Monochrome vs Color vs Digital TV

The best way to explain basic television is with the monochrome model.  The development of color TV left the B&W model intact, and simply added a chroma signal to the existing luma (luminence) signal and modulated them together.  The color TV demodulates them into separate signals - and then uses the same signal as B&W TV for scanning, retracing, and synch.

So if you understand monochrome, it is a simple leap to understanding color television.    The three colors, RGB, are scanned across your screen at the same speed as the monochrome info - but the resolution is not as sharp.  

Unless stated - the numbers, resolutions, etc. that follow are all for monochrome TV !!!

Digital Television has multiple formats that have been developed - but most of the excitement is ceneterd around HDTV (High Definition TV).