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All about HD
There’s much to discover about Sony’s relationship with High Definition. Whether you want to learn more about our professional heritage, the advanced technologies that empower our products, or an unfamiliar HD term, this is the place to get all the answers.
Video / Downloads
Beauty in motion
Experience the full spendour of High Definition. Catch the videos made for Sony's HD products here.
For more information on Sony's HD products, download the HD World brochure (PDF format) here.
HD Glossary
For some people, technology can be an intimidating topic − but rest easy. Here, we've provided a quick explanation on some of the most common HD terms, technologies and standards.
Interlaced Scan vs. Progressive Scan
Interlaced Scan uses alternating scan lines (odd and even) to produce an image. Whereas in Progressive Scan, the entire horizontal scan lines are scanned onto the screen at one time. With less jitter, Progressive Scan is considered superior to Interlaced Scan.
Full HD vs. HD Ready vs. Standard Definition
The key difference between Full HD, HD Ready and Standard Definition TV is picture clarity.
Full HD, such as the Sony BRAVIA HDTV, offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. By comparison, HD Ready offers 1366 x 768 resolution, while Standard Definition displays 704 × 480 resolution. The higher the resolution, the better the capability for displaying finer details.
Aspect Ratio
Aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height of a TV screen. Two common ratios are the traditional 4:3 ratio for standard television formats, and 16:9 ratio for a HDTV widescreen formats.
AVCHD
A High Definition (HD) format for recording 1080i and 720p signals by using highly efficient codec technologies. It employs an MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 codec that can record high-quality, smoother HD video images onto the integrated Hard Disk Drive. For enhanced sound quality, it also adopts Dolby Digital or Linear PCM for audio codec.
BD-Live
Connected direct to the Internet, Sony’s
Blu-ray Disc™ Player features BD-Live, an online application that lets you access bonus material on your DVD movie titles, including movie trailers, games and exclusive features such as interviews with cast members and behind-the-scenes cuts.
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc™ is the new generation of high-capacity optical disc. Each disc can hold up to five times more information than a DVD, letting you store up to 25 GB (single-layer) or 50 GB (dual-layer) of High Definition digital video, sound, pictures, games, PC files and more.
DLNA
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) allows you to transfer stored media such as movies, photos and music from one DLNA-compliant player to another. Offering room-to-room wireless connectivity, DLNA connectivity lets you listen to your favourite music, watch movies and browse through photos in stunning clarity -- all on your TV.
DVD Upscaling
DVD Upscaling technology, a feature on Sony Blu-ray Disc™ player, upscales standard definition video to near HD 1080p resolution − giving you a more intense movie experience.
HDMI
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. Similar to DVI (but using much smaller connectors), the multi-pin HDMI™ interface transfers uncompressed digital video with copy protection and multichannel audio.
Pixel
A pixel is a single dot in an image display. Pixels are rendered in a line horizontally with many lines down the screen (720 or 1,080 lines in the case of HD TV) to produce an image. More pixels produce a higher resolution, translating to a clearer image.
Resolution
Refers to the density of lines and dots per line which make up a visual image. The higher the number of lines and dots, the sharper and more detailed a picture. Resolution is measured by the number of pixels displayed.
CableCard
A removable security card available from cable TV providers. It allows a HDTV with a compatible CableCard slot to receive digital cable programming, including premium and HD channels, without using a separate set-top box.
OTA (Over the Air) Broadcasts
Some local networks broadcast big sporting events and other big-scale programs in HD. To receive OTA Broadcasts, all you need is an antenna with your HD Built-in TV, or an antenna and an HD set-top box for your HD-Ready TV.
Satellite
Some televisions are equipped with a satellite feature, letting you receive your HD signal via a satellite dish to enjoy 100 percent digital quality television.
Set-Top Box (STB)
Capable of receiving and decoding DTV broadcasts, the STB is a unit similar to today's cable boxes. A DTV 'Certified' STB can receive ATSC DTV formats, including High Definition TV programmes.
7.1 Surround Sound
An increasingly popular variation in home entertainment systems, 7.1 Surround Sound is a speaker configuration comprising two channels for speakers at the front, one centre channel speaker at the center, two channels for surround speakers at the side, two channels for surround speakers at the rear and one low-frequency effects channel (LFE).
5.1 Surround Sound
A speaker configuration that replicates movie-theater audio with the combination of a center channel speaker, left and right front speakers on each side of the television, left and right rear speakers behind the viewer, and a sub-woofer.
Dolby Digital Plus
Employing a 7.1 Channel Surround system, Dolby Digital Plus is new audio codec designed for next generation HD discs like Blu-ray™ and HD-DVD. Extending the data rate to 3 Mbps and beyond, Dolby Digital Plus has the flexibility to permit future channel expansion beyond the traditional 5.1-channel model to 7.1 discrete channels or more.
Sony's HD Heritage
A leader in HD technology, Sony has been at the forefront of the professional recording and broadcast industry for more than 25 years, pioneering new HD technologies that deliver superior quality and proven reliability. Today, Sony HD technology is used widely in the professional scene, from the equipment used to film Hollywood blockbusters to the editing tools used to produce the final cut.
Sony’s passion and knowledge for all things High Definition extend through every HD product we make. With Sony HD entertainment devices, you too can enjoy extraordinary High Definition audio and video quality − in the comfort of your own home.
Sony's HD Technologies
Sony is often synonymous with High Definition, that’s because we create truly innovative HD technologies. Here, we’ve made it easy for you to understand the key Sony technologies that bring you unmatched HD experiences.
Watch everything
in Full HD
What is Full HD 1080?
Put simply, Full HD 1080p is a High Definition video format with 1920 x 1080 resolution. With over two million pixels, Full HD contains up to four times the details of a Standard Definition television.
Sony’s Blu-ray Disc™ Player offers Full HD 1080p resolution, giving you razor-sharp pictures with unmatched depth and clarity. Simply plug it to the Sony BRAVIA HDTV via a HDMI cable, and you’re ready to enjoy the incredible Full HD experience right at home.
Experience movies as
the director intended
What is Blu-ray™?
In simple terms, Blu-ray™ is a next-generation optical disc format designed for High Definition video. Blu-ray™ offers 10 times the sound quality and 5 times the picture quality of DVD, letting you enjoy the most out of your High Definition TV. With Sony Blu-ray Disc™ Player, you’re ready to experience the superior 1080p High Definition video content that delivers sharper pictures, deeper colours and a more dramatic impact.
Take control with
one remote controller
What is BRAVIA Sync?
With the seamless convenience of BRAVIA Sync, you can control your entire Home Entertainment System with a single BRAVIA HDTV remote controller. Simply sync your BRAVIA HDTV with the Blu-ray Disc™ Player, HD Handycam and a whole range of other Sony entertainment devices via the HDMI cable, BRAVIA Sync lets you control your devices without having to utilize multiple controls.
Share your photos in the same breathtaking detail
What is PhotoTV HD?
PhotoTV HD lets you share your photos in amazing Full HD quality across a range of Sony devices, including the
α DSLR camera, Cyber-shot camera and HD Handycam. By connecting any of these devices to the BRAVIA HDTV, via the HDMI cable, you’re ready to share your stunning photos on the big screen – without losing any of the detail. With PhotoTV HD activated, your photos will appear with automatic optimisations for colour, contrast and sharpness.
Experience the sharpest, smoothest images ever.
What Is Motionflow™?
By inserting extra frames between pictures, Motionflow™ technology lets you enjoy the smoothest sports and fast-action movies on your Sony BRAVIA HDTV. Take for example the BRAVIA Z550. With quadruple speed 200Hz frame rate conversion, the BRAVIA Z550 with Motionflow™ 200Hz technology* creates three new intermediate images based on the incoming signal and inserts them between the original pictures. Images are then displayed at a rate of 200 frames per second to deliver smoother action sequences.
*Motionflow™ is available in 100Hz and 200Hz, depending on the BRAVIA HDTV model.
Capture crisper, sharper images every time.
What is SteadyShot® INSIDE?
Hand movements and poor lighting conditions can spoil a really good shot.
But now there’s less to worry about. Built into the body of the Sony α DSLR and Cyber-shot cameras, SteadyShot® Inside image stabilisation helps compensate for camera shake, ensuring you can take better pictures every time.
Full AVCHD movie recording
Integrated for the first time in compact digital cameras, the latest Cyber-shot cameras offer Full HD (1920 x 1080, 50i) AVCHD movie recording*. This allows you to capture amazingly smooth and crisp High Definition movies and pictures − even under low light conditions. The new Cyber-shot cameras also employ the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video format, which is twice as efficient as previous compression formats and delivers exceptionally sharp movies. For full-screen enjoyment, simply connect the Cyber-shot to any compatible Full HD BRAVIA TV via a multi-HDMI adaptor.
*Available on Cyber-shot TX7