HD TV’s Picture Display Explained

Most people have in the last 6 years been introduced in one way or the other to HD Television or HD TV. The marketing appeal and excitement of High Definition TV (HDTV) in regards to its ability to display excellent picture clarity over that produced by most Standard Definition or SD TVs is one of the main significant reasons most consumers are purchasing HDTVs and upgrading.

Although HDTV sounds so 21st century, it actually had its roots and introduction in the early 1940s, long before there was even color television. There are some important things that make HD so appealing and exciting. Most TVs and broadcasting has been done in what is known as 576p or 576 lines of progressive color across the TV screen. These lines were used to make up the pictures that were displayed and the speed at which pictures moved. Because most of the television technology of the last century was analogue, it was impossible to provide a realism that would allow the human eye to see the picture on TVs more detailed although most consumers didn’t really mind this at first. When the first HD television broadcast took place in the last 1990s, it opened up a world of possibilities and offered a glimpse into the future of television. LCDs or Liquid Crystal Displays also paved the way for HD television to become a reality because the technology used to make LCDs was on par with that needed to produce clearer and more detailed pictures and the fact that LCD was digital friendly, it made it a suitable platform for the next generation of television. In addition with most broadcasters switching their equipment and requirements to a digital platform that made it easier for them to manage their content, most analogue TVs began to look out-dated.

For big technology and consumer electronics manufacturers such as Sony and others, the lines were clearly written in the sand. Today with HDTV becoming widespread and widely adopted, consumers are able to view up to 1080 lines of progressive color on their screens, producing a level of realism that some have described as ‘being there’. Also since most analogue TVs were not environmentally friendly to dispose of because of their largely harmful inside parts the adoption of HDTVs made of LCD materials does good for the environment.

Governments worldwide are making it mandatory for consumers and manufacturers to make the ‘digital’ switch and HDTVs are clearly on the skyline of the next generation of TV viewers.