Yahoo Japan is about to launch a version of its Web portal formatted for display at 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels, which is the resolution of high-def TV screens. The service will initially be available through Internet-capable televisions from Sharp and was demonstrated earlier this week at a Tokyo news conference. Japanese TV viewers could soon find something extra alongside the high-definition television channels on their sets’ menus: a made-for-TV version of the Yahoo Japan portal.

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We have all heard certain plasma displays described as “enhanced” definition displays. “Enhanced” certainly makes these plasma TVs sound good … desirable even. Lucky for us there’s more to this than just clever marketing. Enhanced-definition (or ED) plasma TVs are actually better than conventional, tube-type TVs—not just slimmer and wider.

Resolution is the main reason why HDTV looks so much better than standard television. On a high-def TV displaying a high-def source, a million or more pixels combine to create images that appear sharper and more realistic than TV ever has before. Resolution isn’t the be-all and end-all of picture quality, however, and its numerous, well, numbers, can be incredibly intimidating at first. In this article we’ll try to demystify HDTV resolution and help you cut through the hype that surrounds all of those numbers.

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