Glossary Standard Definitions | Vizio VA320M specs

VIZIO VA320M User’s Manual

Glossary – Standard Definitions

Analog TV: Today’s TV system using radio frequency waves to transmit and display pictures and sound.

Aspect Ratio (4x3): Traditional TV “aspect ratio”, that is, the screen’s width as compared to its height. For example, a “32 inch TV screen” would be 25 inches wide and 19 inches tall.

Aspect Ratio (16x9): “Wide screen TV” aspect ratio which is more like a movie screen than a traditional TV. For example, a “32 inch TV screen” would be 28 inches wide and 16 inches tall.

Digital TV (DTV): Television delivered and displayed using radio frequency waves that contain information that is digitally encoded for improved quality and efficiency.

Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV): A better digital television transmission than SDTV with at least 480P, in a 16x9 or 4x3 display and Dolby digital surround sound. 480P is the quality used by most DVD players. EDTV provides 300-400,000 pixels.

HDTV Monitor (sometimes called HDTV Ready): A set that can display HDTV programming if you have a separate HDTV tuner, HD Cable Set-Top Box or HD Satellite Set-Top-Box Receiver.

HDTV Tuner (also decoder, receiver, set-top box): A device capable of receiving and outputting HDTV signals for display. It may be stand-alone or integrated in the set.

High-Definition Television (HDTV): The best quality picture, wide screen (16x9) display with at least

720 progressively scanned lines (720P) or 1080 interlaced lines (1080i) and Dolby digital surround sound. HDTV provides 900,000-2.1 million pixels.

Integrated HDTV: An HDTV that has the digital tuner built into the set. It does not need a separate set- top box to receive over-the-air DTV signals.

Interlace Scan: A way to scan vertical lines onto a TV picture by scanning all the odd lines first, then filling the in the even lines (this happens instantaneously).

Plug-and-Play or Digital Cable Ready: A DTV or other device for digital cable consumers that plugs directly into the cable jack and does not require a separate set-top box. Plug-and-Play TV owners must obtain a Cable CARD from their cable company in order to view scrambled programming services. Progressive Scan: A way to scan vertical lines onto a TV picture by scanning all the lines consecutively (progressively).

Standard Definition TV (SDTV): Basic digital television transmission that may be displayed with fewer than 480 progressively scanned lines (480P) in 16 x 9 or 4 x 3 format. 480 interlaced (480i) is the quality of today’s analog TV system.

Source: Buying a Digital Television, CEA, HDTV Guide, 2005

Note: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC) have made a new tip sheet available for digital television (DTV) retailers to reproduce and distribute to consumers on the sales floor. The file may be downloaded online at www.dtv.gov. While you’re there, check out the other useful information in the FCC is making available to consumers interested in learning more about the analog to digital transition.