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The main ITU-R recommendation for HDTV is Recommendation BT.709, which sets image-system parameters for HDTV production and international programme exchange. Its UHDTV counterpart is Recommendation BT.2020. Neither is a video codec: compression is a separate subject.
What “ITU-R HD standards” means
ITU-R is the Radiocommunication Sector of the International Telecommunication Union. In this context, “ITU-R HD standards” usually means the ITU-R recommendations that define television image-system parameters. For HDTV, the central reference is Recommendation ITU-R BT.709.
BT.709-6, dated June 2015, is listed by the ITU as in force. Its scope is parameter values for HDTV standards used in production and international programme exchange; it is not a blanket label certifying a consumer television as “ITU-R HD compliant.” Check the official BT.709 listing for current status and edition information.
BT.709 and BT.2020: HDTV versus UHDTV
BT.709 concerns HDTV, while BT.2020 is the related but separate recommendation for UHDTV system parameters. The ITU lists BT.2020-2, approved on 14 October 2015, as in force. The distinction is not just a naming difference: UHDTV extends the image formats beyond HDTV.
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| Recommendation | Scope | Resolution described in ITU-R reports |
|---|---|---|
| BT.709 | HDTV parameters for production and international programme exchange | 1,920 × 1,080 pixels, described as HDTV under BT.709 in ITU-R Report BT.2246-7 (2020) |
| BT.2020 | UHDTV system parameters | 3,840 × 2,160 (“4K”) and 7,680 × 4,320 (“8K”), identified in ITU-R Report BT.2485-0 (2021) |
The resolution figures summarize the formats described in those reports; they are not a complete account of every image-system parameter in either recommendation. See the 2021 BT.2485 report and the 2020 BT.2246 report.
Image standards are not compression standards
BT.709 and BT.2020 describe television image-system parameters, not how video is compressed into a smaller data stream. For a distinct compression-related example, BT.2073-1 addresses the use of HEVC (ITU-T H.265 | ISO/IEC 23008-2) to broadcast UHDTV, HDR-TV and HDTV material when reduced bit rates with minimal visible degradation are needed. That coding recommendation does not replace BT.709 or define what “HD” means. Read the BT.2073-1 recommendation for its scope.
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Why the older definition mentions viewing distance
An ITU-R report published in 2020 reproduces a historical definition attributed to Report ITU-R BT.801: “A high-definition system is a system designed to allow viewing at about three times the picture height, such that the system is virtually, or nearly, transparent to the quality of portrayal that would have been perceived in the original scene or performance by a discerning viewer with normal visual acuity.” This is historical explanatory context, not wording from the current BT.709-6 listing.
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The same report discusses HDTV’s 30-degree field of view and presents UHDTV as a response to limitations such as field of view. The 30-degree figure belongs to that report’s historical discussion; it is not a market statistic or a universal viewing recommendation.
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Which recommendation should you look for?
- For HDTV image-system parameters, look for Recommendation ITU-R BT.709; the ITU listing identifies BT.709-6 (06/2015) as in force.
- For UHDTV parameters, look for Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020; the ITU listing identifies BT.2020-2 (10/2015) as in force.
- For broadcast compression using HEVC, consult BT.2073-1 rather than treating BT.709 or BT.2020 as codecs.
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