DVD And HDTV

Is DVD compatible with any HDTV prototype? If not are we gonna have to buy new DVD players. I know VCRs aren’t compatable at all they are all NTSC. (At least the ones sold in NA)

I think that what we think of as “HDTV” actually comprises a number of different resolutions, at least some of which will be NTSC (the current US video standard) friendly. Since HDTV signals and systems are digital, an awful lot of signal massaging can be done before the picture hits the screen - all sorts of formats should be viewable. The existing catalog of NTSC content is way too big to simply turn our backs on it. HDTV will show you just how horrible current video formats look, though. So you may want to buy a new video player, even if you don’t need to.

There’s an interesting page that compares various video resolutions, showing both the relative resolutions and the effects that they have on picture clarity.

current dvd videos will work, but there’s talk of HD-DVD video. US tv has 475 lines of resolution or so, VHS uses something like 325…DVD video, while higher than VHS and compareable to regular TV, will not good great on HDTV, hence the new HD-DVD videos, that will take advantage of the higher resolution (up to 1080 lines). you will be able to buy a line doubler, tripler, and quadrupler that will make the current DVD videos and DVD players look better on HDTVs.

{{{US tv has 475 lines of resolution or so}}}

Nitpicky point:
525 vertical line resolution for the US, with 4.2 MHz video bandwidth and Negative Amplitude Modulation.

Kalél
TheHungerSite.com
“If our lives are indeed the sum-total of the choices we’ve made, then we cannot change who we are; but with every new choice we’re given, we can change who we’re going to be.”

try howthingswork.com search for ‘hdtv’ some great stuff there.

Actually, you are technically right, but 50 of those lines are used for the Vertical Blanking Interval, or VBI (that black bar that rolls up your screen when the vertical hold is maladjusted), so the other poster has a point too. Actually, 400 lines of resolution is about the most any current NTSC format takes advantage of (DBS satellite TV).

The VBI is where they hide, among other things, the information for closed captioning.


Live a Lush Life
Da Chef

AUGH! Don’t confuse the number of scan lines with lines of resolution! Sorry but this is a pet peeve of mine.

[RANT]The number of horizontal scan lines is fixed in any NTSC standard signal no matter if it comes from broadcast, cable, VHS or DVD. There are 525 scan lines but as Chef Troy pointed out 50 of them don’t contribute to the visible picture. Thata is why a full resolution digital frame capture is typically 640 x 480 pixels. It captures all the useful scan lines and maintains the 3:4 height/width aspect ratio.

Lines of resolution is the number of bertical black and white stripes than can be displayed before it all turns to a gray mushy mess. With VHS it might start crapping out around 240 lines but Hi8 or S-VHS can display up to 400 distinct lines.

This type of test would not work well or be meaningful with horzontal stripes because it would just cause interference patterns with the scan lines.

High resolution devices like DVD and high bandwidth tapes - S-VHS and Hi8 - have the same number of scan lines as standard VHS or the original broadcast of The Howdy Freakin’ Doody Show, 525.
[/RANT]

“Bertical” lines? See, you made me so mad I forgot to spell chek. :smiley:

to answer your questions, go here…
www.thedigitalbits.com

good dvd reviews, too.


what is essential is invisible to the eye -the fox