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High Definition refers to a new way of sending programming information over the airwaves and into your
TV. There are two types of TV display formats available. One is ATSC format, which originated from the
Advanced Television Systems Committee. The other is NTSC format, which is named for the National
Television System Committee. What makes your High Definition Television (HDTV) special is that it has
tuners capable of receiving ATSC and NTSC formats as well as digital satellite signals. You can receive:
analog (in NTSC format), digital terrestrial (in ATSC format), cable (in NTSC and ATSC formats), and digital
satellite. This TV makes receiving all types of signals seamless. Below is an example of how your HDTV can
receive the different types of signals.
So why is it called High Definition? Definition—commonly called resolution—refers to the sharpness of the
image and is determined by the number of dots, or pixels, your screen uses to create the image. The more
pixels the sharper the image. An HDTV normally has either 1080 or 720 rows and over 1,000 columns of
pixels. This results in a display of over one million pixels. Your HDTV also has a wide screen, or “wide aspect
ratio” of 16:9 as opposed to the common 4:3 ratio. It is normally capable of displaying both interlaced
images (like today’s analog TVs) and progressive images (like a computer monitor).
What this all means is that while digital broadcasting will bring many new possibilities, only people with
HDTVs like yours will actually be capable of realizing many of them. A wide aspect ratio, one million pixel
resolution, CD-quality audio with Dolby Digital surround sound, and improved interactivity are features of
many digital broadcasts, and your HDTV will help bring it all into your home.
SATELLITE
DISH ANTENNA*
SATELLITE
TOWER SENDING
DIGITAL SIGNALS
TOWER SENDING
ANALOG SIGNALS
TERRESTRIAL
ANTENNA
OR
HDTV
CABLE TV
TERRESTRIAL
ANTENNA
(DIGITAL AND ANALOG)
* The appearance of your satellite dish antenna may differ from that shown here.
Welcome to HDTV
