Can 1080i plasma handle 1080p signals?

[alvag20]

I have a pioneer elite pro 1540 HD 60" plasma and running a pioneer elite BDP 94 HD blu ray player and an 80G PS3. Now if I am correct the plasma can handle up to 1080i which is the case when I play a blu ray form the pioneer player which is set to ouput at 1080i. I can confirm this by hitting the display button for the plasma which displays the resolution and size of the picture.
However when I play a blu ray from the PS3 the plasma keeps trying to go to a 1080p resolution. The image will flicker in about 3 second intervals (picture comes on for about 3 seconds then it goes black) and the display on the plasma shows 1080p.
Can anyone explain how this may be happening. I would have thought that if plasma is at best 1080i how could it display a 1080p image even if it is only for 3 seconds. Does this mean the plasma can handle 1080p or is this just fail safe to inform the user the signal coming in is 1080p and it can not handle it therefore it blacks out.
Any ideas?

[DavePS3]

You'd really need to check the panel's specs but what MIGHT be happening, is that the panel can only do 720p/1080i but the p info might be coming from the Blu-Ray player itself. That's my suspicion. If you try and set the Blu player to output in p and the picture quickly comes in and out and goes to blue or black... it's a 1080i panel only. If it could really handle 1080p, you'd get an instant picture... assuming ou're running HDMI. You wont get 1080p from Component and if that's what you're running, that would explain things. Ifyou were running DVI that wasn't HDCP compliant, that would explain it as well.

[katharsis]

I got a 1080i Sony rear projection and run the 20GB PS3 which is set at 1080p through component with no problems.
You can try set the PS3 to 720p and see if you get a picture, if so I would think that your TV does not support the 1080p source. How about the stand alone player? Does it have options for p and i (if thats even possible)?

A questions I got, how big is the actual difference between 1080i and 1080p ?
I got a 52" screen.

[DavePS3]

Some displays will actually downconvert to 1080i. As for the difference between i and p... it really depends on your display in my opinion. I'm in the biz and I've only seen one LCD running HD-DVD and BD at 1080p that looked almost as good as my CRT at 1080i but that same LCD running the same films at 1080i definately didn't look very good. Plasmas and LCDs need real HD to look good. I still rum a Loewe CRT because it's still the best PQ I've seen to this day. However, because my set is 32" widescreen, I'm not blowing up the imperfections in the picture along with the picture, which you notice more on a large screen. I also stick with a calibrated CRT because everyone I know in the gaming industry as well as film editors, use CRT or high end projectors like a Christie. No one uses LCD or plasma when developing a game or working on a film.

[alvag20]

Ok, I tried setting the player to 1080p and get no picture. So I think you are right davePS3. The info for the plasma display feature is most likely coming from the player that is why it displays 1080p. However the plasma is only 1080i with no downconversion that is why it blacks out. As for the 20g ps3 outputting 1080p onto the projector, the projector must have a down convesion to be able to display it.
By the way davePS3 I am connecting everything through hdmi so it wouldn't be why it does not display 1080p
Thanks so much for the info.
As for which picture is better 1080p or I, well I have only seen I, however I did pick up a JVC DLA HD1 yesterday, which is 1080p, for the home theater that is under construction.
First showing coming Oct, 07 I will let you know then.
Thanks again.