[Doc99]

Quick couple questions.

I am only going to be using my HDTV with IO digital cable. Does it make any difference to get a 1080P or 720P?

Also, will SDTV look better on a 720P or 1080P or not make a difference? If it has more pixels, won't any image look better?

 

[greenjp]

HDTV is either 720p or 1080i. So, a 720p set will downscale 1080i signals, and a 1080p set will upscale 720p signals. To be perfectly honest I can't tell the difference between the 720p and 1080i stations on my 720p 50" plasma.


As for SD, this is much more a function of the quality of the set's processing. SD, and much HD for that matter, will look better on a 720p set with good processing than on a 1080p set with poor processing. Note all those reviews last year that said the 720p Pioneer 5080 beat out 1080p sets.


jeff

 

[RandyWalters]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc99 /forum/post/14169449


Quick couple questions.

I am only going to be using my HDTV with IO digital cable. Does it make any difference to get a 1080P or 720P? Also, will SDTV look better on a 720P or 1080P or not make a difference? If it has more pixels, won't any image look better?

Here's my experience: I have TWC cable and a 720p TH-42PX50U and also a 1080p TH-42PZ700U, and an 8 foot viewing distance. The SD channels look a little better on the 1080p set, and HD looks a lot better on the 1080p set. The 1080p set is simply more detailed and natural looking. For a short time i had both TVs side by side, connected to an HDMI splitter so they were getting an identical simultaneous signal from my HD cable DVR.


However if you're sitting far enough away from the screen, your eyes may not be able to resolve the difference in resolution. What is your viewing distance? And what size screen are you considering?

 

[Doc99]

Viewing distance will be about 9 ft. Considering 37" or 40". It seems both these sets are very close in price now, so I might as well go with the 40" or 42", but I don't want the set to seem too close.

 

[greenjp]

When in doubt, get the bigger size

A 42" set has 30% more area than a 37".


FWIW, I sit 8-11' from my 50" 720p and it's super. When I was shopping I could not tell the difference at this distance between the 720 and 1080 sets at 50".


jeff