HDTV source resolutions

If you read those three axioms closely, you'll see that source is everything with HDTV.
Or, as George Fueschel first said, "Garage i!, garage out."
High"defi!itio! sources today come i! o!e of three differe!t resolutio!s# $%&%', $%&%i,
a!d ()%'. *om'ari!g the latter two, $%&%i has more li!es a!d 'ixels tha! ()%', ut ()%'
is a 'rogressi+e"sca! format that should deli+er a smoother image that stays shar'er
duri!g motio!.
$%&%' comi!es the su'erior resolutio! of $%&%i with the 'rogressi+e"sca! smooth!ess of
()%'. True $%&%' is restricted to ,lu"ray, some +ideo"o!"dema!d sources a!d the latest
+ideo games, howe+er, a!d !o!e of the ma-or !etwor.s has a!!ou!ced $%&%' roadcasts.
Source
resolution
name
Resolution in
pixels
HDTV?
Progressive-
scan?
Wide-
screen?
Netor!s " sources
$%&%' $,/)%x$,%&% 0es 0es 0es
,lu"ray 'layers1
2lay3tatio! 4 a!d 5ox
46%1 some +ideo"o!"
dema!d sources li.e Vudu
$%&%i $,/)%x$,%&% 0es 7o 0es
I!cludes *,3, 7,*, 2,3,
Disco+eryHD Theater
()%' $,)&%x()% 0es 0es 0es
I!cludes 8,*, Fox,
9327HD
:&%' &;)x:&% 7o 0es 0es
2rogressi+e"sca! DVD
'layers
:&%i
<' to :&%
li!es
7o 7o 7o
8ll sta!dard"defi!itio! TV
roadcasts
Des'ite the o+ious differe!ce i! 'ixel cou!t, ()%' a!d $%&%i oth loo. great. I! fact,
unless you have a very large television and excellent source material, you'll have a hard
time telling the difference between any of the HDTV resolutions.
It's es'ecially difficult to tell the differe!ce etwee! $%&%i a!d $%&%' sources. The
differe!ce etwee! DVD a!d HDTV should e +isile o! most HDTVs, ut es'ecially o!
smaller sets, it's !ot !early as drastic as the differe!ce etwee! sta!dard TV a!d HDTV.
HDTV display resolution
7ow that we'+e co!sidered the source, let's loo. at the tele+isio!s. 8s we me!tio!ed
ao+e, all fixed"'ixel HDTVs scale the i!comi!g resolutio!s to fit the a+ailale 'ixels,
throwi!g away i!formatio! if they ha+e fewer 'ixels a!d i!ter'olati!g i!formatio! if they
ha+e more 'ixels tha! the source.
The tale elow shows some of the more commo! !ati+e resolutio!s1 rarer o!es li.e
$,6%%x$,)%% are commo!ly fou!d o! smaller"scree! =*Ds deri+ed from com'uter
mo!itors.
Native
resolution
#
$ommonly
called
%
&eets
de'inition o'
high-de'?
(
)re*uency
TV types and typical
si+es
$,/)%x$,%&% $%&%' 0es
*ommo! amo!g all
dis'lay ty'es
=*D, 'lasma, D=2 of
all si>es
$,466x(6& (6&', ()%' 0es
?elati+ely rare
amo!g e+e! e!try"
le+el =*Ds
9!try"le+el =*D :%
i!ches a!d lower,
e!try"le+el ;%"i!ch
'lasma
$,%):x(6& (6&', ()%' 0es
?estricted to e!try"
le+el 'lasmas
9!try"le+el :)"i!ch
'lasma
&;)x:&%
9DTV
'lasma
7o ?are :)"i!ch 'lasma
6:%x:&% VG8 7o ?are 3mall =*D TVs
Technically speaking, all of these numbers are accurate and useful, but don't put too
much stock in them. In the real world, it's difficult to tell the difference between native
resolutions once you get into high-definition. For exam'le, des'ite the fact that a 4("
i!ch =*D with "o!ly" $,466x(6& 'ixels has to throw away a good deal of i!formatio! to
dis'lay a $%&%i footall game o! *,3, you'd e hard"'ressed to see more detail o! a
similar 4("i!ch =*D with $,/)%x$,%&% resolutio!.
8fter more tha! $% years re+iewi!g HDTVs, I feel comfortale co!+eyi!g some
ge!erali>atio!s I'+e oser+ed aout 'icture @uality#
8 good 'icture is o!e that re'roduces the i!comi!g source as closely as 'ossile
without "im'ro+i!g" color, smooth!ess, or other characteristics.
2lasma TVs come closer to this ideal tha! =*Ds, es'ecially for +iewers who
are!'t sitti!g i! the sweet s'ot directly i! fro!t of the scree!.
=*D TVs ca! get righter, ut 'lasmas are right e!ough for all ut the most su!"
dre!ched rooms.
=9D"ac.lit =*D TVs with local dimmi!g, whether edge"lit or full"array, ofte!
out'erform those without.
3cree! u!iformity is a 'rolem for =*D TVs, ut !ot for 'lasmas.
The aility to 'roduce a dee' shade of lac. "" which tra!slates i!to high co!trast
"" is the most im'orta!t i!gredie!t i! a good 'icture.
*olor saturatio!, which is directly i!flue!ced y co!trastAlac. le+el, is seco!d"
most im'orta!t, followed y color accuracy.
I! a right room matte scree!s are the est o+erall at reduci!g reflectio!s. The
est glossy scree!s 'reser+e lac. le+els well.
=ess im'orta!t factors i!clude +ideo 'rocessi!g B$)%H>, ):%H>, etcC, maximum
light out'ut, a!d dis'lay resolutio! B$%&%', $%&%i a!d ()%'C.
Da!y 'eo'le do!'t reali>e they're watchi!g the 3oa' O'era 9ffect, a!d might li.e
their TV's 'icture @uality etter if they tur!ed it off.
2oor 'icture setti!gs o! a good TV will usually loo. worse tha! calirated 'icture
setti!gs o! a cra''y TV.