Picture Formats
What Is the Difference Between a Standard-Screen and a Wide-
Screen HDTV?
The type of screen your HDTV has (wide-screen or standard-screen) determines how
the receiver displays programs on the screen. The picture format for an HDTV is a
combination of
aspect ratio
and
screen resolution
and is different for standard-screen
and wide-screen HDTVs.
What Is Aspect Ratio?
An aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the TV screen. The aspect ratios
differ because the television industry manufactures both standard-screen and wide-
screen HDTVs to appeal to consumer viewing preferences.
What Is the Screen Resolution?
The screen resolution indicates the amount of detail that the picture displays. Resolution
is identified by the number of display lines on the screen. The techniques that an HDTV
uses to “paint” the picture on the screen are referred to as progressive and interlaced.
With the
progressive scanning
method, the lines are drawn on the screen one at a time
in sequential order. Progressive scanning results in a more detailed image on the screen
and is also less susceptible to the flicker commonly associated with interlaced scanning.
The
interlaced method
involves refreshing pixels in alternation — first the odd lines and
then the even lines.
For advanced setup, select the screen resolution that your TV can support. Refer to your
Feature Guide
and HDTV owner’s manuals to choose the proper screen resolution (480i,
720p, 1080i, or 1080p) for your setup.
For example, a screen resolution of 1080i indicates that the screen shows 1080 lines
in an interlaced display, and 720p indicates that the screens shows 720 lines in a
progressive display.
A
standard-screen HDTV
has a 4x3
aspect ratio. The screen is 4 units wide
for every 3 units tall.
A
wide-screen HDTV
is one-third wider
than a standard-screen HDTV. The screen
is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall.
A screen resolution of 480i fills the screen.
A screen resolution of 720p, 1080i, or
1080p fills the screen.
9
16
4
3
