High-Definition

High-Definition, or HD for short, is a style of television broadcasting that far surpasses standard definition. These include 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. More of this article will be written at a later time.
==What's So Great about HD?==
Well, first of all, do you think when you watch TV? When you see some guy get shot down in an action movie, do you ever think of the quality of the television you are watching? I meam, for example, if you are watching an old computer-animated movie (say Toy Story) when it first came out, you'll realize that its quality pretty much stinks when compared to the computer-animated movies (say WALL-E or "How to Train Your Dragon"). Well that's kinda the same thing as SD and HD. SD (standard-definition) you are most familiar with. The picture on HD is crystal clear and it is 1000 times better than SD. This is because High-Definition has more "pixels", thus allowing a better resolution. And also, HDTV has better sound too. It's surround sound, and ya don't even need the speakers. Not many folks know this, but HD started in Japan in the mid-1980s. Those Japanese folks always get the best technology. I wish I was in Japan...
==HD Television==
One of the first things HD was on, was TV. As a matter of fact, most of the things you see on TV aren't in HD. They are in SD, or Standard-Definition as you have probably already read and/or guessed. But see, to access HD on your television, you need an HD cable box. Yep, se true. With some cable companies, it's free. With others, you gotta give up some extra cash. Either way, it's still worth it - I guess.
See, there's pretty much only ONE bad thing about HD. You can't capture it on tape. Nope. Can't. See, if you attempt to record an HD program on, say, a blank videotape, the end result would include the HD program in lower resolution with black bars on the top and bottom of the screen. Sadly, HD cannot be contained unless on a Blu-ray disc (see below).
Also noted, when you are watching an HD channel, but the program itself is not availiable in HD, there will be thick black bars on the sides of the screen. This is because the HDTV is considerably wider than a regular TV, and the black bars help you keep the non-HD program in its original... uh... size or something. If you have a problem with that or something, you can change it. Your HDTV is equipped with ways to change the wide-ness (if that's even a word). You can stretch the picture (makes it seem a bit out of proportion), zoom in (not stretch, but messing some of the picture), or normal. Non-HD programs on the "Normal" settings will have the black side bars, but HD programming will take up the full screen, not stretched but with new content where the black bars would be. Cool, huh?
===Some Shows in High-Definition [for Kids]===
*Phineas and Ferb (see in picture above)
*Kim Possible
*Lilo & Stitch: The Series
*The Replacements
*American Dragon: Jake Long
*The Suite Life on Deck (from season 2, forward)
*Wizards of Waverly Place (season 3, forward)
*Hannah Montana (season four)
*The Simpsons (season 20, forward)
*...and many more!
==The Everlasting War Between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD==
With the blooming popularity of the one called "HD", people wondered if they could own its greatness on a convieniently packed compact disc. Thus the HD DVD was born. As the name implies, one would assume that it's a regular DVD with High-Definition content - and that it could play on a normal DVD player, right? WRONG! This disc needed its own player (HD-DVD player), which sure as heck wasn't cheap. If this was just an ordinary floppy disc with some clear stuff on it, I wouldn't waste a single penny on the thing. And that's why the HD-DVD didn't last long. Why, the only HD DVD that still sells today is the one for "Shrek the Third."
Whilst HD DVD was near its undoing, a new HD disc hit the shelves! The ones called "Blu-Ray!" What made this Blu-Ray different from the unsuccessful HD DVD? Well, for starters, the quality of the Blu-Ray was 1080p (full HD), preferably better than the HD DVD. Second, the Blu-Ray could hold more space on the disc than the HD DVD. Third, the back of the Blu-Ray has a special coating that prevents scratches, unlike previous discs. Plus, the promotional color for it was blue. And who doesn't like blue? Really.
So HD DVD was moved over to make way for the Blu-Ray, and the Blu-Ray remains an important part of my Severe Family Movie Night to this day. Why, Blu-ray was even included in later tech, such as portable Blu-ray players and HDTV with built-in Blu-ray recorders. Pretty cool, huh?
==High-Definition and the Video Games==
How many kids out there like video games.... Hello?... Hello?!... Hel-LO?!! Is anyone even there? Am I just typing to myself? Sigh. I'm so alone... Well whether anyone is there or not, I'm just gonna on with this.
Narrator: (poses as random boy) I like video games!
You do? Well what a coincidence. At least you respond, unlike some people. (glares at reader) Anyway, HD had already conquered TV and home release. What more could it do? Of course, take over what every child loves and parents hate. The one called "video'd games." And thus, two game systems pertaining to High-Definition were released. The first one: PlayStation 3.
There had already been a PlayStation and a PlayStation 2, but they were none like the PlayStation 3. First of all, the PlayStation 3 had been like the handheld PlayStation Portable, in which you could download pictures, music, wallpapers, and episodes/movies. Quite convenient. But the game discs for the PS3, like a Blu-ray disc, had unscratchable coatings on the back. Also, the PS3 has the BEST graphics you have EVER seen. I'm serious. For those of you parents out there who recall your Nintendo Entertainment Systems or your arcade junk, you'd be knocked off your feet if you saw these. Also, the PS3 can play Blu-ray discs, like the PS2 played DVDs.
Something not so great but deserves a place in the same sentence is the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 is okay I guess, but it can't really compare to the PS3. Don't get me wrong, Xbox 360 is still HD - otherwise it wouldn't be on this article - but its type of HD is 1080i, while the PS3's is 1080p. Also, the Xbox 360 cannot play Blu-ray discs. But it can connnect to the internet per Microsoft Windows... as can the PS3 with the PlayStation Network. Gee, Xbox 360 has had some tough luck. Boy, their only saving grace is the upcoming Project Natal system. The unique thing about this is that it's compatible with the Xbox 360, and that it has this sensor that can detect your every move. So the result: You can actually punch a guy as if you are actually in a game! All you have to do is swing your fist, and on the screen, the character you're playing as swings their fist and snuffs the enemy. Pretty cool. I guess the 360 ain't goin' down without a fight.
==When the HD Met the 3D==
Have you ever been to the movies? Have you?! I said, have you, mm.. boahy?! You have? Well, that's grand. A lot of movies are being released in 3D nowadays, like Shrek Forever After or Toy Story 3 and such. The deal with 3D is that you put on these glasses and when you watch said movie, the pictures feel closer and more real (as if you are actually there). And if you're lucky, some guy just might stretch his hand out at you and you feel like you can reach out and touch it.
Scientists have been trying to harness this energy into some home released entertainment but none have prevailed... until now. In March 2010, Samsung released a 3DTV! Cool, huh? You bet it is. Just pop on some glasses and watch your favorite shows as if you're in the action. But what does have to do with HD, you ask? I'm getting to that, you impatient fool.
Well, Samsung released a player to play 3D movies on Blu-ray. That way you could get the realistic feel of 3D along with the fibrant colors of HD. It was a smart move on their part. Plus, recent PlayStation 3's have features that allow them to now play the aforementioned 3D Blu-ray discs. It's like a dream come true. Now that brings me to another subject. Can you just imagine playing a shooting game on the PlayStation 3... and seeing it in 3D! That'd be too intense!
==The Only Way YOU Can Harness the Power of HD==
Remember back in the "HD Television" section when I said there was no way an Average Joe like you or me could harness the full power of HD by ourselves? Well, I was a FOOL back then! I didn't know anything. Yes, a few paragraphs later I became older and wiser. I gained the knowledge. I was on top of the world!... Huh? Oh, I'm, uh, getting off topic. The point is: There IS a way you can get the Power of High-Definition, by yourself. Yessir. Those companies think they can keep all the fun of recording HD things on discs to themselves, eh? Well, they are wrong! Because, on the photo to the right, you see something so awe-inspiring, so mind-numbingly beautiful that you wonder how God could've let such a priceless gem fall to Earth. ... Maybe I'm overexaggerating this. But it's still awesome nonetheless. Rewritable Blu-ray discs! They consist of BD-R and BD-RE!
Yeah, that's right. The same way that you can record stuff on video with a VCR, same way you can record stuff on a DVD with a DVD recorder, you can record HD programs with a Blu-ray Disc recorder! Just imagine, all the wonderful HD programs on all your favorite channels, saved on a disc that you can take anywhere and watch anytime! It's fully awesome! The aforementioned "BD-R" ("Blu-ray Recordable") can only be recorded on once whereas the "BD-RE" ("Blu-ray Disc Rewritable" can be recorded several times. I... I don't know what to say. I've always dreamt of this day, but I never thought it would come. But wait! Before you break out your piggy bank, I must tell you that this new technology is pretty expensive, so if you don't wish to be bankrupt, I suggest that you wait until they're cheaper and purchase them. But that might take forever, so I just suggest you just buy them now. But when you're a lonely bum on the street with no house nor money, at least you'll have your trusty HDTV and whatnot.
Also available is a DVD/Blu-ray hybrid disc. You know what that is? No, of course you don't! Why if you did, you wouldn't be here, you'd be telling all your friends and family about this cool new invention. But since you're a fool and don't know what it is, I'll tell you and then you can go frantically telling this info to the friends/family. This DVD/Blu-ray hybrid is... well, a hybrid in every sense of the word. It can record 480p (DVD) and up to 1080p (Blu-ray) on the disc. What's more, it can be played on both DVD player and Blu-ray player. Though, probably on the DVD player, the HD content would have those black bars on the top and bottom of the screen and only show its true power when played on the Blu-ray player. It's really awesome. I'll have to purchase that someday. Now, go on! Tell ya friends and family!
==Epilogue and External Links==
What the --?! Are you still here?! I told you to go tell your friends and family! Go on! Get outta here! ~static~
(Hours later...)
You're back? Did you tell your family and friends? Yes? Excellent! On with the epilogue:
So... in the end, we've all seen what high-definition could do! It changed the face of television forever, and shall continue to until everyone on Earth knows about it! Will anything ever surpass HD? No, I'm afraid that's impossible! Where the heck did you get that idea, you fool?! If there is ever anything that surpasses the power of high-definition, then that is TOO powerful and it could possibly kill us all upon contact! And with that, I end this article as you gaze below at the external links. If it weren't without them, this article would never have been and this page as well as the content would have never been.
The Offical Blu-ray Website! The REAL official Blu-ray Disc Association site!
Wikipedia article on HD
Wikipedia article on Blu-Ray
Amazon page for Sony BD-R and BD-RE
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