Video Input Formats populated in Spec sheets - some only show 1080p?

Question

My question would be - what does the TV do with a 720p, 720i- cable broadcast ? This shows up in a SONY spec for a LCD HDTV. I'll assume the processor manipulates the signal. Should it be considered that the processor is downward compatible with lower grade signals?

Answer 1

A TV will always take an input video signal and scale it to fit its "native resolution".

So, lower-resolution signals are scaled UP.

So, a 720p TV will upsacle 480i, 480p, but downscale 1080p.

Answer 2

I'm not sure I understand the question, but maybe the following will clarify the situation.

Digital Displays (e.g. flatpanel TVs, projectors, computer monitors) have a native resolution -- the number of pixels that are physically present on the display panel.

This is quoted most accurately in the form: # wide x # high, but with a standard # high (e.g. 480, 720 or 1080) as a short form. A letter "i" or "p" is also given to denote how the image is drawn: "i" meaning interlaced and "p" meaning progressive (I won't go into the difference here, but suffice to say p is considered superior.

So, on HDTVs this is typically listed as 1280x720 or 1366x768 (both are called "720p HDTVs") or 1920x 1080 (called a "1080p HDTV").

All digital displays MUST display the incoming signal at the native resolution of the panel in progressive scan format, and to do this the built in video processing electronics manipulate the incoming image as necessary to make it fit the display.

HDTV is broadcast in a mix of 720p and 1080i format (There is no 1080p HDTV), with the broadcast studio choosing which format to deliver.

Your HDTV must therefore "deinterlace" (convert an "i" input to "p") and/or "scale" (magnify or reduce) the incoming signal to fit the native resolution of the HDTV.

Specs for HDTVs therefore include two separate lines, the first is the native resolution and the second is the range of input signals the TV can accept and display. Typically this will include 480p, 720p and 1080i. It may include others, such as 1080p (and obviously will on a 1080p native format HDTV!).

So, yes, you could say that the video processor allows the HDTV to be backwards (downward) compatible ... but it may also be upward compatible (e.g. if a 720p HDTV accepts a 1080p signal). It's probably more accurate to simply consider the video processor allows the HDTV to accept a wide range of input signals. ... but whatever works for you.

Answer 3

there is no 720i signal, its 720p.

No one is transmitting and I will dout they will in 1080P, right now best you can do for that res is HD or Bluray DVD.