What is better, 720p or 1080i

Question

Just say which one.

Don't mention 1080p cause my tv don't support it.

Answer 1

That's not true 720 is better or 1080.if you want to watch your programs in a widescreen it's good to have 1080 tv resolution capable.

and if you never use a TV with a screen more than 19" its better you have a 720.

Answer 2

1080i is better than 720p but the best is 1080p.

Answer 3

1080i is better than 720p, roughly the equivalent of 880p

Answer 4

I have extensively used both looking for a solution to this question.  I definatly prefer 1080i.   I know there are tons of articles on the inet arguing the 720p is superior due to the progressive resolution actually surpasses the 1080 interlace resolution.  I prefer it on Xbox 360, HD DVD, DVD upscale and HD Cable (especially sports).  I have a 50in Sony, so thats my opinion....

p.s. I haven't noticed a visible difference between component and HDMI, so don't fret over that one.. save the money on the HDMI

Answer 5

if hdmi and watching/playing things realtime ( like video games ) the 720p is best.

If watching movies or using composite cables, interlace will better do to the amount of information going through the cables.

Remember that most hdtv's go by the pc standard. Making the display go 1:1 native resolution will see the largest gain in picture quality.

VGA mode ( maybe HDMI, in vga mode ) will allow this, composite will not though. But VGA will require some color adjustments.  

Answer 6

1080p can't go rong with the best.

Answer 7

This is such a debate. It really comes down to your television size. They say if you have 1080i on a TV under 50 inches, your eyes will not notice the difference in pixels.

Also, both the Xbox 360 and the PS3 output their games at 720p and then have the ability to upscale video to 1080i, but its not true native 1080. Blu Ray will only output at 1080i and actually downscales to 480p for TVs that can't display 1080i.

I have a 24" widescreen computer monitor for graphics work. I watch both 720 and 1080 on my screen and even from 2 feet away from the screen there is only a noticeably smoother picture with 1080, but its not a world of difference.

**I also have a 360 hooked up to my computer monitor and play in both 720 and 1080. The 1080 gives you more background detail, but again its not a huge difference because its not true 1080. Your not really missing a whole lot so don't worry. In fact, people say frame rates run smoother in 720, but I see little difference in my games.

That's why it all comes back to screen size. I'm sure 720 is appropriate for your television. Besides, color, contrast, and black levels are much more important features!