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Digital TV (DTV) Standards Explained

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This page provides a basic tutorial on Digital TV standards. The FCC has defined approximately 14 different formats/standards for DTV (Digital TV). Most variations fall under the basic standards outlined in the table below. These DTV standards include 480p, 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i.

DTV StandardAspect RatioPixels per Horizontal LineVertical PixelsScan Rate in Hz
480p4:364048024, 30, 60
480i/p4:3 OR 16:970448024, 30, 60
720p16:9128072024, 30, 60
1080i16:91920108024 OR 30 Hz

In 480i/p, “p” stands for “progressive scanning,” and “i” stands for “interlaced scanning.”