RESOLUTION
Resolution, or picture detail, is the main reason why HDTV
programs look so good. The standard-definition programming most
of us watch today has at most 480 visible lines of detail, whereas
HDTV has as many as 1,080. HDTV looks sharper and clearer than
regular TV by a wide margin, especially on big-screen televisions.
It actually comes in two different resolutions, called 1080i and
720p. One is not necessarily better than the other; 1080i has more
lines and pixels, but 720p is a progressive-scan format that should
deliver a smoother image that stays sharper during motion.
Another format is also becoming better known: 1080p, which
combines the superior resolution of 1080i with the progressive-
scan smoothness of 720p. True 1080p content is extremely scarce,
however, and none of the major networks has announced 1080p
broadcasts. Check out our comparison chart to see how HDTV
stacks up against standard TV and progressive-scan DVD.
Name
Resolution
HDTV?
Wide-
screen?
Progressive-scan?
1080p
1,920x1,080
Y
Y
Y
1080i
1,920x1,080
Y
Y
N
720p
1,280x720
Y
Y
Y
Wide-
screen
480p
(DVD,
EDTV)
852x480
N
Y
Y
Regular TV
Up to 480
lines
N
N
N
Videophiles are quick to point out that not every HDTV can actually
display all the resolution of an HDTV program. That's true; all but
the most expensive sets with 9-inch CRTs, LCoS engines, or the
very highest-resolution DLP and LCD panels are incapable of
resolving every detail of 1080i material. Plasma, LCD, LCoS and
DLP TVs have a fixed number of pixels, known as native resolution,
and the higher that number, the more detail you'll see. Naturally,
higher-resolution fixed-pixel displays, such as 1080p sets with
1,920x1,080 pixels, cost more money. At the end of the day,
however, even the staunchest video critics will admit that a high-
definition picture on any HDTV looks far superior to regular TV.
Regular TV on an HDTV: Aside from being able to display high-
resolution HDTV shows and movies, a high-definition set can also
make regular TV look a little better. Almost every HDTV has a
processor that takes the regular TV image and converts it to
progressive-scan for a more stable image. This conversion won't
work miracles, however, and many HDTV buyers are
disappointed by how regular television looks on their new
sets. That's because the big screen exaggerates the flaws in
standard TV programs. No matter how nice a TV you buy, there
isn't much you can do to make regular TV, including digital cable or
satellite, look better.
DVD on an HDTV: Since most people don't buy HDTV tuners and
converted TV doesn't really leverage the full potential of a new
high-def television, you may wonder why people buy HDTVs today
at all. Most of them will probably tell you it's because of DVD.
HDTVs can make DVD, a very high-quality source, look
spectacular. Progressive-scan DVD players have their own internal
processors that are generally superior to the ones inside most
digital sets. Mating a prog-scan DVD with an HDTV will give you
the best picture you can get outside of HDTV itself.
