High-definition television
TV resolution standard
High-definition television (HDTV; also known as high-definition or HD) describes a television or video system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since at least 1933; in more recent times, it refers to the generation following standard-definition television (SDTV). It is the standard video format used in most broadcasts: terrestrial broadcast television, cable television, and satellite television.
Formats
HDTV may be transmitted in various formats:
720p (1280 × 720p): 921,600 pixels
1080i (1920 × 1080i) interlaced scan: 1,036,800 pixels (≈1.04 Mpx).
1080p (1920 × 1080p) progressive scan: 2,073,600 pixels (≈2.07 Mpx).
Some countries also use a non-standard CTA resolution, such as 1440 × 1080i: 777,600 pixels (≈0.78 Mpx) per field or 1,555,200 pixels (≈1.56 Mpx) per frame
When transmitted at two megapixels per frame, HDTV provides about five times as many pixels as SD (standard-definition television). The increased resolution provides for a clearer, more detailed picture. In addition, progressive scan and higher frame rates result in a picture with less flicker and better rendering of fast motion. Modern HDTV began broadcasting in 1989 in Japan, under the MUSE/Hi-Vision analog system. HDTV was widely adopted worldwide in the late 2000s.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “High-definition television” as tV resolution standard. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q133454. The Library of Congress control number is sh88001765. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1933, 1280, 1920 and 1440.
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This entry incorporates text from “High-definition television” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.