Picture Formats - Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD Connecting Manual

Picture Formats

What is the Difference Between a Standard Screen and a Wide Screen
The type of screen your HDTV has (wide screen or standard screen) determines how the 8300HD
displays programs on the screen. The picture format for an HDTV is a combination of aspect ratio
and screen resolution and is different for standard-screen and wide-screen HDTVs.
What is Aspect Ratio?
An aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to the height of the TV screen. The aspect ratios differ because the
television industry manufactures both standard-screen and wide-screen HDTVs to appeal to consumer
viewing preferences.
A standard-screen HDTV has a 4:3
aspect ratio. The screen is 4 units
wide for every 3 units tall.
A screen resolution of 480p or 480i
fills the screen.
What is the Screen Resolution?
The screen resolution indicates the amount of detail that the picture displays. Resolution is identified by
the number of display lines on the screen. The techniques that an HDTV uses to "paint" the picture on the
screen are referred to as progressive and interlaced.
For example, a resolution of 1080i indicates that the screen shows 1080 lines in an interlaced display,
and 480p indicates that the screens shows 480 lines in a progressive display.
Note: The screen resolution (1080i, 480p, and so forth) is sometimes referred to as the scan rate. The
terms are interchangeable.
With the progressive method, every pixel on the screen is refreshed simultaneously. The interlace
method involves refreshing pixels in alternation — first the odd lines and then the even lines.
4
4
3
A wide-screen HDTV is one-third
wider than a standard-screen HDTV.
The screen is 16 units wide for every
9 units tall.
16
9
A screen resolution of 720p or 1080i
fills the screen.