HDTV are full of numbers like 720p, 1080i, 1080p and 16:9, but do they really matter?
A.Yes! Analog TVs, or “regular TVs,” are designed to display only one type of signal, 480-line interlaced NTSC programs, or what’s now called the 480i (interlaced) format. Digital TV, on the other hand, can broadcast in several signal formats at various pixel resolutions and in two screen shapes, or aspect ratios. But any HDTV with a built-in digital tuner can receive and display all of them. Keep in mind, though, that “receiving” and “displaying” are different concepts. While all HDTV tuners can receive every digital transmission, many convert some formats to fit the display capabilities of the monitor they’re built into or connected to. An HDTV picture has a wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio – as opposed to the square 4:3 ratio of traditional TV – and is made up either of 1,080 scanning lines transmitted in an interlaced format (1080i) or 720 scanning lines transmitted progressively (720p). Progressive-scan formats tend to do better with programs that have a lot of fast-moving action and
