Glossary

Glossary
Full-HD TV (High-definition)
TV screens in full HD (often labelled as 1,080p) offer a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.
The 'p' stands for progressive scan - pictures are transmitted as a full image instead of alternating lines in an interlace image, which can cause the image to flicker.
So with 1,080i, the image will not be as sharp as 1,080p.
HD-ready TV
These offer image quality of up to 1,080i, which is good enough for screen sizes up to 42 inches. The next lower image quality is 720p followed by 720i.
Standard definition (SD)
Measured at 480i and 480p, this is the normal quality offered by the current crop of DVDs.
Component input
Cables, made up of a blue, green and red cable, are a visual transmission medium that provides up to 480p quality images.
Plasma and LCD flat-screen TVs
The key difference between the two formats of flat screens is that plasma technology, although displaying richer colours, consumes more energy and heats up faster than an LCD equivalent.
HDMI
The high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) is a means of connecting two devices, such as TV and DVD player, to allow high-definition content to be transmitted.
There have been several upgrades to the HDMI format and the most recent is version 1.3.
Beware of cheap HDMI cables as they may be configured to the old 1.1 or 1.2 standards.
DTS and Dolby Digital
These are digital audio standards used in movies and on DVDs. Most home systems can decode both formats, although not all DVD movies contain soundtracks in both formats.
5.1 surround sound
Regular music on headphones and TV sets come in two-channel audio - left and right.
The 5.1 surround sound splits the audio into five speakers - two each in the front and back, a centre speaker plus a subwoofer for bass.