How Video Works, 3rd Edition

13High Definition Video

As noted in Chapter 12, there are two subcategories that fall under the DTV (Digital Television) category of standards: SDTV (Standard Definition Television) and HDTV (High Definition Television). All high definition video, also referred to as high def or HD, falls under the HDTV category of standards. Analog television standards, including NTSC, PAL, SECAM, and variations of these standards, are not compatible with each other and converting images from one standard to another requires a process that can degrade the image quality. HDTV represents an international effort to create more compatibility between world standards.

Setting High Definition Standards

In the early 1990s, another organization, the International Telecommunication ...