HDTV

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HDTV Glossary

Get plain-English definitions for important home theater terms and concepts.
Converting from analog to digital

On February 17, 2009, all television broadcasts will transition from analog to digital. Find out how this change will affect you.



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DLP at IFA 2008 - Consumer Electronics Trade Show

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Shop Smart for DLP® HDTVs

Ensure your new HDTV is ready to go right out of the box.
  • An Integrated HDTV has a tuner/decoder built into the TV, and can receive over-the-air broadcasts through an antenna.
  • HD-ready TVs typically don't have a built-in tuner, and an external tuner must be purchased to receive over-the-air broadcasts through an antenna.
1080p vs. 720p
  • 1080p-based HDTVs have over 2 million pixels twice that of 720p.
  • 720p-based units continue to sell well due to their compelling images, small packages and affordable pricing.
  • A 1080p HDTV powered by DLP® technology lets you experience the best that HDTV has to offer today and is ready to enjoy all of the 1920 x 1080p sports and entertainment content that's on the horizon. Game consoles and DVDs will increasingly move toward 1920 x 1080p resolution.
16:9 vs. 4:3 – Are you getting the whole picture?
  • With a 16:9 or widescreen HDTV, you get HDTV the way it was intended. Nothing cut off. Nothing left to be desired. It's a true cinematic experience.
What size HDTV should you get?
  • It all depends on the size of your viewing room.
  • With 1080p DLP HDTVs that deliver the highest resolution available and the ultimate picture quality, you can sit closer than you might think to a big-screen HDTV. In fact, you can sit as close as 1.5 times the screen's diagonal measurement.
  • For example, below are recommended viewing distances for 1080p DLP HDTVs (at various screen sizes):
    • 50” – 52” screen size – ~6-foot viewing distance
    • 56” – 57” screen size – ~7-foot viewing distance
    • 61” – 65” screen size – ~8-foot viewing distance
    • 71” – 71” screen size – ~9-foot viewing distance
Gamers and sports fans don't miss any of the action.
  • When it comes to games and sports it's all about refresh rate. The faster the refresh rate, the better the video performance.
  • The unparalleled, 16-microsecond (an order of magnitude faster than millisecond response time of competing technologies) pixel response time of the all-digital, ultra-fast DLP® chip delivers a precise, razor-sharp picture, making it ideal for sports, action-packed movies or fast-moving scenes and gaming.
Don't get burned by burn-in.
  • DLP® technology is insusceptible to burn-in. Unlike CRT and plasma systems, a DLP® HDTV simply has no tube, phosphor or other elements to burn in.
  • This means no worries about video games and network logos burning in on a DLP® HDTV screen.
Get the most out of your HDTV.
  • What you want is a high contrast ratio. Higher contrast equals better images and more detail.
  • DLP® technology is capable of enabling extremely high contrast ratios (up to 12,000:1), that enhance the viewing experience.
  • That means viewers experience crisper whites, ultra-rich blacks and images that "pop" on-screen.
Get more HDTV picture for your money.
  • DLP® HDTVs deliver a stunning picture and a bigger screen for the same price as Plasma and flat-panel LCDs.