Are all digital broadcasts in high definition?
No, not all. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has defined eighteen different digital television formats, of which only six are actually high-definition, HD. Of the six HDTV formats, only two are used frequently: • 720p = 1280 horizontal by 720 vertical pixels, progressively scanned. • 1080i = 1920 horizontal by 1080 vertical pixels, interlaced scan. Also see FAQ A-8. The other digital formats are “standard definition” – they are not HD. These formats allow broadcasters to squeeze more lower-definition channels into the frequency bands allotted to them. These two are used frequently: • 480p “EDTV” = 640 or 704 horizontal by 480 vertical pixels, progressively scanned. • 480i “SDTV” = 640 or 704 horizontal by 480 vertical pixels, interlaced scan Some digital TVs will display the signal format (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i) when you press the “Info” or “Recall” button on the remote. See FAQ B-1 for more about pixels.
