1080i or 1080p?

[HTF]

hi

i thinking my next big purchase is gonna be a new flat screen hdtv. I really like samsung and have had a good experience with them in the past. so i wanna stick with them. now whats the difference between 180p and 1080i? whats better?

and any other info on hdtv flat screens that might help me out would be great!

TIA

[Merter]

In short, i stands for Interlaced, p stands for progressive.

Progressive scans line by line, and gives an overall more solid picture.

Interlaced does every other line and then fills in the blanks, creates more artefacts, and not quite as good as progressive scan.

This isn't spot on, but you get the general idea :)

More info here: http://www.canopus.com/canopus/technology/...sinterlaced.php

[Edge00]

In short, i stands for Interlaced, p stands for progressive.

Progressive scans line by line, and gives an overall more solid picture.

Interlaced does every other line and then fills in the blanks, creates more artefacts, and not quite as good as progressive scan.

This isn't spot on, but you get the general idea :)

More info here: http://www.canopus.com/canopus/technology/...sinterlaced.php

Basically, when you look at flat screens they are all natively progressive (even the Hitachi plasma's, they just have weird resolutions). A plasma or LCD can't produce an interlaced image. So the question really becomes do you want 720p or 1080p.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

A plasma or LCD can't produce an interlaced image. So the question really becomes do you want 720p or 1080p.

Thank you for saying it before I had to.

Also, what size screen are you going for and how far away are you going to be sitting? There may be no noticeable difference depending on your answers.

[jackwanders]

As Edge mentioned, you can't buy a 1080i HDTV. You can buy a 720p or 1080p HDTV.

The decision as to which resolution you want usually comes down to two things:

- how important it is that you have the 'best of the best', regardless of how useful it is, and

- how big is the TV you want to buy?

The size of your screen should be dictated partly by your budget, but primarily by the size of your room and how far away you'll be sitting from the set.

In general, if you settle on a TV that is less than 50", it will be very difficult to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p unless you're sitting very very close (which isn't a good idea in the first place). at 50" and above, 1080p becomes a better option, if you can afford it.

In short,

1) Determine your viewing distance

2) Choose a size range that works well for that viewing distance

3) Choose a resolution that works well for that screen size

4) Find a few well-reviewed sets in that size/resolution combo and check them out in the stores. Pick the one that looks best to you.

[Edge00]

As Edge mentioned, you can't buy a 1080i HDTV. You can buy a 720p or 1080p HDTV.

Sorry, you are mistaken. My tv is a Sony KV-32hs420. If you google that you will find that is a High Definition CRT. Any and all tvs based on CRT's are interlaced, including HD ones, thus 1080i. Although you maybe correct in the sense that you can't buy them, at least in most stores. Most manufacturers have ceased production of CRT based tvs, so they are difficult to find.

But, regardless everything else you said is true. Particularly:

4) Find a few well-reviewed sets in that size/resolution combo and check them out in the stores. Pick the one that looks best to you.

Alot of people forget this when looking for tvs. Who is the person that ultimately has to live with their purchase? You. So regardless what you hear from other people get the one you like.

[HawkMan]

Actually I'm pretty sure there "are" some older high end progressive CRT's. CRT's don't hav to be itnerlaced you know,just the TV's usually are.

afterall the term progressive pretty much comes from CRT in that the images progresses continually across and down the screen instead of interlaced. while flat screen don't really operate in that way.

[Edge00]

Actually I'm pretty sure there "are" some older high end progressive CRT's. CRT's don't hav to be itnerlaced you know,just the TV's usually are.

afterall the term progressive pretty much comes from CRT in that the images progresses continually across and down the screen instead of interlaced. while flat screen don't really operate in that way.

Hmm....yeah, you are right. I just looked at it on wikipedia. I guess you learn something new everyday. Some higher end CRTs are progressive scan, like you mentioned. Your computer monitors are typically progressive, for example. But haven't seen a tv that is, personally although I'm sure they exist.

The only caveat that I would add, is something you mentioned. When we think of progressive now it kinda has different meaning than it did have, since an lcd or plasma doesn't "scan".

[jackwanders]

Sorry, you are mistaken. My tv is a Sony KV-32hs420. If you google that you will find that is a High Definition CRT. Any and all tvs based on CRT's are interlaced, including HD ones, thus 1080i. Although you maybe correct in the sense that you can't buy them, at least in most stores. Most manufacturers have ceased production of CRT based tvs, so they are difficult to find.

My mistake, you're right. In fact, I've got a 1080i Samsung Slimfit in my bedroom right now. So yeah, CRT HDTVs are 1080i (are there any 720i CRT sets?), LCD, DLP and PDP sets are either 720p or 1080p