[mark_G4]

Are all TV that are not HDTV just 640x480 or are some new ones higher. I am asking because do I have to have a HDTV to take advantage of the new "high-definition (HDV 720p and 1080i) video" that iMovie is supposed to be able to make with photos? Does a MiniDV camcorder just record in 640x480?

[Rugby]

I am not being an expert on the various TV resolutions but you might want to have a look at this page for a general glossary and explanation:
http://www.highdefforum.com/terms.html

[ftaok]

In reply to:

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Are all TV that are not HDTV just 640x480 or are some new ones higher. I am asking because do I have to have a HDTV to take advantage of the new "high-definition (HDV 720p and 1080i) video" that iMovie is supposed to be able to make with photos? Does a MiniDV camcorder just record in 640x480?

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Here's my limited understanding. The old NTSC standard called for 540 lines of resolution, interlaced. But most TVs couldn't achieve that kind of resolution. Some of the better, larger ones approach that number. A 10-yr old 13" kitchen probably doesn't.
As for miniDV, the resolution is 720x480 progressive (I think). The HD standards are 1280x720p and 1920x1080i. I suppose that if you had a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray burner, you'd need an HDTV to see everything you shot on the HDV camcorder. If you plugged it in a higher end 4:3 non-HDTV, you'd get a decent picture, but not as good as it could be. Probably equal to a regular commercial DVD (since they use better compression techniques than what could be done on a home PC or Mac).
Take this with a grain of salt, because I really don't know.

[SSGoku]

In reply to:

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Are all TV that are not HDTV just 640x480 or are some new ones higher.

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All analog televisions in North America are 480i (or 640x480 pixels interlaced). This practically includes all CRT based televisions (with a few exceptions)
On the other hand, Digital televisions can support several formats such as:
480p - 640x480 pixels progressive
720p - 1280x720 pixels progressive
1080i - 1920x1080 pixels interlaced
1080p - 1920x1080 pixels progressive
For a Digital Television set to be "HDTV" or "HDTV ready", it must support either the 720p or 1080i format. Nowadays, most Plasma, LCD or projection TV are Digital TV's, BUT not all are HDTV.