It is all an issue of Image Resolution
1080p HDTV Monitor
The main difference between these HDTV formats is one of image resolution.
The other two formats both support 1920 pixels by 1080 lines. In other words, both support the same image resolution but there is a significant difference in the way the 1080i (interlaced) and the 1080p (progressive) formats build up the image.
Surely, image resolution in fixed-pixel displays is a very HOT topic with many HDTV buyers. This format boasts a picture resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 horizontal lines that are painted on the screen in two interlaced halves (hence the ‘i’ in the ‘1080i’ format) - by first painting all 540 even-numbered lines on the screen (also referred to as the even-field), and then proceed with the painting of the odd-numbered lines (odd-field). This in itself will impact on the type of image content that is best displayed on an interlaced display.
720p and 1080p HDTV:
In contrast, in all progressive-scan formats - 480p (EDTV), and 720p and the 1080p HDTV displays - all scanning lines in a single frame are displayed sequentially in a single pass.
The Bottom Line
Theoretically, from a pixel-count perspective, 1080i supports better spatial resolution than a 720p HDTV.
And What about 1080p HDTV Sets?
Surely, 1080p HDTV represents the latest developments in HD Television technology.
Summary By Andres Ghigo
Is 1080p HDTV Really Necessary?
The world of High Definition Television (HDTV) is full of new technology, new concepts, and new buzzwords. One of the most compelling buzzwords is “1080p”, the designation for the highest possible screen resolution available on an HDTV. The 1080 refers to the number of pixel rows in the broadcast and also in the TV display. The other common resolution standard is 720 pixel rows. Ideally, the broadcast resolution and the display resolution should match, but the TV will make adjustments if they don’t.
- If the broadcast standard is the popular 1080i, that means it’s interlaced, so every 1/60 of a second you receive half an image.
- input source: You will only take full advantage of a 1080p set if you have 1080p input, and this is still fairly rare.
- screen size: One result of changing from 720 rows to 1080 rows is that the pixels will be smaller on the same size screen.
- other quality factors: All else being equal, 1080p resolution is better than 720p. Other factors like contrast ratio, black level, color saturation, a high quality signal, and overall quality of the HDTV are actually more important than the resolution of the screen.
Summary By Tom Webster
