HDready

HDready is a marketing designation used to describe display devices that are capable of receiving and presenting high-definition content from external sources. The term originated in the mid-2000s through the DVB Project to help consumers distinguish HD-capable televisions and monitors from standard-definition equipment.

A device bearing the HDready label is expected to have an HD input, such as HDMI or component video, and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The designation implies a minimum practical resolution of 1280x720 (720p). Importantly, HDready does not guarantee native 1080-line resolution; many HDready displays have 720p or 768p native panels and rely on internal processing to handle HD signals, which may be scaled to the display’s native resolution.

In relation to other terminology, HDready is distinct from Full HD (or 1080p), which denotes a native 1920x1080 panel. Over time, as televisions and monitors increasingly offered true 1080p and higher resolutions, the emphasis on HDready diminished. The label was most common in Europe during the 2000s and early 2010s, but its use has declined as higher-resolution standards became standard features across new displays. The exact criteria for HDready have varied by region and era, but the core concept remains: the device can accept and render HD signals even if its own native resolution is not full 1080p.