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Picture formats
What is the difference between a standard-screen and a wide-screen HDTV?
The type of screen your HDTV has (wide-screen or standard-screen) determines how
the receiver displays programs on the screen. The picture format for an HDTV is a
combination of aspect ratio and screen resolution and is different for standard-screen
and wide-screen HDTVs.
What is aspect ratio?
An aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the TV screen. The aspect
ratios differ because the television industry manufactures both standard-screen and
wide-screen HDTVs to appeal to consumer viewing preferences. The two aspect ratios
are as follows:
• On standard-screen (4:3) HDTVs, the programming is displayed in letterbox format
in the middle of the screen. There are bars surrounding the picture.
• On wide-screen (16:9) HDTVs, the programming is displayed on the full screen.
What is the screen resolution?
The screen resolution indicates the amount of detail that the picture displays.
Resolution is identified by the number of display lines on the screen. The techniques
that an HDTV uses to “paint” the picture on the screen are referred to as progressive
and interlaced.
With the progressive scanning method, the lines are drawn on the screen one at a time
in sequential order. Progressive scanning results in a more detailed image on the
screen and is also less susceptible to the flicker commonly associated with interlaced
scanning. The interlaced method involves refreshing pixels in alternation, first the odd
lines and then the even lines.
For advanced setup, select the screen resolution that your TV can support. Refer to
your Feature Guide and HDTV owner’s manuals to choose the proper screen
resolution for your setup. For example, a screen resolution of 1080i indicates that the
screen shows 1080 lines on an interlaced display, and 720p indicates that the screens
shows 720 lines on a progressive-scan display.