Adding to some of the confusion of those already-confused consumers trying to follow the American HD ramp up is the term "True HD" or "True HDTV," which one tech Web site reminds everyone is merely a marketing term with no basis in fact when it comes to DTV standards or technical quality.
"Remember that technical specifications exist to protect the consumer and ensure interoperability, not to confuse," according to Gizmo Café.
The term likely first began to emerge in 2005, according to the site, in reference to the advent of 1080p capabilities for the yet-to-be-released PlayStation 3 game console. While some observers contend that 1080p is better quality than either 720p or 1080i, the term nonetheless appears to imply that neither of the latter two formats is legitimate (or full) HD. The marketing term "True HD" is nearly always used side-by-side with any mention of 1080p, especially in print advertising and TV commercials.
"According to the ATSC, 720p, 1080i and 1080p are all True HDTV. No HDTV is more true than any other," said the tech site.
Perhaps to add further to the confusion, "TrueHD" is also now a one-word brand name for an audio standard created by Dolby Labs that will be featured by some HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles.
