Get Ready For High Definition DVDs

- To Get High-Definition To Your Television:

• High-Definition DVD Player with Discs




• Blu-ray



• Developed by Sony, Philips, and Matsushita [Panasonic].


• Maximum capacity of 25 gigabytes per layer.


• HD-DVD:


• Developed jointly by Toshiba and NEC.


• Toshiba HD-A20 Player [$599 US] was shown during this episode.


• Maximum capacity of 15 gigabytes per layer.




• High-Definition Television


• Samsung LN-T3242H LCD television was shown during this episode.


• High-Definition Cables

- The DVD video specifications was finalized in 1995, but not popular until later.
- DVD is 480p, twice the effective resolution of VCR, at 480i.
- What is Betamax? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax.
- What is VHS? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS.
- 480p = 480 lines progressive.
- 480i = 480 lines interlaced.
- 720p = 720 lines progressive.
- 720i = 720 lines interlaced.
- 1080p = 1080 lines progressive.
- 1080i = 1080 lines interlaced.
- NTSC = National Television Standards Committee.
- 1080p resolution measures 1920 x 1080 pixels or exactly 2,073,600 pixels.
- The HD-DVD specification always supported 1080p, but the players didn't.
- The LG-BH1000 [$1200 US] plays both formats, but not all HD-DVD features work.
- Samsung's full-on dual format player will be out by the end of the year.
- High-def DVD's with old-school connectors downscale to 480p.
- HDMI = High Defination Multimedia Interface.
- For more information on cables / connectors for your television check out episode 2.