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3
Introduction
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is simply the width and height of the picture. Regular TVs use a 4:3
aspect ratio, which means the picture is a little wider than it is tall (a screen that
is 20 inches wide is about 15 inches tall).
When the standards were being developed for television broadcasting in 1941
by the NTSC (the National Television Standards Committee), it made sense to
adopt the 4:3 aspect ratio the film industry was using at that time.
As TVs dropped in price and people prospered in the 1950s, the movie industry
had to find a way to get people out of their living rooms and back to the movie
theatres. That’s when they created the 16:9 aspect ratio (also called widescreen
format). When the standards for HDTV were being developed by the ATSC (Ad-
vanced Television Standards Committee), the 16:9 aspect ratio was chosen as the
format for HDTV.
This widescreen format makes sense because it’s much closer to the way we
see. Our field of vision is actually much wider than tall because of our periph-
eral vision. Not only is it closer to the way we see, but the pictures are crisper
and cleaner with more detail in the close-up and panoramic views.
Digital Signal and Sound
The analog television broadcast system that has been used in the United States
for the past 50 years transmits signals as electronic waves. These waves can
suffer degradation as the signal travels to your home. Additionally, the analog
waves are susceptible to interference from planes passing overhead, weather,
and household appliances.
Digital signals, in contrast to analog signals, can be reproduced precisely be-
cause the images are transmitted and received using the computer language of
1s and 0s. Such precision yields a signal with amazing picture clarity and out-
standing sound quality.
Other Key Features of owning an RCA HDTV
There are other HDTVs on the market. But your RCA HDTV has been designed
with features that will enhance your TV viewing experience, and features
that provide flexibility to build on the digital revolution that is taking place. A
summary of your TV’s most unique features follows. Go to Chapter 3 for more
details on these and additional features.
16:9 Aspect Ratio
4:3 Aspect Ratio
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