| TheTopTenSite.com Identifying The Best Products For Britain's Consumers HD Ready TV - An Independent Review |
| HDTV EXPLAINED |
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| What is HDTV? HD or "High Definition" TV is a superb new standard of higher quality television. High Definition pictures are sharper and clearer - almost three-dimensional! But buying an HDTV will not automatically improve your TV watching experience. To enjoy the benefits of HDTV you need to watch programmes that were made and broadcast in high definition. The vast majority of TV programmes, older movies etc were not made for high definition TV viewing. In order to watch HDTV you need to subscribe to SKY HD, Virgin Media - or buy a Freesat Box. You can also enjoy the benefits of high definition by watching movies on DVD or Blu-Ray. Right now, HDTV is a luxury format - nice to have, but by no means essential. A similar situation arose in the 1960s and 1970s when Colour TV arrived. You didn't need a colour TV to continue watching television - but colour was definitely better. Over a period of time, colour TV became the norm - and the same thing will happen with HDTV. We are no great fans of Sky - but if you want to enjoy HDTV at its best - visit |
HDTV and Digital TV Many people confuse HDTV with Digital TV. Most people in the UK are aware that Britain is in the process "Switching Over" to Digital And a lot of people believe that they have to buy an HDTV in order to watch digital television. This is completely untrue - HDTV has nothing to do with the digital switchover. Soon all UK TV programmes will be broadcast using a digital format - but it will not be high definition. In order to watch Digital TV you definitely do NOT need an HDTV. |
| See Digital TV Explained for a full explanation of the Digital Switchover |
THE THREE "STANDARDS" OF HDTV There are three different types or standards of HDTV available in the stores. HD READY TV HD READY** is the "entry" format and has a resolution of 1366 x 768, giving a total of 3.15 million pixels. Warning: Standard HD Ready TVs are already somewhat "behind the times". Which is why some stores are selling them off cheaply. Pictures on these TVs will be much sharper than on an analogue TV, and you will be able to watch HD programmes on them. But they only have half the pixels required to enjoy the full benefit of High Definition programmes, movies etc. High Definition programmes are broadcast at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or 6.2 million pixels. To enjoy HDTV programmes at their best you need will a Full HDTV or a 1080p HD Ready TV. FULL HD TV FULL HDTVs have a resolution of 1920 x 1080, giving a total of 6.2 million pixels. This resolution matches the broadcast HD signal dot for dot. These TVs are sometimes referred to as 1080i. The i stands of "interlaced" which describes the way that the picture is refreshed on the screen. 1080i screens refresh their pictures in alternate or interlaced lines. The even numbered lines - followed by the odd numbered lines. With very fast action - this interlace method could be less satisfactory than a "progressive" refresh system which renews each line in turn - and can appear smoother. Having said that - BBC HD broadcasts sport using the interlaced system - and it looks perfect to me! 1080p HD READY TV The latest format is confusingly called HD READY 1080p - but it is very different from the basic HD READY format. HD READY 1080p TVs provide all the benefits of Full HD TV, ie 6.2 million pixels. Plus they refresh their screens using the "progressive" method - which is said to better for fast action and for gaming. 1080p TVs can also display Blu-ray movies at their optimum speed of 24 frames per second. BEST CHOICE? In our view, the best choice lies between Full HDTV and 1080p HD READY. Basic HD Ready is already a compromise - And the prices of other two formats are dropping all the time. If you like to watch Blu-ray movies - you should go for 1080p HD READY. For information about the best HDTVs to buy - See our HDTV Reviews |
Why Are HDTVs Better? Old style "analogue" TVs display their picture as a series of 625 lines across the screen. Even the biggest analogue screens can only display 625 lines - but on big screens the lines are further apart. This is why the picture on a small screen is sharper than the picture on a large screen. HD TVs display their pictures as millions of tiny dots or pixels. FULL HDTV screens have 6.2 Million pixels - a MASSIVE improvement on the current 625 lines! So an HDTV picture is far, far sharper - even on the biggest screens. The difference in quality is HUGE - Details are clearer, colours are brighter, etc etc etc. You don't need an HDTV - but if you can afford one - it definitely improves your viewing experience. |
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| More Information The Top Ten Site is not a great fan of Sky TV - but they are definitely the best HDTV Broadcaster - To read our HDTV reviews - how to choose, what to pay, where to buy etc - click HERE To read about Digital TV and the Digital Switchover - click HERE |
| ** In the United Kingdom "HD Ready" generally means that the TV is "Entry-level" with a resolution of 3.15 million pixels. A couple of years ago everybody thought that HDTV would be broadcast at 3.15 million pixels - which is why manufacturers made these TVs. However, the reality is that HDTV is broadcast at 6.2 million pixels - so those early models are already "out of date". In the USA, Canada and many other places "HD Ready" refers to any TV that is capable of displaying High Definition pictures. This usually means that they have built-in digital receivers. |
| Updated 22nd November 2008 |
| Sky TV The Ideal Digital Solution - Or A Big Fat Con? Read our Review |