Full HD vs True HD vs HDReady 1080p?

[therock003]

Is TrueHD an indication of sound or picture quality?I know that full HD means 1920x1080p but at some commercial leaflets i see TV monitors listed as TrueHD but to my knowledge that concerns the sound am I right?

Also what's this new HD1080p ready?

I remember the old HD ready which meant 1366x768 but what does the 1080 ready means?

Can somebody please clear this technical confusion jargon?

[yoda313]

1920/1080p is the max of current hdtv resolutions.

That is all you need to know. That is the best you can get resolution wise.

Anything else is marketing gimmicks.

1366x768 is common on older sets. Mine is a 32" 1366x768. It looks very good but I knew going in it wasn't "full hd". At the time I bought my set last year 1080p sets started at 1000 USD at any size. That was not in price range at the time so I settled on 1366x768 and it has been more than serviceable.

HD Ready simply means that the tv does not have a built in tuner. It has nothing do to with the resolution. That means that you have to buy an external tuner to watch hd content (be it over-the-air digital, cable, satellite, or fios).

I think TRUEHD is just a variation of "full hd". Just remember 1920x1080p is the max for hdtv resolution right now.

There are some difference. There are 120hz hdtvs out there that are supposed to be better than a run of the mill tv. Frankly I don't understand that part of the high def nomenclature. You'd have to do some more research on your own to see if you want to spend extra for that quality aspect.

[jagabo]

Those are all marketing terms that don't necessarily mean anything. But...

Generally, Full HD means a 1920x1080 display. TrueHD appears to be the latest marketing term for 1080p displays in some parts of the world. For example, Amazon.co.uk has a TrueHD category that shows only 1080p HDTVs. Amazon.com does not have such a category.

HD Ready usually means the TV can display HD material but does not include a HD tuner (ie, it has to be connected to a cable or satellite box, or some other HD source).

[therock003]

The Fact that Full Hd means 1920x1080p is the only thing i know for sure. I dont know if TrueHD is a marketting trick or pitch but it bothers me that it keeps popping up. wikipediao nly gives info as parto of Dolby TrueHD.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_TrueHD

Full Hd on the other hand does it mean that it incorporates the HD tuner?

FullHD->HDready1080p->HD Ready? Or is HDready1080p superior than FullHD

What i'm confused by,is the statement on the wikipedia article.Quoting from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_ready

"In order to be awarded the label "HD ready 1080p" (not equivalent to Full HD, as Full HD devices may not fulfill all HD Ready 1080p requirements), or the older "HD Ready" logo, a display device has to cover the following requirements:"

[jagabo]

The problem is they are all marketing terms that have no universally accepted precise definition. You have to take them in context. And that will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and country to country.

[MOVIEGEEK]

TrueHD can be lossless audio or it can mean 1080p.

[jagabo]

Yes, "Dolby TrueHD" has a precise definition:
http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/trueHD.html

The EICTA "HD Ready 1080p" specification is nice if you're buying in a EU country. Anywhere else you will need to look for the individual features: a 1920x1080 native resolution, 1080i and 1080p signal acceptance, pixel-for-pixel mapping, etc.

[edDV]

Hate to put a wet blanket over this but resolution is only part of the recipe for picture quality but the marketing folks have figured out that consumers like resolution numbers so that is what they push.

You can get a $499 1080p set. Why then would anybody buy a 1080p set for over $2,000?

[therock003]

What's the rest of the rcipe then? What more is there on more expensive Tv's?

[jagabo]

Quality of deinterlace for interlaced sources. Quality of inverse telecine for telecined sources. Black level. Color gamut and accuracy. Macroblock deblocking. De-ringing of DCT compressed sources. Lack of motion blur (from slow LCD switching time). Smoother motion via motion vector interpolation and high on-screen frame rates. Etc.

[edDV]

What's the rest of the rcipe then? What more is there on more expensive Tv's?

What jagabo said. Here are some examples.

Samsung is considered among the best LCD HDTV's (along with Sony and Sharp)

Taking 46" size as an example, Samsung offers all these 1080p models
(List prices. Actual is far less)

LN46A530 $1799 - 60Hz Value Model
LN46A550 $1999 - 60Hz More features
LN46A630 $1999 - 120Hz faster refresh, smoother motion
LN46A650 $2899 - 120Hz more features, DLNA access
LN46A750 $3199 - 120Hz more features, Advanced DLNA access (video decode from USB2 port)
LN46A850 $2699 - Advanced 120Hz, decodes more formats, DLNA Wiselink (latest model)
LN46A950 $3199 - Above plus dynamic LED backlight (effective 2,000,000:1 contrast) (latest model)

See it all here http://pages.samsung.com/us/hd/selector/
DLNA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Living_Network_Alliance
UPnP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Plug_and_Play

If you shop Walmart or Target, you will only see the value models.

[raffie]

1080p x 1920 is the highest possible resolution within HD. HDready logo is added when device has no HD tuner.
So when bying an LCD the res is important, but only part of the several factors that make for top viewing pleasure:

- Resolution: As mentioned, to enjoy HD as its meant to be, u need 1080p x 1920
- Dynamic contrast: Some new models have up to 1 : 70.000 really makes the pictures come to life
- Refresh rate: Many models have 8ms, get one that has 5/4ms max, makes for much smoother motion

The 100Hz (120Hz in NTSC-land) thing I havent figured out yet, but smells like a marketing ploy. An LCD is a natively progressive device and the 100Hz thing was added to higher-end CRT's to remove possible flicker, caused by interlacing. If you don't notice flicker in analog film in cinemas, wich have 48 illuminations per second (24fps using double shutter= 2 illuminations per frame), you wont notice flicker on a 50/60Hz LCD. (with 50/60 illuminations per second)

[jagabo]

The 100Hz (120Hz in NTSC-land) thing I havent figured out yet, but smells like a marketing ploy.

60 Hz NTSC TVs show 24 fps material by repeating frames, alternating between 2 and 3 repeats per film frame. So, on top of the inherent jerkiness of 24 fps film you have a 2-3 frame repeat judder. Using a TV that can update the display 120 times a second allows the TV to repeat each frame repeated 5 times. That eliminates the 3-2 judder. This isn't an issue for PAL viewers because 25 fps frame can simply be repeated twice each to make 50 Hz.

The next thing 100 and 120 Hz HDTVs can do is turn off the backlights while the LCD cells are changing state. This eliminates motion blur caused by the cells slowly changing from one brightness to another -- you simply don't see them while they are changing state. At 50/60 Hz the flicker would be noticeable. Going to 100/120 Hz eliminates the flicker.

100/120 Hz TVs can also synthesize in-between frames by analyzing motion within frames and creating intermediate images. So a 24 fps movie, rather than simply repeating each frame 5 times, will have four synthesized frames between each film frame when displayed at 120 Hz. This makes motion much smoother. Some people find it too smooth. Also, the synthesis isn't perfect. It's prone to distortions and mistakes which can be distracting.

[RabidDog]

AFAIK FullHD means Telly can display all HD resolutions as opposed to HD ready which means it will only go to 720p and/or 1080i (not 1080p) FTW..

[edDV]

AFAIK FullHD means Telly can display all HD resolutions as opposed to HD ready which means it will only go to 720p and/or 1080i (not 1080p) FTW..

You need to parse that sentence with a lawyer (as they did). ATSC HDTV sets must "display" all 18 ATSC formats but they display it at native panel resolution. Native resolutions are considered HD if they exceed EDTV (852x480). Many PAL region governments have declared 720x576p @50 fps is HDTV even if 4x3 aspect ratio.

Also, "1080p" can mean anything from 1024x1080p (typical for plasma) up to 1920x1080p. All plasma and LCD sets display progressive but very few accept 1080p as an input except off air (1920x1080p @23.976 fps is one of the 18 ATSC formats). DVB definitions differ by country.

There is no such thing as a 1080i LCD or Plasma display. They are all progressive at the panel. A main factor for picture quality is the deinterlacer that turns 1080i into 1080p. Nowhere in the world is 1080p being broadcast although it would be legal to do so in the USA.

"True HD" only applies to low compressed Dolby audio over HDMI v1.3 as far as I know.

Yesterday I was in a TV store watching CBS football from HD Dish satellite. Even the better TV sets were doing an awful pixelated display. Dish must be skimping on bitrate.

[MysticE]

Yesterday I was in a TV store watching CBS football from HD Dish satellite. Even the better TV sets were doing an awful pixelated display. Dish must be skimping on bitrate.

In the Chicago area, NBC, ABC, WGN, PBS and Fox all transmit in 720p. The picture I get OTA watching Bears football looks superior to anything I've seen on cable or satellite. Having a plasma set also helps.