HD Ready Video
Decoding Another Jargon
make an educated choice as a consumer.
If you have been planning to purchase video equipment of any kind, be it a Television set or a DVD player, you would surely have come across this term - High Definition Video.
It would probably make sense to make yourself familiar with HD Video / HD Ready, since you may have to shell out few extra bucks in this case. Makes sense to make an educated buying decision!
What is HD Ready? - The Various Definitions!
The term HD means High Definition! So HD video means a video with much higher resolutions than the normal video.
In that regard, when you see the label "HD ready" it basically refers to the ability of the product to handle high definition video.
By definition, a display system must support video resolutions from 720 to 1080 vertical lines for it to be considered HD ready. These display systems would include most computer screens, modern television sets and many movie projectors.
Going further, if you see only the term "HD ready", it would mean that at least the minimum resolution of 720 vertical lines is supported.
On the other hand if you see "Full HD" or "HD 1080", it means the product supports the resolution of 1080 vertical lines, which is the maximum supported in the standard.
Additional letters 'p' or 'i' indicate progressive or non-progressive modes, respectively. Furthermore, a slash followed by a number tells you about the update frequency.
For example, 720p/60 means support for resolution of 720 vertical lines of progressive video, along with a frequency of 60 frames per second. This is a common video mode in LCD displays.
As far as aspect ratio is considered, high definition video usually uses 16:9, although 4:3 is also sometimes used.
Systems & Sources Supporting HD!
To be able to view HD video, you will need equipments that would support high definition video content - be it a computer screen, television set or a movie projector.
But besides the display unit that you choose, the source that plays HD video also needs to be HD ready / compatible. In fact, for a good video system, all the parts must be able to handle and support high definition video, including the connections.
For example if you want to watch HD movies, the DVD player must also be HD ready, just HD TV will not add to your experience as a viewer. Similarly, to enjoy the full benefits of your HD television set, the television broadcast should also be in high definition format (HDTV).
Conclusion
I hope you have a better understand of the various terms associated with HD video. Equipments supporting HD video are a bit on the higher side of the price scale... but before you jump to buy it, you also need to be aware that to get an overall experience of HD video, all the aspects of your video system must be able to handle and support high definition video, including the various connections.
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