ANSWERS: 1
  • As the television manufacturing industry evolves, our TVs tend to become more complex. Determining the difference (if any) between "digital" and "high-definition" can become difficult, and the advertising may add confusion as well.

    Digital Frequencies

    Digital TV (DTV) is a method of broadcasting. The signal is sent along a frequency that acts like a highway lane reserved for DTV. It uses a much narrower lane than analog TV, so other lanes can use more of the frequency highway.

    Digital Televisions

    A "digital television," then, is a TV that can detect the usage of the DTV frequency "lane" when broadcast over the air, and it can transmit the information in that lane to your television.

    Digital Tuning

    This detection requires a digital tuner. You can buy these separately. When a TV is advertised as "digital," that just means its tuner is built in.

    Digital and High-Definition Signals

    Furthermore, a digital signal is not necessarily a high-definition (HD) signal. It's just using the digital lane. An HD image has to have a resolution of at least 1,280 pixels by 720 pixels on your screen.

    HDTVs and Signal Reception

    Lastly, an HDTV is not necessarily a digital TV. It may not have a digital tuner, or any tuner at all. Instead, it may have an analog tuner, which will not receive any programming in the United States.

    Source:

    PBS.org: technology overview

    WRAL.com: HDTV guide

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