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If you are planning to purchase video equipment of any kind, you must be familiar with HD and HD ready, so you can make educated choices as a consumer.

The label 'HD ready' refers to the ability of the product to handle high definition (HD) video. HD video is a video standard of higher resolutions than those supported by older standards. A display system must support video resolutions of 720 to 1080 vertical lines for it to be considered HD ready.

In order to view high definition video content, one must have a display unit that can handle high resolution video. These include most computer screens, modern television sets and many movie projectors. When purchasing a display unit, especially in the case of a television set, one must be careful to select one that supports HD video.

There are different labels used in high definition compatible video equipment, depending on the modes the product supports. Simply 'HD ready' means that at least the minimum resolution of 720 vertical lines is supported, while Full HD and HD 1080 both refer to the resolution of 1080 vertical lines, which is the maximum supported in the standard. High definition video usually has an aspect ratio of 16:9, although 4:3 is also sometimes used.

Sometimes additional information is included. The letters 'p' or 'i' refer to progressive or non-progressive modes, respectively. A slash followed by a number tells the update frequency. Therefore, 720p/60 means that a piece of equipment supports resolution of 720 vertical lines of progressive video with a frequency of 60 frames per second. This is a common video mode in LCD displays.

In addition to the display unit, the source must also behigh definition compatible. This means that to watch HD movies, the DVD player must also be HD ready. Similarly, to enjoy the full benefits of an HD television set, the television broadcast must be in high definitionformat (HDTV).

For a good video system, all the parts must be able to handle high definition video. This includes not only the above mentioned disc player and display unit, but also all the connections used between them. The source media must naturally also be in a format of HD resolution. Also the mode matters, so for best possible effect all the parts of the system should support full HD.

Home Theater Point offers advice on purchasing and setting up home theater systems, including HD television sets.