EDTV vs HDTV: Difference and Comparison

Television or Telly or Tv is a communication medium that is meant to show pictures or images in two or three dimensions with sound.

It transmits the images in moving format with a monochrome, either in color or in black and white. Television forms an important part of mass media that is used in entertainment, news, sports, and advertising.

Experiments for the invention of Television began in the year the 1920s, from Standard Definition (SDTV) to Enhanced Definition (EDTV) to High Definition (HDTV).

It has different resolutions in 420 p, 720p, 1080p, etc.

Key Takeaways

  1. EDTV (Enhanced Definition Television) displays a resolution of 480p, providing a better image than standard definition but lower quality than HDTV.
  2. HDTV (High Definition Television) offers a minimum resolution of 720p or 1080i, delivering a sharper and more detailed image.
  3. HDTV technology is more advanced and widespread, while EDTV is a transitional format between standard and high definitions.

EDTV vs HDTV

The difference between EDTV and HDTV is that EDTV supports only 480 pixels format while HDTV supports both 720 pixels and 1080i. The full form of EDTV has Enhanced Definition Television, and the full form of HDTV is high-Definition Television.HDTV is considered superior to EDTV because of its higher picture quality and availability in different formats.

EDTV vs HDTV

EDTV means Extended or Enhanced Definition. It is a market terminology used to define the specific format for television and various devices.

EDTV comes in somewhat middle of SDTV and HDTV because it provides better picture quality in comparison to SDTV while it is lower than HDTV.

The term EDTV is used because it means that it can display 480 or 576 lines of signals in a progressive scan.

HDTV means Higher Definition. The name suggests that it is meant to provide a higher picture quality than others, i.e., from SDTV and HDTV.

The word HDTV has been used since 1936, but now in the modern era, it is used to describe the following generation.

It is the de facto standard that is used everywhere now, from cable television, satellite television, terrestrial broadcast television, and Blu-ray Discs. It can be broadcasted in different formats like 720p, 1080p, and 1080i.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonEDTVHDTV
ScanProgressive scanInterlaced displays & Progressive scan. 
Resolution480p720p and 1080i
ClarityLessExtra
QualityGreaterLow
CompatibilityDVDs, TV programs, and DVD players are compatible.All these are incompatible.

What is EDTV?

EDTV requires more bandwidth than SDTV. Because of its higher bandwidth than SDTV, it can transfer additional data transfer.

For progressive scan in EDTV, it should be connected to three connectors, i.e., a VGA connector, component video cable, or a DVI or HDMI connector.

This connection is used for video game consoles and DVD players. For broadcasting television, EDTV uses the same connectors as HDTV.

Because EDTV uses less bandwidth than HDTV, it can broadcast several channels at once from one station. It uses non-square pixels, just like EDTV.

The number of horizontal pixels used in EDTV and SDTV is the same, i.e., 16:9 and 4:3. But sometimes 16:9 is preferred and is called anamorphic widescreen.

EDTV has two full forms, which are Enhanced and Extended definitions. Both of these terms are shorthand terms for devices and DTV.

EDTV has less clarity while broadcasting high-definition quality. When EDTV uses standard broadcast, i.e., 480i, then it has a greater capacity to retain the greater quality.

Various types of DVDs, players, and television programs are compatible with EDTV. Since it uses progressive displays, it paints all of the lines in one pass, which is the same as SDTV and different from HDTV.

What is HDTV?

The word HDTV has been used since 1936. But in the modern era, it has proper use, like it is referred to as the superior version of SDTV and HDTV. It is way past better than the other generations.

Because of its higher image resolution has become the standard video format in cable television, satellite television, terrestrial broadcast television, and Blu-ray Discs.

It can be transmitted in various formats like 1080p, 1080i, and 720p.

HDTV is transmitted at two megapixels per second. It is five times faster at transmitting pixels than SDTV. Because of its better resolution, it’s clearer picture quality.

Interlaced displays and progressive scan displays are both used in HDTV. Different scans and higher frame rates result in the better rendering of fast motion and less flicker.

HDTV became popular in the year the 2000s in every household.

Earlier HDTV broadcasting used analog signals, but now it uses video compression and is transmitted digitally. It is not compatible with different devices like DVDs, players, and programs.

HDTV system is categorized according to frame rate, frame size, and scanning parameters. If all the parameters are used, they are followed according to the following form.

HDTV can be recorded to W-VHS to an HDTV-capable digital video recorder like in Sky HD’s set-top box, Dish Network’s VIP 622, DirecTV’s high-definition digital video recorder, or VIP 722, D-VHS or digital-VHS, etc.

hdtv

Main Differences Between EDTV and HDTV

  1. EDTV uses only one kind of display, which is a progressive scan. HDTV uses two kinds of displays that are interlaced displays & Progressive scans.
  2. EDTV uses the 480p resolution and has better picture quality than SDTV. HDTV uses three types of resolution 720p, 1080p, and 1080i.
  3. While converting high-definition broadcasts, EDTV provides less clarity. In contrast, HDTV provides extra clarity on transmitting.
  4. EDTV has greater quality while watching the standard format, i.e.480 i. HDTV has low quality.
  5. DVDs, TV programs, and DVD players are compatible with EDTV. While all of these are incompatible with HDTV.
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References
  1. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/109153/
  2. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7245339/

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023

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11 thoughts on “EDTV vs HDTV: Difference and Comparison”

  1. The article is very informative and educational. However, it would be valuable to include information about future advancements in television technology beyond EDTV and HDTV.

    Reply
  2. This article provides a comprehensive overview of EDTV and HDTV, and the differences between them are clearly articulated. The technical comparisons are highly beneficial.

    Reply
  3. The detailed descriptions of EDTV and HDTV are beneficial. I appreciate that the article includes the comparison table, which makes it easier to understand the differences between the two formats.

    Reply
    • Absolutely, the comparison table is an excellent addition to the article and enhances the clarity of the information presented.

      Reply
  4. While this is certainly a very thorough breakdown of the technical aspects of EDTV and HDTV, it would have been helpful to see more discussion of their historical and cultural impact.

    Reply
  5. It’s fascinating to learn about the technological differences between EDTV and HDTV, and how these impact picture quality. The article provides a wonderful overview of these concepts.

    Reply
  6. The in-depth analysis of EDTV and HDTV is impressive. The article effectively highlights the distinctions between the two formats and their respective qualities.

    Reply
  7. This is very interesting information. I really appreciate the detailed explanation of both EDTV and HDTV and it’s great to see the comparison between both of them.

    Reply

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