What is stereo?
Too many of our AV brethren do not understand
fundamental AV terms. I have confronted many for decades with
this simple question, "What is stereo?" I am
driven crazy by the answers I continue to receive. In an
attempt to ensure what's left of my sanity, please review the
following terms. We may meet on the street someday.
High Fidelity Audio
High fidelity refers to the accurate reproduction of recorded
sound. High fidelity adheres to accurate standards such
as flat frequency response, high signal-to-noise ratio,
maintained phase, and a low percentage of many types of
distortion measurement.
* But
High Fidelity can also be framed by two questions. Does
the reproduced sound of a piano sound like a real piano?
Does the audio system faithfully reproduce the artist's
intent?
*Handbook
Note: Select this link
Rane
for a comprehensive list of audio measurement.
Monophonic Audio
Monophonic audio is a single channel of reproduced sound that
creates a flat two-dimensional sound field. In the 1950's
audio enthusiasts commonly referred to a single speaker high
fidelity monophonic audio system as a HiFi system.
Stereo Audio
Stereo audio employs two separate audio channels via two
speakers placed in an equilateral triangle with a
listener. This arrangement creates a three-dimensional
illusion or image of musicians on a stage of height, width,
and depth. For example, drummer center rear, vocalist
center front, bass player front right, guitar front left, and
an array of background singers behind the drummer.
If a stereo audio system meets high fidelity standards, it's
referred to as a high fidelity stereo audio system.
Multi-channel Surround Sound
Surround sound introduces additional channels and speakers onto
the stereo arrangement. Surround sound is a circular
arrangement of four, five, six, seven, or more channels of audio
that surround the listener in an extended illusion of staged
music or a movie soundtrack envelope of sound effects.
Surround sound formats are detailed later in this chapter.
NTSC
Some joked NTSC was an acronym for never twice the same
color. However, the National Television Standards
Committee established the original now-retired U.S. television
analog broadcast standard. Chapter four offers a
detailed explanation of the NTSC broadcast standard.
ATSC
The Advanced Television System Committee set the U.S.
digital broadcast standards of 8K UltraHD, UltraHDTV, HDTV,
EDTV and SDTV.
All standards are defined in chapter four.
HDTV
High Definition Television, expands video resolution and
the color gamut well beyond NTSC TV. HDTV offers two
versions: 1080 lines by 1920 pixels per line,
and 720 lines by 1280 pixels per line. Chapter four
describes HDTV, resolution, and color gamut in detail.
UltraHDTV
UltraHDTV increases video resolution and expands color
gamut beyond HDTV. UltraHD or UHD offers 2160 lines
by 3840 pixels per line.
UltraHD, often incorrectly referred to as 4K, is also
discussed in great detail in chapter four.

ATSC 3.0 NextGenTV
ATSC 3.0 NextGenTV is the UltraHD and 8K UltraHD U.S.
broadcast standard. NextGenTV also provides bandwidth
for wireless Internet.
Chapter four discusses both standards.
8K UltraHDTV
UltraHD 8K TV increases video resolution to 4320 lines by
7680 pixels per line.
Although UHD 8K TVs are available, 8K programing sources are
scarce at the time of this writing, January 2021.
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