What's better, 720p or 1080i?

Question

I'm asking because my Xbox 360 won't play 1080p. So which is better, 720p or 1080i. I just bought an hdmi cable and have a 27' hdtv. I do not know if it plays full 1080p. 10 points best answer to my question.

Answer 1

720p is better for a lot of games than 1080i because the frame rates are twice as fast.

720p has 60 images per second flying by on the screen (but with half the resolution) than 1080i.  1080i is broadcast

For action games, I'd go with 720p.

Answer 2

1080i is better, LCD's can play up to 1080p but most smaller size screens are 720p simply because you cant tell the difference at that smaller screen size.  The pixels are smaller.  On a bigger TV say a 52" most all are 1080p.  Your 27" is most likely a 720p set which is still a great picture when give HD signal.

Answer 3

If you have an LCD television, it is not 1080p. Nor is it 1080i. Therefore, output at either of those resolutions, would simply result in the television changing the signal to meet it's needs. Output at 720p.

If it is a high definition tube TV, it is probably capable of 1080i. This would be a little bit sharper than 720p, but would most likely blur more with fast action. And let's face it, unless you're playing Trivial Pursuit: Xbox 360 Edition, there's probably gonna be some fast action - so I would still go 720p.