# HDTV/VCR question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-vcr-question/7509>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-vcr-question/7509 "2000-02-18T23:47:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-vcr-question/7509/1 "2000-02-18T23:47:00Z")

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When I eventually break down and buy an HDTV, what will pre-HDTV videos look like on it? Is the information recorded on tapes (and DVDs come to think of it) in terms of the number of lines? Will a pre-HDTV tape look like 525 lines of resolution or however many HDTV is? And will the answer hold true both for pre-recorded commercially released tapes and for tapes recorded off pre-HDTV TVs?

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**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdtv-vcr-question/7509/2 "2000-02-18T23:54:00Z")

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last i heard, current VCRs will not work with HDTV. DVDs will, i believe, and a lil box called a line doubler (which makes up for the resolution) makes things look a whole lot better.