EDTV generally refers to a standard-definition 704 pixel × 480 line signal that is broadcast as 60 complete frames per second. This is commonly referred to as "480p". A standard definition NTSC television signal is broadcast as 480i; 60 fields are broadcast per second but each field only includes half the resolution.

EDTV signals are generally broadcast in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and are generally considered equivelent in picture quality to the DVD format.