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Standard-definition television (SDTV) is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television (EDTV) or high-definition television (HDTV). The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same (or similar) resolution as analog systems. The two common SDTV signal types are 576i, derived from the European-developed PAL and SECAM systems with 576 interlaced lines of resolution; and 480i, based on the American National Television System Committee NTSC system.

In the US, digital SDTV is broadcast in the same 4:3 aspect ratio as NTSC signals.^[1] However, in areas that used the PAL or SECAM analog standards, standard-definition television is now usually shown with a 16:9 aspect ratio, with the transition occurring between the mid-1990s and mid-2000s. Older programs with a 4:3 aspect ratio are shown in 4:3.

Standards that support digital SDTV broadcast include DVB, ATSC and ISDB. The last two were originally developed for HDTV, but are more often used for their ability to deliver multiple SD video and audio streams via multiplexing, than for using the entire bitstream for one HD channel.^{[clarification needed]}

In ATSC Standards, SDTV can be broadcast in 720 pixels × 480 lines with 16:9 aspect ratio (40:33 rectangular (unsquare) pixel), 720 pixels × 480 lines with 4:3 aspect ratio (10:11 rectangular pixel) or 640 pixels × 480 lines with 4:3 ratio. The refresh rate can be 24, 30 or 60 frames per second.

Digital SDTV in 4:3 aspect ratio has the same appearance as regular analog TV (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) without the ghosting, snowy images and white noise. However, if the reception is poor, one may encounter various other artifacts such as blockiness and stuttering.

Pixel aspect ratio[link]

Television signals are transmitted in digital form, and their pixels have a rectangular shape, as opposed to square pixels that are used in modern computer monitors and modern implementations of HDTV. The table below summarizes pixel aspect ratios for various kinds of SDTV video signal. Note that the actual image (be it 4:3 or 16:9) is always contained in the center 704 horizontal pixels of the digital frame, regardless of how many horizontal pixels (704 or 720) are used. In case of digital video signal having 720 horizontal pixels, only the center 704 pixels contain actual 4:3 or 16:9 image, and the 8 pixel wide stripes from either side are called nominal analogue blanking and should be discarded before displaying the image. Nominal analogue blanking should not be confused with overscan, as overscan areas are part of the actual 4:3 or 16:9 image.

The pixel aspect ratio is always the same for corresponding 720 and 704 pixel resolutions because the center part of a 720 pixels wide image is equal to the corresponding 704 pixels wide image.

See also[link]

Television portal

• Digital audio broadcasting
• Pixel aspect ratio
• MPEG
• SBTVD

References[link]

External links[link]

• Programmer's Guide to Video Systems

Veronica Belmont
Born	(1982-07-21) July 21, 1982 (age 29) Hartford, CT
Known for	Technology
Notable work(s)	Buzz Out Loud, Mahalo Daily, Qore, Tekzilla
Internet information
Web hosting service(s)	Revision3 TWiT.tv
Website
veronicabelmont.com

Veronica Ann Belmont (born July 21, 1982) is the co-host of the Revision3 show Tekzilla alongside Patrick Norton, the co-host of the TWiT.tv gaming show Game On! along with Brian Brushwood, and the former host of the monthly PlayStation 3-based video on demand program Qore. Formerly she was the host for the Mahalo Daily podcast and a producer and associate editor for CNET Networks, Inc. where she produced, engineered, and co-hosted the podcast Buzz Out Loud.^{[citation needed]}

Background[link]

At the time of Belmont's birth, her mother was a vice president at Coleco.^[1] Belmont attended Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts, to study audio production and new media studies. She worked briefly in Boston afterwards, and eventually secured an internship at CNET. Belmont currently resides in San Francisco, California with her fiancée, former Engadget editor Ryan Block.^[2]

Career[link]

CNET[link]

Belmont started as an intern producing audio content for CNET Networks. She was hired full-time six months later to produce their "First Look from the Labs" series, and also began producing Buzz Out Loud. Originally she was the sound engineer and producer of the show, but her role on the podcast grew substantially. She began to inject her own commentary, and was acknowledged as an official co-host in August 2006. She also was the producer and co-host of two more CNET podcasts called MP3 Insider and CRAVE Gadget Blog, which were both co-hosted by the late James Kim.

Belmont made her video debut on CNET on April 6, 2006, on an Insider Secrets segment titled "Give your PC a Mac-over". Since then, she has hosted videos from Maker Faire, CES, and South by Southwest. She was also the host of the Prizefight series. She appeared for the final time in CNET TV on July 25, 2007, in the iPhone vs Nokia N95 edition of Prizefight".^[3]

Mahalo[link]

Belmont left CNET on July 20, 2007 to join Mahalo.^[4] She hosted and produced her own podcast called Mahalo Daily covering subjects of her choosing. Her first video was an interview with Leeroy Jenkins at BlizzCon 2007.^[5] On April 2, 2008, Belmont announced that she would be leaving Mahalo Daily within two weeks.^[6] This was reported by TV Week on April 3, 2008.^[7]

Revision3[link]

On April 9, 2008, Revision3 announced that Belmont would be joining the Revision3 staff as co-host of Tekzilla.^[8]

Qore[link]

In June 2008, Sony Computer Entertainment announced a new subscription-based "monthly lifestyle gaming program" called Qore that would be hosted by Belmont.^[9] On October 19, 2011 she announced via her blog that she would be stepping down as host.^[10]

[edit] Sword and Laser

On October 16, 2007, Belmont started co-hosting a podcast with Tom Merritt of CNET and TWIT's Tech News Today fame. As the name implies, it is strictly about science-fiction and fantasy books and debuted with Neuromancer by William Gibson. Prior to the creation of the podcast, it was a book club in forum form. This format lasted through the first 3 books, which were, The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and American Gods by Neil Gaiman, with the subsequent creation of the podcast.

[edit] TWiT.TV

On October 30, 2011, Leo Laporte announced on This Week in Tech (TWiT) that Veronica Belmont would cohost TWiT's upcoming gaming show with Brian Brushwood called Game On!. The show's first official episode aired January 15, 2012 at 6:00pm Pacific time on a live webcast in the TWiT network. The last episode of the show, Game On! #13, was uploaded on the 9th of April 2012.

References and notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Veronica Belmont

• Official website
• Veronica Belmont's Personal Blog
• Veronica Belmont at the Internet Movie Database
• Veronica Belmont interview on Shovio's "Talk Back TV"
• Tekzilla on Revision3
• Sword and Laser Podcast