The screen diagonals of flat screen televisions are becoming larger and larger, but not only the surface determines the visual perception. The richness of detail HDTV awakens the optical leap in quality for us.

Let's think back a few years. Back then there was just television - either in the American-Japanese format "NTSC' or in the 'PAL“ format as used in Germany and other countries around the world. But with the introduction of HDTV&Co. the ABC of image resolutions became more and more complex, so that without extensive research or advice and a good memory it is difficult to keep up with technological progress.
However, what is behind Interlaced, progressive, HD or SDTV hides, is now summarized for you here in a compact way, so that you don't let the slow seller turn on you the next time you buy a television.

If you're thinking of buying a flat screen TV, check out the Flat Screen TV Buyer's Guide!

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Interlace:

Denotes that interlaced scanning. It is used to reduce flickering in television technology. This format was invented back in the 1920s and is still used today, even for HD recordings. The function is based on the fact that only the even lines are sent first and then the odd lines. The two half-images are transmitted one after the other so that the viewer's eye receives 50 events per second and the flicker frequency is thus skipped. The lines of the two half-images are displayed interlaced on a tube monitor, so that the inertia of the eye and the monitor gives the impression of a complete television picture with all lines.

progressive:

Denotes the full-screen method. In contrast to the "interlace" process, no half images are sent here, but rather full images. As a result, the image appears sharper and calmer, and line flicker is completely eliminated. TV sets require either an analog VGA or YPbPr input to transmit this signal (component video) or a digital one DVI- Or HDMI-Connection.

 

480p:

480p denotes the progressive variant of NTSC. Progressive in itself means that it is a full-frame process. Here 60 frames are used instead of 30 fields.

 

576p:

576p is used for so-called PAL flickering. It is on 25 frames with the same constant Resolution switched.

 

720p:

720p describes the small HDTV format (see HDTV) and has exactly 720 picture lines. Unlike older formats, 720p only has the 16:9 aspect ratio. This means that the width of the resolution is also fixed (1280 pixels). The 720p format is available in 50 Hz or 60 Hz, devices that have the "HD Ready" logo (see HD Ready) are able to display both variants.

1080i:

This is the largest HDTV format and is also the standard for "Full-HD“ (See Full HD). 1080 has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels in interlaced mode, ie only half of the maximum possible 1080 lines show something, the rest remains dark. Refresh rates are 1080i at 50Hz or 60Hz, meaning it's sending 50 or 60 fields per second. These fields are s.Television or Beamer then back to one full screen composed.

 

1080p:

This designation stands for the display of films with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels in full-screen mode, which means that no conversions on the part of the television are required Artifacts arise and thus the highest possible quality is achieved. On Blu-Ray Discs are also converted into movies 1080p recorded, but with the usual cinema refresh rate of 24 Hz. According to this frequency, this mode is also called 24p bezeichnet.

 

NTSC:

NTSC is the American equivalent of European PAL. Its characteristics are 525 lines (of which only 480 are visible) and 60 Hz refresh rate.

 

PAL:

The Phase-Alternating line method is a method for color transmission in analogue television. It was developed to correct the hue errors in the NTSC process. Fundamental to the process is the idea that two consecutive image lines should show more similarities than differences because images consist of areas.

 

4: 3:

This is currently still common image format. 4:3 means the ratio of the width and height of the image is 4:3.

16: 9:

In addition to the many properties of the television, this picture format is also a prerequisite for an optimal HD experience. Mathematically, the 16:9 format is 33% wider than the 4:3 format. 16:9 corresponds better to the human eye, as it has to "wander" less and does not tire as quickly. With the 16:9 format, people use their peripheral vision, ie outside the zone in which they see clearly, they also see things happening around them. The 16:9 widescreen format appears 'wider' than conventional, allowing the viewer to see much more detail on the screen, much like the screen in a cinema.