I’M SO CONFUSED! For those of you who may be confused, or not completely clear on different broadcast standards, here is a good explanation, direct from the dtv.gov website.
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Standard Definition TV (SDTV) –
SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both
analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the
traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format. -
Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) –
EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen
(16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality
than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV. -
High Definition TV (HDTV) –
HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and
picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with
digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound
and picture quality in television. (Note: HDTV and digital TV are not
the same thing — HDTV is one format of digital TV.)
