HDTV Showdown: 1080i and 720p

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 00:45:45 +0000

http://live.pirillo.com/ – 480i,. 480p, 720p, 1080i, 180p, hdtv: it’s maddening! Simon just wants to know the difference between 720p and 1080i when it comes to HDTV so he can make an informed decision when he purchases an HSTV set.

First, what do the ‘p’ and ‘i’ at the end of the numbers mean?

"i" means interlaced. The image is shown in two sequences: the even lines and the odd lines. These two images are shown so fast that your eyes are tricked into seeing one solid image. This method lets the screen effectively show 30 frames per second (30 solid images per second).

"p" means progressive scan: the entire image is shown to you at once. Since we’re shown the entire image at once we’ve effectively doubled the frame rate to 60 frames per second. Some people argue that this gives the moving images a much smoother motion.

The numbers "720" and "1080" refer to the number of horizontal lines of resolution.

So, 720p means 720 lines of resolution with a progressive image. 1080i means 1080 lines of resolution with an interlaced image.

Which one is better? Personally, Chris can’t tell the difference between the two.

Some people argue that anything that requires fast movement of the camera (like sports) look better on a 1080i display than on a 720p display. But if you’re just the average user, there’s a good chance you’re not going to notice the difference between the two.

If you’re in the market to purchase a High Definition Television try visiting some of your friends that have an HDTV set, and looking at the sets displayed in stores. Find the one that’s most pleasing to your eyes (and your budget) and buy it.

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HDTV Showdown: 1080i and 720p

Chris Pirillo » 1080i-720p

HDTV Showdown: 1080i and 720p