What is the Difference Between 1080i and 1080p

When it comes to high definition television, people often wonder if the difference between 1080i and 1080p is actually noticeable. While both 1080i and 1080p have an optimal resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, the difference between the two lay in the way that the signal is transmitted and then finally displayed on a the screen of the high definition television set.

Understanding the Difference Between 1080i and 1080p

1080p is the progressive resolution on a 1080p television, which means that the data is completely apparent all of the time. In short, all of the 1080 pixel lines are displayed. The end result is a crisper picture that is more visually and aesthetically appealing.

1080i on the other hand is only made up of 540 actual pixel lines. This means that, out of the 1080 virtual pixel lines, only 540 of them are actually displayed in real time. Odd and even pixel lines are displayed separately in order to make up a full picture frame at any given time. Most of the time, the full pixel frames are fully displayed once every 30th of a second. In addition, the video frame format on many high definition televisions is 1080/60. Other common formats include 1080/30 and 1080/24.

You will notice for the most part that 1080p resolution is optimized via different processing centers. Such processing centers include Blu-ray disc players, HD-DVD players and video game systems. Usually, through these processing centers, a program or game that is preset at 1080i resolution will be optimized and converted to 1080p resolution. When it comes to Blu-ray, however, the standard format is 1080p/24. This would not necessarily need to be optimized in one of the processing centers.

Sometimes you may not instantaneously notice the difference between 1080i and 1080p resolution. This could be due to a number of reasons. First, it could be because your HD television has the capability of converting 1080i resolution to 1080p resolution automatically. Another reason could be that you may not have a 1080p cable television. The only way that you just may be able to tell the difference is if you go to a store specializing in HD televisions and do a bit of comparison shopping. If you compare enough HD TVs, you will soon be able to tell the difference between 1080i and 1080p HD resolution and you'll be able to decide if paying a bit extra for 1080p is worth it based on your viewing needs.