EDTV vs HDTV

What is EDTV? A look at the difference between EDTV and HDTV

February 1, 2006

Paul Jacobs

In North America a High Definition Television (HDTV) can display resolutions of 640x480 progressively (known as 480p), 1280x720 progressively (720p) and 1920x1080 interlaced (1080i) (some TVs are able to display 1920x1080 progressively (1080p)). An Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV) can only display images with a maximum resolution of 640x480 progressively (480p). This resolution is comparable to DVD quality. A couple of questions to ask yourself: Am I looking to buy this TV because of its slim size or because I want to take advantage of the "crystal" clear images new TVs seem to offer and secondly, how much money am I willing to spend? If you're looking to buy a plasma TV because of it's "picture frame" size but are not concerned about High Definition then you might as well save a few bucks and buy EDTV. You'll be getting the slim size and 480p resolution for a decent price. However, if you're looking to buy a plasma TV because of its size and High Definition then why even bother with EDTV. I say spend the extra few dollars and know that you're going to be able to display the best possible picture that is available today and in the future. If you go the HDTV route then you should also consider what HD sources you'll be able to enjoy on your new TV. A lot of people see the TVs on display at the retailer and assume that when they get the TV home they'll have the same experience. This may not be the case. Most large retail stores of consumer electronics feed the TVs on display with HD signals. Once you get it home, unless you also have HD signals going into the TV you won't be seeing those crystal clear images. Currently there are not many HD sources available. There are a limited number of HD channels provided by satellite and cable companies and there are also the latest consoles (XBOX 360, PS3). So before you purchase an HDTV take a look at how much it will cost you to obtain some HD content and factor that into your purchase. If you haven't had a chance yet, you may want to have a look at Plasma vs DLP vs LCD vs CRT vs LCD Rear Projection

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