Is there a noticeable difference between 720p and 1080p? - Blu-ray Forum

NetSpiker · 07-22-2014, 01:50 PM

If a movie exists in HD anywhere, then I intend to watch it in HD. But importing Blu-rays is expensive. Sometimes I may have to pay more than $30 for a single movie. Many of the movies I want to watch as only available on Blu-ray in Germany, so I'll be getting a movie with a German back cover description, a German disc menu and a German default soundtrack, which I'll have to switch to English every time I watch the movie. To make it worse, there are some Blu-rays which have upscaled SD movies (Doctor Who Seasons 1-4, for example), so I'll never know if the movie I'm buying is actually HD until I watch it.

Today, I discovered that many of the movies I was planning to import from Germany are actually available on iTunes in HD. In fact, there are some HD movies on iTunes that are not available on Blu-ray anywhere in the world. The only problem is that they are 720p, instead of 1080p. Which leads me to my questions:

Will I be able to notice the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 60'' TV? Should I settle for 720p or should I try to get the best quality available, even if it means I have to learn to read German disc menus?

While the HD movies on iTunes are clearly labeled 720p HD, the HD TV series are just labeled HD. Are they also 720p or should I assume that HD means 1080p when it's shown by itself?

07-22-2014, 01:50 PM	#1
NetSpiker Member Member since:Mar 2014	Is there a noticeable difference between 720p and 1080p? If a movie exists in HD anywhere, then I intend to watch it in HD. But importing Blu-rays is expensive. Sometimes I may have to pay more than $30 for a single movie. Many of the movies I want to watch as only available on Blu-ray in Germany, so I'll be getting a movie with a German back cover description, a German disc menu and a German default soundtrack, which I'll have to switch to English every time I watch the movie. To make it worse, there are some Blu-rays which have upscaled SD movies (Doctor Who Seasons 1-4, for example), so I'll never know if the movie I'm buying is actually HD until I watch it. Today, I discovered that many of the movies I was planning to import from Germany are actually available on iTunes in HD. In fact, there are some HD movies on iTunes that are not available on Blu-ray anywhere in the world. The only problem is that they are 720p, instead of 1080p. Which leads me to my questions: Will I be able to notice the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 60'' TV? Should I settle for 720p or should I try to get the best quality available, even if it means I have to learn to read German disc menus? While the HD movies on iTunes are clearly labeled 720p HD, the HD TV series are just labeled HD. Are they also 720p or should I assume that HD means 1080p when it's shown by itself?

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