/white/red holes in the back). Currently set-top boxes cost around $170 on up to a television, or much cheaper if you want to get DTV signals on your computer.
The government is currently offering you a $40 coupon/rebate towards the purchase of a DTV tuner. You can get up to 2 rebates for $40 each per household. I suggest you get yours today!
https://www.dtv2009.gov/AboutProgram.aspx
What about my Cable/Sat TV?
DTV only affects Over The Air (OTR) broadcasts, not cable or satellite providers. You will have to do nothing, and buy nothing. Yea!
Hope this helps! :-)
HDTV DTV OTR 1080P What does it mean?
For my less consumer electronic savvy friends, I thought I would explain a bit on what is set to happen in 2009 in regards to the FCC requiring all television broadcasts to be in digital.
The FCC is requiring all television broadcasting stations to go to a digital format for broadcasting, in order to reacquire the radio frequency bands (VHF, UHF or for techies: 55.25MHz through 3GHz) they currently occupy for both emergency services, and sale-to-the-highest-bidder. It is needed, I believe, because there is already quite a bit of overlap. For example, television channels 2-6 overlap with military radios and non-commercial FM radio. Three "devices" on one "outlet" is quite a bit.
What is DTV?
DTV is the new digital television signal being broadcast to your home. It is what Fox, CBS, NBC is sending out from their antenna in order for you to watch television. A newer television may have a built-in DTV tuner (many times incorrectly stated as an HDTV tuner), requiring almost no change to your existing set-up to watch digital television.
What is HDTV?
What it is:
HDTV is a high-definition television standard for defining picture quality. The "standard-definition" televisions we have had for decades are known as 480i, or 480 vertical lines that are interlaced. In computer monitor-like terms, a non HDTV is 720x480.
An HDTV is one capable of any one of the following formats: 720p, 1080i, 1080p
. What the hell is p? P stands for progressive, or a manner of updating the picture on the screen by writing the image from top to bottom. It is the same speed if you were to interlace them, which is drawing every odd line followed by every even one (30 frames every second) however progressive scanning results in a much smoother image . 480P is another possibility, but is technically not an HDTV format, it is considered Extended Definition TeleVision. Any television that can display 480i/480p only should be labeled EDTV for this reason. You're not getting the whole package.
What resolution do I need?
The age old question used to be: How big is that screen? Nowadays it seems to be: Can it do 1080p? Well, having a little inside info into what broadcasters are doing with their new bandwidth, I'll let you in on a little secret: Unless you have a honkin mammoth of a TV that you are sitting WAY too close to, 720p is enough resolution to keep you happy. With 480p, a TV station has enough bandwidth to transmit 4 channels simultaneously. Call it: channel 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, and 3-4. With 720P they could broadcast two channels, but with 1080i they can broadcast only one channel (for special events, like the Superbowl). What about 1080P? It, at least as of now, WILL NOT be broadcast, because it requires twice the bandwidth that 1080i is allocated for. 1080P can only be used with HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats for now. It will do nothing for television viewing.
Why do I recommend 720P? Because it will provide you with the smoothest, best looking picture in a reasonable format. 1080i does have more lines of resolution, but because the image is interlaced, begins to lose picture quality for any fast-motion images. Plus, for screen sizes under 52", I believe that 720P is still plenty of resolution for a great picture.
Do I have to upgrade/buy a new TV by 2009?
NO! You do not have to have an HDTV to view DTV signals, only a DTV tuner. This means when the switch to DTV is completed, you simply need to get a set-top box to tune the DTV stations, and run the outputs to your TV through the RCA jacks (the yellow/white/red holes in the back). Currently set-top boxes cost around $170 on up to a television, or much cheaper if you want to get DTV signals on your computer.
The government is currently offering you a $40 coupon/rebate towards the purchase of a DTV tuner. You can get up to 2 rebates for $40 each per household. I suggest you get yours today!
https://www.dtv2009.gov/AboutProgram.aspx
What about my Cable/Sat TV?
DTV only affects Over The Air (OTR) broadcasts, not cable or satellite providers. You will have to do nothing, and buy nothing. Yea!
Hope this helps! :-)
posted by Seawolf at 6:46 PM
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