DTV-HDTV Comparison Chart

Digital television, or DTV, is the new industry standard for broadcasting picture and sound using digital signals, allowing for dramatic improvements in both picture and sound quality vs. conventional NTSC analog programming. DTV programming can be delivered in either of two basic formats: standard analog definition, (SDTV) and High Definition (HDTV).

The table below compares some of the attributes of the two different formats.

480p Compatible

Displays 480p signals as 480p, without any conversion. 480 is the number of lines. The "p" refers to progressive, a type of video scanning where all the lines that make up a video picture, or frame, are transmitted simultaneously. There are several progressive digital television formats.

720p Compatible

Displays 720p signals as 720p, without any conversion. 720 is the number of lines. The "p" refers to progressive, a type of video scanning where all the lines that make up a video picture, or frame, are transmitted simultaneously. There are several progressive digital television formats.

1080i Compatible

Displays 1080i signals as 1080i, without any conversion. 1080 is the number of lines. The "i" refers to interlaced, a type of video scanning where the odd- and even-numbered lines of a video picture, or frame, are transmitted consecutively as two separate interleaved fields. Analog NTSC video uses interlaced scanning, as do several digital television formats.

Additionally, 1080p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes. The number 1080 represents 1,080 lines of vertical resolution,[1] while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced. 1080p is considered an HDTV video mode. The term usually assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a horizontal (display) resolution of 1920 dots across and a frame resolution of 1920 × 1080 or about 2.07 million pixels. The frame rate in hertz can be either implied by the context or specified after the letter p (such as 1080p30, meaning 30 frames per second).

DTV Format Details

HDTV is the highest form of digital television, delivering up to 1,080 interlaced scan lines. HDTV produces images that far surpass any you've ever seen in a home environment! SDTV, or Standard Definition, also represents a dramatic improvement over today's TV, with the added benefit of allowing stations to broadcast multiple programs within the same bandwidth as an HDTV signal.