What is HDTV?

High Definition Television (HDTV) has nearly five times higher resolution than the conventional PAL images, which is the image standard in most of Europe. This results in a much more detailed, crisp picture, and the 16:9 ratio is best suited for movie viewing. If you have watched television for years on a conventional television, the increase in resolution will be instantly recognizable.

HDTV describes systems with a minimum resolution of 1280 columns by 720 rows (1280 x 720), or roughly 1 million pixels per image. The highest resolution currently used is 1920 columns by 1080 rows (1920 x 1080, or commonly called “1080p” or “Full HD”), equalling 2 million pixels. In contrast, conventional television equipment reaches a maximum of 768 x 576, less than a half million pixels.

Several new formats let you create and experience High Definition quality at home. Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD recordings are created and read with a short-wavelength blue-violet laser, allowing discs to contain much more data than a conventional DVD. AVCHD is based on conventional DVD media and allows for inexpensive recording and playback. Nero Digital™ is Nero’s own format suited for HD, which will let you experience brilliant images and crystal-clear sound at home.
A variety of common video resolutions and their respective specifications.

HD content must be played with compatible HD hardware, so it is important to ensure you have the proper devices in order to get the most from your HD content.