HDTV by Satellite
By Lance Winslow


Did someone say HDTV via Satellite Link? All Right! Oh yes, we want that indeed. Direct TV is brings us High Definition Television via Boeing Manufactured Satellite. Hughes and Boeing that will work. Boeing just delivered the SpaceWay F-I Satellite, the new technology with all the bells and whistles.

That is not all Direct TV is also now offering a new system, which allows a Four-Way Split Screen. So as soon as you go get a High Definition Plat Panel Display you will be in Heaven watching four screens at once and taping four others at the same time, you simply click on the screen you wish to hear the sound. Talk about News, Weather and Sports; but there is more to life, there are 300 more channels.

This new HDTV F1 SpaceWay Satellite blows away any satellite ever build by any nation, in fact it is probably the most complex commercial satellite ever manufactured. The Boeing Company took all the transfer technology and expertise to make sure that it delivered. Direct TV plans on using this satellite to bring HDTV broadcast to many of the Countries largest markets, so be ready for High Definition and a near virtual reality experience in your own living room. Direct TV gets it, finally some one who can deliver the experience that people have been waiting for. Just think.


"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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HDMI: Guide to HDTV Connection of the Future
By Jeff Su


Background:

As the HDTV market continues to heat up, consumers are in need of being educated on the latest technology. One of the terms that you, the consumer, will surely run into while selecting a HDTV set is: HDMI. For most this is an unfamiliar term and we will explain the details of HDMI in this article so you, the consumer, is armed with the proper knowledge to make intelligent purchasing decisions.

What is HDMI: HDMI is an acronym for High Definition Multi-Media Interface. The HDMI specification (now at 1.2) was created by some of the largest consumer electronics manufacturers in the world: Hitachi, Matsushita, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson, and Toshiba. HDMI is the latest digital HDTV interconnection standard. The notable differences between HDMI and the earlier HDTV interconnects standards (component video, and DVI) are:

-HDMI is all digital unlike analog component video cables

-HDMI supports multi-channel audio in addition to digital video. (DVI only supports digital video)

- HDMI is more compact in size and carries both audio and video signals therefore eliminate cable clutter.

-HDMI incorporates content protection called HDCP ( high definition content protection)

What does a HDMI connector look like: HDMI looks similar to a USB cable. The compact size and high integration (carries both audio and video) makes the HDTV installation experience truly "plug and play."

Why should I use HDMI:

-HDMI is all digital, so picture quality is "perfect" from source to display

-HDMI is both a digital audio and video connection. This will minimize cabling in your system

-HDMI is rapidly becoming the de facto standard for HDTV connections.

How does HDMI transport the digital video: The video portion of HDMI is carried by 3 separate differential pairs. Each pair transports 1 of 3 uncompressed native digital R,G, B signals from source ( dvd player, set top box) to the sink ( HDTV display). A unique protocol, T.M.D.S.( transmission minimized differential signaling), is used to transport the digital data. Each pixel is represented by 24 bits ( 8 bits each for each of the primary colors). The T.M.D.S. protocol then "calculates" and stuffs 2 extra bits to the video data stream in order to create a digital stream with minimum transitions ( lower EMI, lower interference) and also minimize long strings of '1' and '0' which can cause detection errors.

A fourth differential pair, called the TMDS clock provides the pixel clock for timing the data stream. The maximum TMDS single link pixel clock rate is 165 MHz.

What is the data rate of a single link HDMI connection: The maximum pixel clock rate is 165MHz and each of the 3 TMDS video streams carries 10 bits. Therefore the aggregate data rate is 3 x 10 x 165MHz = 4.96Gbps.

How many pins are included in the HDMI connector: There are 19 individual pins in the HDMI connector. There are 3 pairs of TMDS signals which carry all the digital audio and video signals.

How is the digital Audio signal transported: The multi-channel audio is time multiplexed into the TMDS data streams. Audio is much lower data rate (192kbps) and the extra time is used to demux the audio signals.

What is HDCP: HDCP is an acronym for High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection. HDCP is an encryption method developed by Intel in order to control unauthorized copying of digital media. The encryption is carried out in the HDMI transmitter found in the "source" ( dvd player, set top box) and decryption is carried out by the HDMI receiver ( the HDTV display). The secret keys for encryption are exchanged between the source and display over an I2C bus ( pins 15 and 16).

Is HDMI compatible with DVI: DVI is the predecessor to HDMI. HDMI and DVI are identical as far as video is concerned. Therefore, video backward compatibility exists. However, DVI will not support digital audio. For example, if you have an older DVI connection on your source and a HDMI connector on your display, a HDMI to DVI cable is all that is needed in order to view the video. A separate audio cable ( TOSLINK or SPDIF) will be needed to carry the digital audio.

What formats will HDMI support: HDMI is high speed digital connection and will support resolutions of 480i, 480P, 720i, 720 P, 1080i and in the future,1080P.

Conclusion:

HDTV technology is changing rapidly. HD connections such as HDMI will become the de facto standard in HDTV connections. We have outlined the important features of HDMI, so the consumer is well informed and ready to make intelligent purchasing decisions.


Jeff Su is product development manager at http://www.octavainc.com. He can be reached at info@octavainc.com

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720p Vs 1080i HDTV
By Kenny Hemphill

Is 720p vs 1080i worth being concerned about? Yes and no. If you're a consumer looking for a new TV, you can happily ignore the 720p vs 1080i debate because every TV which is described as HDTV or HDTV Ready is required to support both formats.

NOTE: You should be aware though that lots of TVs which support 1080i have fewer
than 1080 lines and so scale the 1080 signal down. That's not a huge issue as even
scaled down 1080i is far ahead of a regular NTSC signal. It is worth bearing in mind
that more expensive HDTVs tend to have better scalers than cheaper ones, and this
may be an issue.

However, for broadcasters it's a live issue. Should they broadcast 1080 lines of
interlaced video or 720 lines of progressive scan? They could just broadcast two
signals, one in each format, but that would use up a huge chunk of bandwidth and
be hugely expensive for very little gain.

To answer the question, it's important to understand the difference between 720p
vs 1080i. A 720p signal is made up of 720 horizontal lines. Each frame is displayed
in its entirety on-screen for 1/30th of a second. This is know as progressive scan
(hence the 'p')The quality is like watching 30 photographic images a second on TV.
A 1080i signal comprises 1080 horizontal lines but all the lines are not displayed
on-screen simultaneously. Instead, they are interlaced (hence the 'i'), ie every other lines is displayed for 1/60th of a second and then the alternate lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second. So, the frame rate is still 30 frames per second, but each frame is split into two fields, which your brain then puts together subconsciously.

Most of the time interlacing works fine, but for fast moving images, such as sports
like baseball and hockey it can cause problems which manifest themselves as a
'stepping' effect on-screen. Progressive scan signals don't have this problem and so
are better suited to sports.

ESPN puts it like this: 'Progressive scan technology produces better images for the
fast moving orientation of sports television. Simply put, with 104 mph fastballs in
baseball and 120 mph shots on goal in hockey, the line-by-line basis of progressive
scan technology better captures the inherent fast action of sports. For ESPN,
progressive scan technology makes perfect sense.'

Bottom line? For us, as consumers 720p vs 1080i is not a debate worth worrying
about, so you can relax and focus on all the other criteria on your list when you buy your next HDTV.


Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the
programming on HDTV.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Hemphill

1080p HDTV
By Kenny Hemphill


You may know that 1080i refers to 1080 lines of vertical resolution interlaced. This means that instead of 30 frames a second, the TV displays 60 fields per second, where each field contains alternate lines of the picture. Because the fields are refreshed so quickly, your brain interprets the signal as 30 full frames per second.

720p means 720 vertical lines of progressive scan video where every frame of the
signal is displayed in its entirety, giving a higher-quality, film-like appearance to the picture.

Most HDTVs or HDTV-ready TVs support either 720p or both 1080i and 720p, very
few support 1080p HDTV. Part of the reason for this is that very few broadcasters
want to broadcast 1080p signals. The reason for that is that 1080p requires
significantly higher bandwidth than either 1080i or 720p. And for broadcasters,
bandwidth is a precious commodity. Using up more bandwidth for one signal means
that there is less room for other channels. So in many cases, opting for a 1080p
signal would mean dropping or degrading other channels.

Is 1080p HDTV important? Well, yes and no. Not all video footage benefits greatly
from progressive scan. Sports broadcasts and action movies look better at 720p
than 1080i because there is lots of fast movement and the interlacing in 1080i is
sometimes noticeable, reducing the quality of the picture. Movies and TV shows
where there is not a great deal of fast action look better at 1080i than 720p because
the higher resolution has a greater impact on quality than the progressive scan,
which has little effect where there is only a small difference in the image between
frames.

So, while 1080p HDTV is the best of both worlds, the cost in terms of bandwidth, is
very high compared to the benefit for most people most of the time.


Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the
programming on HDTV.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Hemphill

LCD Vs Plasma HDTV
By Kenny Hemphill

LCD vs plasma HDTV – which is best? If you’re looking for a flat-screen, slim and sexy display, to watch HDTV, you have a choice of two technologies, LCD and gas plasma.

Each has benefits and disadvantages and so each is more appropriate in specific
circumstances.

Historically, the LCD vs plasma HDTV choice has been fairly simple. If you wanted a
flat-screen that was about 40in or bigger, you had to choose plasma, otherwise you
should choose LCD. However, as LCD technology improves, LCD HDTVs are getting
bigger and most of the major manufacturers expect the number of LCDs they
produce to grow steadily over the next few years while the number of plasmas will
decrease. However, if you’re looking for a flatscreen TV today, plasma still has a lot
to offer.

To understand the LCD vs plasma HDTV question, we need to look at the way the
two technologies work.

LCD

LCD HDTVs work by shining a light behind an LCD panel made up of a fixed number
of pixels. Each pixel is either red, blue or green and is switched on or off when a
voltage is applied to it. When voltage is applied to a pixel, it is switched off,
meaning that light can’t shine through it.

The main advantage of LCD vs plasma HDTV is that LCD panels don’t suffer from
what's called burn-in. This is a feature of plasma TVs where they are used to watch
TV stations with logos permanently displayed on-screen or where they are used for
video gaming with games that have static images such as a cockpit on flight
simulators. The image literally ‘burns-in’ the screen meaning that even when the
image is not present you can still see a faint trace of it on screen. So for video
gamers in particular, LCD is a better choice than plasma.

Plasma

Plasma HDTVs have over a million chambers which house one or a combination of
gasses. When a voltage is applied to one of these chambers the gas ionizes and
emits ultra-violet light. This light strikes red, green or plue phophors coated on the
inside of the chamber and a pixel emits this color light.

Plasma HDTVs tend to have better contrast than LCDs because, even when a pixel
on an LCD panel is switched off it doesn’t block all the light coming through and
therefore the pixel isn’t completely black. Plasma HDTVs also tend to have a wider
viewing angle than LCDs, as on LCD HDTVs the contrast and colour of the image can
change when the screen is viewed from different angles.

LCD vs Plasma HDTV conclusion

Technology is changing rapidly, but for now (July 2004) it’s still true to say that at
sizes of 40in and above, plasma offers a less-expensive and generally better
solution. For screen-sizes less than 40in LCD is better. However, as LCD technology
improves and prices fall, this will change.


Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the
programming on HDTV.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Hemphill

HDTV CableCard
By Kenny Hemphill


Look thorough the specifications list of many of the current crop of HDTVs and you will see the term CableCard listed on many of them, but what is HDTV CableCard?

Quite simply, it's a very elegant method of receiving HDTV from a cable provider.
Instead of supplying you with a set-top box to receive and decode its HDTV
transmission, the cable supplier gives you an HDTV CableCard which simply slots
into your TV. The card decodes the channels that your subscription allows your
receiver or integrated HDTV does the rest.

The advantage is that an HDTV CableCard takes up much less room than a set-top
box, doesn't need its own power supply, and reduces the number of cables you
need for cable HDTV. Another advantage is that if you move house and have to
switch providers, you don't need to learn how to use a brand new set-top box. You
just relinquish your existing card and get a new one from your new provider,
everything else stays the same.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of HDTV CableCard is in the picture quality. Cable
companies are not known for the high quality of the components they put into set-
top boxes. Most consumers can't tell the difference between a decent picture and a
very good one. So cable companies tend to go for features rather than quality. With
CableCard your equipment - the HDTV tuner or integrated HDTV does the scaling
and display, so you choose how good the image quality is. If it matters to you, you
can buy a good tuner or integrated TV and benefit from better scaling and display.

The disadvantage of HDTv CableCard is that it is currently one-way, so cable
services which require interaction, such as pay-per-view, on-demand services,
sports season tickets and program guides don't work. For those you'll still need a
set-top box.

A two-way version of CableCard is currently in development.


Kenny Hemphill is the editor and publisher of The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the technology and the
programming on HDTV.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Hemphill

The History of HDTV
By Mitchell Medford


For those of you unfamiliar with HDTV, it is the highest DTV resolution in the new set of standards combined with CD-quality Dolby Digital surround sound. This combination creates spectacular illustration with stunning audio effects, which is quickly moving HDTV to become the new standard in television systems.

HDTV seems like a completely new innovation but actually the system has been around in various forms since the mid-1970s and has developed quite an impressive history.During the 1970s and 1980s, the trial product for HDTV was being developed in Japan as a way to improve television quality and therefore sell more TVs. The first HDTV system was called MUSE and employed filtering tricks to reduce the original source signal to decrease bandwidth utilization.

The idea of introducing HDTV in the United States was met with mixed responses. In the 1980s, the National Association of Broadcasters in the United States invited NHK, Japan’s public network, to present the ideas behind the MUSE system to the Federal Communications Commission. At that time, there were two groups that were adamantly against the introduction of HDTV in the U.S.

The first group that opposed the introduction of this new technology was the Terrestrial Television Broadcasters. They were scared by the possibility of being excluded from the HDTV market because HDTV required more bandwidth (the amount of information sent through a channel or connection) than standard TV. These broadcasters worried because the channels that they already had license to would not be able to handle the bandwidth of this new form of television.

The other group that became concerned about HDTV in the U.S. was Congress. Congress felt threatened by the many Japanese innovations that they saw arriving in the U.S. and ultimately they didn’t want to introduce a new form of communication that was owned by another country all together.

With these two complaints in mind, the American government sought to invent a new form of HDTV. Groups of researchers and manufacturers were gathered together to form different teams. Each team would attempt to create an HDTV system that could fit into the existing channels that were used by broadcasters.
After years of work, the separate teams of researchers and manufacturers decided to combine forces. This unity gave birth to a new group known as Grand Alliance.

As researchers continued their attempts to develop this new form of HDTV, they discovered that this new technology would have to be partially digital in order for all the necessary information to fit into the existing channels. With this in mind, they were able to develop a system that was quite different from the Japanese system.The Japanese NHK version of HDTV was analog but the updated version created by the American researchers ended up being completely digital.

Unlike BETA VCRs and 8-track players, HDTV is one form of technology that is being built to withstand the test of time. With the decades of development and research that have gone into optimizing the HDTV system, this form of television is likely to endure for decades to come.


Mitchell Medford is a popular reviewer of consumer electronics and technology. He has written for numerous publications and served as a product development consultant for several consumer electronics manufacturers. Visit his site or more information on HDTVs, DVRs, and special offers including Dish Network deals.

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