Which is better 1080i or 720p? - Blu-ray Forum

Eve6insideandout · 04-30-2007, 02:20 PM

I was wondering, I don't know too much about how each of these resolutions work and wondering if I could get some feedback about which is better 1080i or 720p? I have a friend who says he likes 720p better and I have also read, somewhere in one of these forums, that 720p is better for action and 1080i is better for like comedies, romances, things like that. Figure I would ask the experts!

Thanks

Rup_Muk · 04-30-2007, 02:22 PM

Eve,

There have been a few threads in this forum dealing with this issue. Our "Super Mod" Deci has done some calculations and has shown that 1080i actually has more pixels than 720p. So, from the PQ standpoint, 1080i is better.

Rup.

DavePS3 · 04-30-2007, 02:32 PM

Technically, 780p is equal to 1560i so it should be slightly better than 1080i but most say they see either no difference or if they do, it's so slight and so marginal, they had to search for the differences enough to classify as "nit-picking". CRT televisions cannot display a true 720p or 1080p because the yokes overheat. The best a CRT can display is 1080i which is one of the reasons people flocked to plasmas and LCD's. Another reason is that flat panel technology doesn't distort convergence in the corners like a CRT usually does. However, in terms of detail, if you take a flat panel against a CRT, both running 1080i from the same source, the CRT will usually give you a better, more detailed picture - albeit the problems with corner convergence.

HDJK · 04-30-2007, 02:32 PM

It's a sticky...

Josh · 04-30-2007, 02:33 PM

If you have a 720p TV, 720p is the best. Otherwise, 1080i. Its very important to see what the pixel resolution of your display is. Many people think they have a 720p TV, and it turns out to be 768p (which would mean 1080i would be better for it).

IamAnoobieCheez · 04-30-2007, 05:10 PM

Neither is good.

Go with the 1080p (progressive scan). The benefit is the motion handling and minimal presence of video artifacts from motions. This will provide most crisp, crystal, clean, sharp, artifact free pictures.

The second place would be 720p at 60 fps. Great for motion handling.

The 1080i shines at very slow motions or still pictures. They can be just as good as 1080p in still.

meow meow meow meowmeowmewoemw

stockstar1138 · 04-30-2007, 05:28 PM

I personally believe 720p looks bettter. You are getting more pixels at any give point in time. 1080p is the only way to go.

If you are a gamer, most games are in 720p, if you have 1080i, you have to downconvert below 720p from my understanding. conrrect me if i am wrong.

theknub · 04-30-2007, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

If you are a gamer, most games are in 720p, if you have 1080i, you have to downconvert below 720p from my understanding. conrrect me if i am wrong.

i believe that to be wrong. i simply ask, why would that have to occur

stockstar1138 · 04-30-2007, 10:33 PM

Well, think about it. 720p requires 720 lines to be scanning at the same time. Where a 1080i TV can only handle 540 lines scanning at a time. Therefore you have to downconvert below 720p.

theknub · 04-30-2007, 10:42 PM

ok, so ur making a broad hd statement. this isn't quite true.

please read this thread. in it, comparing 1080i to 1080p is the main tactic, but 720p is also discussed heavily.

AV_Integrated · 05-01-2007, 09:49 PM

A basic answer is typically this:
It depends on what type of viewing you are doing.

Fast action (ie: sports) gets better image quality by having a 720p image because it uses a full 1280x720 pixel structure 60 times a second.

Slower moving shows can deliver better image quality through 1080i. This is because stagnant objects can be fully deinterlaced to display at a true 1920x1080 resolution. Unfortunately, moving objects can cause stair stepping and other interlacing artifacts.

What really matters is getting a display that has superior contrast, color, and image processing capabilities. If your choice is a 50" 1080p dispaly with so-so processing/color/contrast or a 50" 720p (or 768p) display with excellent processing/color/contrast for the same money - go with the lower resolution model.

Color and contrast are the top two most important factors in perceived image quality. Image processing is not in the list, but is, IMO, as important as either of those two items as well. Resolution is behind them as a contributing factor.

jbuttler007 · 05-01-2007, 10:22 PM

It actually depends on your TV. Some TVs show 720p a whole lot better than 1080i.

Deciazulado · 05-03-2007, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavePS3

Technically, 780p is equal to 1560i so it should be slightly better than 1080i

Sorry Dave but it doesn't work that way.

720p is NOT equal to 1440i

720 x 1280 at 60 frames per second = 55,296,000 pixels per second.

1440 x 2560 at 60 interlaced fields per second = 110,592,000 pixels per second

(and 1080 x 1920 at 60 interlaced fields per second = 62,208,000 pixels per second

which is also more than 720p)

You have to take into account the temporal (motion) and spatial (both vertical AND horizontal) resolutions. (Oh and the aspect ratio if they're different.)

720p 60 and 1080i 60 and 1080p 30 and 1080p 24 programing are all different beasts.
For example 1080 24p has more spatial resolution but less temporal resolution than 720 60p (or 60i for that matter), so a 1080 60i interlacing of the 1080 24p done correctly wouldn't lose anything, but a 720p one would.

So when you see a question that asks what's better 720p or 1080i , you also have to ask : For what?

To watch 720 60p video? 1080 24p movies? 1080i 60 live concerts?

and: In what?

A 720 x 1280 or 768 x 1366 pixel display that deinterlaces correctly?
A 720 x 1280 or 768 x 1366 pixel display that deinterlaces incorrectly?
A 1080 x 1920 pixel display that deinterlaces correctly?
A 1080 x 1920 pixel display that deinterlaces incorrectly?

There's practically no programing on Blu-ray that is in 720 shot at 60 frames per second unless it may be games which probably would be best programs benefiting from a direct 720p to 720p output, and even then they would have to be upscaled to 1080 x 1920 60p on a 1080p display.

theknub · 05-03-2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deciazulado

Sorry Dave but it doesn't work that way.

720p is NOT equal to 1440i

720 x 1280 at 60 frames per second = 55,296,000 pixels per second.

1440 x 2560 at 60 interlaced fields per second = 110,592,000 pixels per second

(and 1080 x 1920 at 60 interlaced fields per second = 62,208,000 pixels per second

which is also more than 720p)
...snip...

he speaks again!

what's the scene in star wars where all the eewoks start worshipping c-3po?

haaaaa-hmmmm haaaa-hmmmm haaaaa-hmmmm

Filterlab · 05-03-2007, 09:23 PM

You know what, I really really understand audio - all aspects, really well, but I just can't get my head round this 720p/1080i/1080p thing, even when Deciazulado puts it into layman's terms.

Luckily he's on hand to help us more feeble examples.

HDJK · 05-03-2007, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Filterlab

Luckily he's on hand to help us more feeble examples.

Indeed

04-30-2007, 02:20 PM	#1
Eve6insideandout Power Member Member since:Mar 2007 Trading Score:491	Which is better 1080i or 720p? I was wondering, I don't know too much about how each of these resolutions work and wondering if I could get some feedback about which is better 1080i or 720p? I have a friend who says he likes 720p better and I have also read, somewhere in one of these forums, that 720p is better for action and 1080i is better for like comedies, romances, things like that. Figure I would ask the experts! Thanks

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04-30-2007, 02:22 PM	#2
Rup_Muk Expert Member Member since:Jan 2007 Blu-ray collection:136 Blu-ray reviews:24 Trading Score:8	Eve, There have been a few threads in this forum dealing with this issue. Our "Super Mod" Deci has done some calculations and has shown that 1080i actually has more pixels than 720p. So, from the PQ standpoint, 1080i is better. Rup.

04-30-2007, 02:32 PM	#3
DavePS3 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Toronto Home Theater Gallery:56 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:1	Technically, 780p is equal to 1560i so it should be slightly better than 1080i but most say they see either no difference or if they do, it's so slight and so marginal, they had to search for the differences enough to classify as "nit-picking". CRT televisions cannot display a true 720p or 1080p because the yokes overheat. The best a CRT can display is 1080i which is one of the reasons people flocked to plasmas and LCD's. Another reason is that flat panel technology doesn't distort convergence in the corners like a CRT usually does. However, in terms of detail, if you take a flat panel against a CRT, both running 1080i from the same source, the CRT will usually give you a better, more detailed picture - albeit the problems with corner convergence.

04-30-2007, 02:32 PM	#4
HDJK Blu-ray Guru Member since:Oct 2006 Location:Switzerland Trading Score:2	It's a sticky...

04-30-2007, 02:33 PM	#5
Josh Super Moderator Top contributor Member since:Sep 2006 Home Theater Gallery:50 4K collection:37 Blu-ray collection:407 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews: 15 Trading Score:34	If you have a 720p TV, 720p is the best. Otherwise, 1080i. Its very important to see what the pixel resolution of your display is. Many people think they have a 720p TV, and it turns out to be 768p (which would mean 1080i would be better for it).

04-30-2007, 05:10 PM	#6
IamAnoobieCheez Banned Member since:Dec 2006	Neither is good. Go with the 1080p (progressive scan). The benefit is the motion handling and minimal presence of video artifacts from motions. This will provide most crisp, crystal, clean, sharp, artifact free pictures. The second place would be 720p at 60 fps. Great for motion handling. The 1080i shines at very slow motions or still pictures. They can be just as good as 1080p in still. meow meow meow meowmeowmewoemw

04-30-2007, 05:28 PM	#7
stockstar1138 Banned Member since:Apr 2007	I personally believe 720p looks bettter. You are getting more pixels at any give point in time. 1080p is the only way to go. If you are a gamer, most games are in 720p, if you have 1080i, you have to downconvert below 720p from my understanding. conrrect me if i am wrong.

04-30-2007, 10:33 PM	#9
stockstar1138 Banned Member since:Apr 2007	Well, think about it. 720p requires 720 lines to be scanning at the same time. Where a 1080i TV can only handle 540 lines scanning at a time. Therefore you have to downconvert below 720p.

04-30-2007, 10:42 PM	#10
theknub Blu-ray Guru Member since:May 2006	ok, so ur making a broad hd statement. this isn't quite true. please read this thread. in it, comparing 1080i to 1080p is the main tactic, but 720p is also discussed heavily.

05-01-2007, 09:49 PM	#11
AV_Integrated Senior Member Member since:Jan 2005	A basic answer is typically this: It depends on what type of viewing you are doing. Fast action (ie: sports) gets better image quality by having a 720p image because it uses a full 1280x720 pixel structure 60 times a second. Slower moving shows can deliver better image quality through 1080i. This is because stagnant objects can be fully deinterlaced to display at a true 1920x1080 resolution. Unfortunately, moving objects can cause stair stepping and other interlacing artifacts. What really matters is getting a display that has superior contrast, color, and image processing capabilities. If your choice is a 50" 1080p dispaly with so-so processing/color/contrast or a 50" 720p (or 768p) display with excellent processing/color/contrast for the same money - go with the lower resolution model. Color and contrast are the top two most important factors in perceived image quality. Image processing is not in the list, but is, IMO, as important as either of those two items as well. Resolution is behind them as a contributing factor.

05-01-2007, 10:22 PM	#12
jbuttler007 Active Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:Ayase-Shi, Japan	It actually depends on your TV. Some TVs show 720p a whole lot better than 1080i.

05-03-2007, 09:23 PM	#15
Filterlab Senior Member Member since:Mar 2007 Location:East Molesey, Surrey, UK	You know what, I really really understand audio - all aspects, really well, but I just can't get my head round this 720p/1080i/1080p thing, even when Deciazulado puts it into layman's terms. Luckily he's on hand to help us more feeble examples.

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