HDTV is all the rage these days. TVs are getting bigger and the content is getting better. Currently, the standard for HD on television is 1080p, although technically HD starts at 720p. Blu-ray is the only media format that supports 1080p movie files. Let’s take a closer look at resolution, picture quality, and Blu-ray Discs.

Image resolution is the size of an image. Technically, it’s not indicative of quality – you may have a blurry HD image, though that’s not very common. Resolution is commonly referred to as the number of horizontal lines of resolution, essentially the number of pixels along the y-axis. Traditional DVDs can store media in 480p. It was usually in “letterbox” format or 4:3 screen resolution. This means that a DVD movie is 640 x 480 resolution.

Modern high-definition movies are shot in 16:9 widescreen. High definition starts at 720p or 1080 x 720. Most HDTVs support 1080p, which is 1920 x 1080 resolution. The “p” after the numbers means “progressive,” which is the opposite if it’s “i” or interlaced. Interlaced frames only update half of the frame each time the screen is refreshed. Movies are recorded at 24 frames per second so you won’t really notice it, but with interlaced TVs you really only get half the resolution possible. Blu-ray discs support 1080p movies and you need to make sure your TV does too.

Currently, Blu-ray Discs are the only media that support 1080p. Although you can get “high definition” TV, it is broadcast in a 720p format. To get the most out of your HDTV, you’ll need to get a Blu-ray player and discs.

Blu-ray discs themselves are similar to DVDs, but they can hold several times more data. This is necessary because HD video files are very large. Due to slight physical differences, Blu-ray discs must have a special player that can read them. Initially, these players cost several hundred dollars, but as they have become more popular, they have dropped significantly in price and are now almost as cheap as DVD players.

Blu-ray movies are created using the latest high-definition technology and look absolutely amazing on your TV. They’re the only way you can see every pixel in your 1080p, and they look great. Although HDTVs can be quite expensive, you can sometimes get great TV deals, like on a 32-inch Samsung TV. You can get Blu-ray players from various manufacturers: LG, for example, makes an LG Blu-ray player. You can get an LCD TV DVD player combo, although few TVs are currently being sold with Blu-ray built-in.