What is HD TV and why do I need it?

HDTV is a new television format to replace PAL and NTSC which offers a far greater picture quality and clarity. The advantage it offers is a much more realistic picture, deeper, richer colours and improved visibility - a classic example is a comparison between watching a blocky, blurry ball during a football match and seeing every detail, seeing the sweat on an athlete's brow or being able to see the rain fall in films.

The result is a far more immersive viewing experience: for sports fans it makes it possible to see the action perfectly, no more jerky vision or squinting at the screen; while for film buffs it offers a level of detail and richness that allows you to completely lose yourself in the movie, to appreciate the detail of the director's choice of lighting, sound and atmospherics. If you are a gamer and enjoy playing on your Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 then an HDTV screen will allow you to see the graphics at their very best, with pseudo-realistic worlds that greatly enhance your immersion and experience of a game.

Furthermore, it is now clear that HDTV is becoming the format of the future. Already all major broadcasters are putting out content ion HDTV, with others due to follow in the near future. It will soon be possible to watch HD content through Freeview, though this will be limited to at most 4 channels, so to get the full benefit of your new display we recommend looking at the whole range of content available through satellite, cable and the internet.