Also see www.digitaltelevision.com.au

HDTV or high definition television is the cutting-edge technology in home theater systems. Movie enthusiasts praise the high definition televisions for its clearer picture, better sound, progressive scanning and a wider viewing screen. As the trend towards replacing traditional analog televisions with the HDTV, consumers are starting to notice the eye-popping properties of HDTV.

High definition television is a revolutionary new technology that brings the viewer the clearest, brightest picture possible. The picture on the television can be considered life-like and real. The colors displayed using the digital technology and wide screen pictures, are bright and crisp. Surround sound further enhances the viewer's experience.

The standard high definition television works by using a digital broadcast signal that is able to deliver a wide-screen, high-resolution picture with six channels of digital sound. The difference between HDTV and conventional television broadcast is that the high definition screen is much wider. This allows the broadcast or DVD movies to be viewed as they would in a movie theater. No parts of the screen either at the top or bottom are obstructed or cut off.

HDTV provides a wider screen than conventional TV sets. The wide-screen format allows a more intense viewing experience and is able to take full advantage of the field of vision. With the prices of HDTV going down, smaller sets are hitting the market making consumers more likely to purchase HDTV.

Another great benefit of using high definition television is that HDTV has over twice the sharpness and clarity of analog TV broadcasts. The color resolution for HDTV sets is far superior. For consumers who have already made the switch to HDTV, they feel this is the biggest advantage of high definition.

The lack of imperfections in the television screen often seen on traditional television is another reason why many prefer high definition to analog. With HDTV, problems such as snow caused from a weak signal, double images from ghosting or multi-path and picture sparkles from impulse noise are a thing of the past. These problems often seen on a conventional television broadcast just do not occur on HDTV.

Screen resolution from a high definition TV broadcast is almost five times as sharp as conventional broadcasts. High definition has double the lines of resolution compared to a traditional analog TV set. While a traditional analog set can only display 525 lines of resolution, HDTV technology takes this one step farther. HDTV broadcasts can display 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. This makes a huge difference in the picture clarity and quality. Often with big screen analog broadcasts, the picture is severely degraded because of the resolution lines.

When looking into purchasing a high definition television and broadcast provider, it is important to research the products. HDTV comes in several sizes and varieties. Consumers can purchase plasma, LCD (liquid crystal display), DLP (digital light processing) or LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon), which are all types of monitors. There are also projection displays to consider. They also come in LCD, DLP, and LCOS. Many viewers prefer the wall display monitor that either plasma or LCD offers. But, these are usually the most expensive of the high definition sets, especially the ones that are sized between 40 to 70 inches. Lower on the cost spectrum, but equally good, are the LCD displays that are sized at 42 inches and under.

Also, consider the provider. High definition broadcasting and digital should not be confused. They are not the same thing. There are many cable and satellite companies that simply convert standard analog broadcasts to digital to improve reception and to provide additional services. These are not true high definition broadcasts. Also, the picture quality and resolution will not be the same as that of HDTV. The picture format will not be wide-screen. Most consumers that subscribe to cable today are getting a digital broadcast.

To keep up with the popularity of high definition, most broadcast channels now broadcast in both analog and high definition at the same time. There are currently about forty networks in the United States that now broadcast in both. These include HBO, Showtime, ESPN and the Discovery Channel. The number of networks utilizing high definition broadcast is expected to grow as the price of HDTV goes down. More consumers are asking for high definition channels for their television viewing.