An HD Ready TV is a television that can display a minimum of 720 lines of resolution in widescreen ratio. It is a certification program introduced in 2005 by EICTA (European Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Associations), now DIGITALEUROPE. The "HD ready" logo is used on television equipment capable of displaying High Definition (HD) pictures from an external source. However, it does not have to feature a digital tuner to decode an HD signal; devices with tuners were certified under a separate "HD TV" logo, which does not require a "HD ready" display device.

HD Ready TVs have a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. They can display HD content by using internal processors that downscale the resolution of the image. The resulting picture quality is better than Standard Definition television, but its not Full HD. Full HD TVs, on the other hand, are capable of displaying 1080p (1920x1080 pixels) videos and offer an elevated image quality, color accuracy, and black levels.

In summary, HD Ready TVs are capable of displaying HD pictures from an external source, but their resolution is lower than Full HD TVs. If you are going to use your TV for watching HD cable TV, an HD Ready TV is enough. However, if you are a movie buff or a gamer, Full HD TV should be your choice.