720p vs. 1080p
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720p vs. 1080p - Which Option Is Right For You?
Andrew Lock
1080p is true HD, right? That's what the manufacturer's are
saying. Some of them use the slightly less aggressive term of 'full HD' but the
implication is the same. They want you to believe that anything less than 1080p
is like watching garbage collect on the street.
Before we delve into this, let's just refresh ourselves
about what 720p and 1080p means. The numbers refer to the number of
horizontal lines in the image. 1080 lines obviously sounds better than
720, doesn't it? Well, hold your horses on that one for a moment.
The 'p' after the numbers stands for progressive. It means that each frame
of 720 or 1080 lines are displayed instantly together, in contrast to interlaced
images where every other line is displayed to form a field, and two fields make
up the full image. Of course, it all happens very quickly, but that's the
difference between i and p. 'P' came after 'i' so 'P' is deemed to be
better
So what's better - 720p or 1080p? Seems like 1080p,
right? Because more is better. But the simple truth is, unless
you're a purist, 720p will be just fine for you. Many people don't notice any
difference between 480i (old-school TV) and any other high-definition format,
let alone 720p and 1080p. You do of course, which is why you're a
subscriber. But I defy ANY reader to see the difference between 720p and
1080p on any screen smaller than 50". Unless my vision is seriously
failing me, you can't discern any difference. Try it, and you'll see.
And that's with the very latest 1080p high definition DVD content, the best it
gets. I'd love to be able to say that 1080p was some huge milestone
breakthrough, because I love big improvements in the world of home theater, but
frankly it's not. Even when you do see a 720p and 1080p compared side by
side on a REALLY big screen, the difference is subtle, not substantial
The Average Customer
My father-in-law is a good example of the typical customer.
He bought a 47 inch 1080p HDTV. Before that he had a 20 inch tube television.
Now he has this nice HDTV, but he's still using rabbit ears for television and
his DVD player is hooked up with only composite cables, so he's not even getting
an HD signal! Has he noticed? No way.
The only thing he knows about his new TV is that it's so
much bigger than his old TV, and that's all he needs. Manufacturer's hate
this of course, they're desperately trying to convince us all that 1080p is the
only way to go.
Look at this way: for $2000 you could get a 50 inch plasma
HDTV at 1080p, but for only $1200 you could get up to 100 inches with a 720p
projector. Double your size, get closer to that home theater feel, still get HD,
and for less money? Who cares if it's not 1080p? Do you think anyone but the
purists will even notice? I'd go for a large image projector any day as
long as I can view it in a darkened room. It's much closer to the true
movie theater experience, in my opinion.
I bet they won't. All they'll notice is how awesome your
screen looks, especially in a darkened room. The purists will be busy chasing
the next amazing technology.
Perfection, despite what the purists may say, is always out
of reach. Don't chase it. 1080p IS better, but you'll have a hard time proving
it in the average home theater setup. | 
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