High definition televisions have become hugely popular in recent years. They are called HDTV because the pictures are clearer and sharper than other types of display technology. In fact, many manufacturers advertise as much as five to ten times higher. Much of this is attributed to the number of horizontal lines on the screen. Older televisions typically had less than five hundred, while high definition sets generally boast well over one thousand lines.

HDTV is also perfect for the home entertainment environment, as it produces a rounder, more pleasing picture, than the older squarish type setting. For those individuals who can’t get enough football, the high definition system is the perfect fit. Lastly, sound is equally important with this display technology. As a result, the Dolby Digital Standard is usually incorporated into the television, creating an exciting experience using surround sound.

Enhanced definition television or EDTV for short operates on a “progressive scan” technology. Basically, it uses an internal mechanism called a “deinterlacer” to assemble the frames of the picture before placing the images on the screen. This makes the picture clearer because blur and static are omitted from the combining of the frames.

The method is also faster than HDTV which means it can actually complete the same process twice, thereby reducing the exterior garbage in the picture. Its format is generally found in a rectangle shape much like watching a film in a movie theater.