User`s guide

HDTV SECTION

Setup

Refer to the appropriate section in order to configure your terminal. The settings you choose on your HD terminal will directly

influence the picture quality you obtain. To configure Scientific Atlanta models, follow the instructions in the Setup Wizard

user’s guide. For PACE

models, refer to the instructions on page 42 of this manual.

If you use DVI cables to connect your HD terminal to your TV, no further configuration is normally required. With this type of

connector, the two devices automatically determine the optimal image resolution.

Connectors

Two types of connector are available for HDTV: DVI cable (on some models only) and Component input. You must use one of

these two connector types to obtain an image when viewing channels broadcast in high definition. They are recommended

for SD content as well, in order to minimize the number of motion artifacts.

Converting image formats

One of the golden rules for obtaining optimal image quality is to keep the number of signal conversions to a minimum.

While programs can be broadcast in different formats, depending on the channel, your television displays them only in its

native format. In other words, a program’s format may vary, but your television’s format always stays the same - which

means your television will inevitably have to convert the format of programs broadcast outside its native format.

Nevertheless, the number of conversions can be kept to a minimum. The format adjustment option on Explorer‚ 8000HD

and 8300HD digital terminals lets you avoid unnecessary conversions. This is why you should know your television’s native

format: you can then set these terminals to the same format as your TV, so it always receives signals without performing

an extra conversion.

HDTV FQ

Q What is HDTV? What advantages does it have over standard digital TV ?

A HDTV, or high definition television, is a next-generation standard for digital television that gives you an image with

superior resolution. Standard televisions display approximately 210,000 pixels, compared to over 2 million for top-end

HDTV - a tenfold increase over traditional TV. Plus, HDTV enhances the home theatre experience by allowing for wider

screens with aspect ratios of 16:9. Among other things, this can preserve a film’s original letterbox format.

Q If I don’t have an HDTV, will an HD terminal give me a sharper image?

A No. Vidéotron’s HD terminals are perfectly back-compatible with traditional TV, but to take advantage of the higher

resolution offered by HD broadcasts, your television must be physically capable of displaying the necessary number of

pixels—and must be equipped with connectors that can carry this type of signal (Component/DVI/HDMI input).

Technically, what’s the difference between HDTV and traditional analog SDTV?

A There are several technical differences between standard, NTSC-format television and HDTV. (Technology varies widely

even among HDTVs: CRT, LCD, Plasma, DLP, etc.)

TVs project programs onto their screens in the form of tiny picture elements, or pixels: 480 lines of pixels make up the

picture on a standard analog TV. In comparison, HDTV images use 720 or 1080 lines, which results in much sharper detail

and general picture resolution.

This also lets the image be "painted" in different ways. On an SDTV, the screen is painted using interlaced scanning,

meaning that each of the 30 images appearing onscreen each second is made up of two half-images: one each for the

odd and even lines. HDTV can use either interlaced or progressive scanning (the latter changes the entire image from the

first to last line up to 60 times a second).