High definition television

The main features of high definition television or HDTV are a 16:9 image format and improved image resolution.

The connections required for a high definition signal: YUV and HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface (or DVI Digital Visual Interface).

With the emergence and generalising of high definition television services in many countries, new features for viewers have arrived:

- the image quality is much higher than existing television standards. This improvement results from a near doubling in the number of lines composing the television image. Ordinary television has a definition of 576 active lines; for HDTV, this becomes 1,080. This makes it possible to have larger images and much finer details on the screen With a format of 16:9 like a movie screen, the image comes to life with high definition compatible televisions (LCD and plasma screens, retro projectors and video projectors).

- the sound quality has also been optimised. HDTV benefits from 5.1 surround sound giving very precise spacing of the sound just as we hear it naturally. The final quality is comparable to home cinema. To appreciate surround sound, the user must have two stereo channels, a central channel, two rear channels and an optional low frequency channel. This is a new dimension taking the viewer still deeper into the action.