[mythtv-users] OT: HDTV TV's
Michael T. Dean
mtdean at thirdcontact.com
Thu May 11 11:58:19 EDT 2006
On 05/10/2006 03:01 PM, Mike Frisch wrote:
> Not all sets that are able to handle an HD signal
> (720p or 1080i) are able to *resolve* all 1280x720 or 1920x1080 pixels.
> These sets are approporiately called EDTV (enhanced definition TV),
> although they're able to handle HDTV signals.
>
> For example, my BenQ 20" LCD TV can handle 1080i signal, but it's only
> an 800x600 resolution LCD panel.
>
Exactly. And, technically, a 1920x1080 (1080p) display cannot fully
resolve a 1920x1080 input signal (whether 1080i or 1080p). As a matter
of fact, a 1920x1080 (1080p) display cannot even fully resolve a
1280x720 input signal (i.e. 720p). Until TV's are using a resolution of
3840x2160 (or better), we likely won't see the HDTV image in its full
glory. :) (The 3840x2160 is not an exact value--the value depends on
too many factors, including the display type and the input signal--but
it's a good "rule-of-thumb" guess.)
So, my prediction is that although the ATSC specification (I'm not
willing to make predictions outside my home country :) will not increase
the number of pixels in transmitted signals, HDTV's will be created with
higher-and-higher resolutions until we have at least 4x the pixels of a
1080p input signal (3840x2160). Marketers will hail it as a triumph.
Reviewers will talk about how much of a waste of money it is, "because
ATSC doesn't even support those resolutions" (kind of like they say
1080p displays are a waste of money because you can't get a 1080p input
signal), and only those who have some familiarity with sampling theory
will realize that this is one of those cases where the marketers are
more correct than the reviewers (even if the marketers don't understand
why they're correct :).
Mike
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