High Definition Explained
High Definition TV crops up quite a lot in our podcasts. This page contains explains the basics of Hi-def.
We took a run-through of Hi-Def TV in Show 23 of our podcast. |
What is High Definition TV?
HD (Hi-definition) offers a higher quality picture with more vibrant colours, greater detail, crisp clarity and amazing sound quality.
High Definition TV uses with loads more pixels than standard TV.
HD launched in the UK in in May 2006. To get it, you'll need a TV with the "HD Ready" logo, plus a set-top box that delivers HD pictures.
At the time of writing, Sky & Virgin Media are offering HD TV in the UK.
What do I need to get HD TV?
You'll need a TV set that's capable of getting HD TV - Look for the "HD Ready" logo. For an HD TV, try Currys or Misco
You also need to get an HD TV service. Here are the key UK HD TV content providers:
| Sky HD |
At the time of writing, there are over 30 HD channels available, including: BBC HD, Sky 1 HD, Channel 4 HD, National Geographic HD, Discovery HD, Biography HD, Bio HD, Sci-Fi HD, History HD, Luxe HD, 3 Sky Sports HD channels, History HD, Crime HD, Disney Cine HD, Eurosport HD, Rush HD, nine Sky HD movies channels, Sky Arts HD, plus pay-per-view Box Office movies in HD.
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| Virgin Media |
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| BT Vision |
BT Vision set-top boxes are HD-ready, and from August 2008, boxes started receiving an automatic update to support downloadable HD content - A collection of movies and TV shows in HD are now available for download on BT Vision. |
| Freesat | Freesat is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV. No subscription is required, and the service offers over 130 standard definition TV and radio channels. You can get BBC HD and ITV HD with an HD Freesat box and a satellite dish More information on Freesat at Freesat page |
| HD on Freeview | Four channels of HD will be available on Freeview by 2012. As of the first half of 2009, no Freeview HD services are publicly available and no Freeview HD receivers are on the market. For more, see our HD on Freeview page, or sign up for updates. |
Sky is currently leading the field, offering a High Definition set-top box and subscription, and the strongest lineup of HD programming currently on offer in the UK.
As of the start of 2008, Virgin Media is only offering BBC HD channel. For an additional subscription, fee, there's Sky Movies HD 1 and 2. There's also on demand HD content including Movies on Demand, TV choice, with full series such as Lost, and More On Demand
Screenshot of Sky Digital EPG showing HD content
Your HD questions answered
Q. Is it possible to output HDMI to my HD TV, and output sound to my analogue amp at the same time? Is there any difference between HDMI and component? (TJ Ford, Aug 2008).
Yes, and Yes. On the second question - An HDMI socket and a set of Component sockets are capable of transmitting High Definition. HDMI is digital, and also carries the audio signal. Component is analogue and doesn't carry audio. Many argue that, quality-wise over short distances, there's little between the two. For more on this, check out the detailed article at ecoustics.com. If you need cables, try TV Cables or Maplin
Q. What is the difference between HD-Ready and "Full HD"? We read out this question, asked by Brian White, in show 37.
The numbers 720 and 1080 are used when talking about HD, to represent the number of lines used on-screen. Tthen there's a "p" or an "i", for the "progressive" or "interlaced" format. Technically, "1080p" is at the top end of the four HD variants, and it's this format that's what's called "Full HD". You should be aware that, at the moment, the likes of Sky are only using 720p and 1080i for their HD service. There are many people that believe the average viewer won't see much of a difference between 1080i and 1080p, other than to their wallets!
Q. I gather I can get ITV HD ona Sky+ HD box, even though it's not part of the Sky+ HD channel list. How do I do this?
 How to get ITV HD on a Sky+ Box
Frequency (GHz): 11.427 |
We're keen to expand the information we have about High Definition TV on this page. What would you like to know? What are your views on HDTV in the UK?
Got any questions we can help with? Please let us know.
 Want more info? Listen to Show 23 of our podcast from your computer. Click here to start playback of the show.
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Got a question on HD TV that we can answer in our next podcast?
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