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The short answer to this question is "NO". Here is why:
In order for a plasma TV to be classified as an HDTV or HDTV-ready the television must be able to display a vertical resolution of at least 720 lines. Some of those "budget" Plasma televisions that are "selling like hotcakes" only display a vertical resolution of 480 lines. These sets are referred to as EDTVs (Extended or Enhanced Definition televisions).
EDTVs typically have a native pixel resolution of 852x480. 852x480 represents 852 pixels across (left to right) and 480 pixels down (top to bottom) on the screen surface. The 480 pixels down also represent the number of lines from the top to the bottom of the screen. This is higher than standard television, but not HDTV resolution. The images on these sets look great, especially for DVDs and standard digital cable, but it is not HDTV.
Plasmas that are capable of displaying HDTV signals have a native pixel resolution of 1024x768 (where 768 also represents the number of lines from the top to bottom of the screen) or higher.
Since Plasma televisions have a finite number of pixels (referred to as a fixed-pixel display), signal inputs that have higher resolutions must be scaled to fit the pixel field count of the particular Plasma display. For example, a typical HDTV input format of 1080i needs a native display of 1920x1080 pixels for a one-to-one point display of the HDTV image. However, if your Plasma television only has a pixel field of 1024x768, the original HDTV signal must be scaled to fit the 1024x768 pixel count on the Plasma screen surface. So, even if your Plasma television is classified as an HDTV because it displays 1024x768 pixels, some HDTV signal inputs will still have to be scaled down to fit the Plasma Televisions pixel field. By the same token, if you have an EDTV, any HDTV signals will have to be scaled down to fit an 852x480 pixel field. In essence, the resolution of the image actually viewed on the screen does not always correspond to the resolution of the orginal input signal.
In conclusion, when shopping for a Plasma Television, make sure you check to see if it is an EDTV or and HDTV-ready unit. Currently, most Plasma Televisions priced below $3,000 are of the EDTV variety, but there may be exceptions. Of course, this will change as prices come down for Plasma televisions in the coming year(s).
Related Plasma TV Q & A
- What is a plasma TV?
- How long do plasma TVs last?
- Do plasma TVs leak?
- Are all plasma TVs HDTVs?
- Why are plasma televisions shaped differently than regular TVs?
- Do plasma TVs generate heat?
- Will al plasma TV work with my old VCR?
- Do all plasma TVs have tuners?
- What else will I need with my plasma TV?
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