EDTV (Enhanced Definition TV) Information
EDTV, also know as Enhanced Definition Television, is a class of digital TVs between Standard Definition TV (SDTV) and High Definition TV (HDTV).
Picture quality is better than SDTV but not sharp enough to be regarded as HDTV.
Enhanced TV picture quality has been compared to watching a DVD movie. Some viewers perceive the quality to be the same as HDTV, although when viewed side-by-side, viewers notice there is an obvious difference.
The Enhanced Definition format uses a progressive scanning rate of 480p, which refreshes the whole picture frame at 60 times a second. Enhanced Digital TVs are available in wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio or the more conventional 4:3 format.
Televisions with Enhanced Definition capability are generally priced higher than the less capable SDTVs. However, they will be less expensive than HDTVs.
Consumers may be content to give up image quality, save some money and purchase an Enhanced Digital TV. HDTV prices have recently been lowered so much that the price difference may be worth considering.