What Is HDTV 1080P?

High definition television looks very crisp in 1080p format.

As technology continues to develop, standard televisions are quickly being replaced with high-definition televisions, or HDTVs. These new TVs provide a much clearer image to viewers (assuming they are receiving an HD signal from their cable provider). While there is a wide variety of HDTVs to choose from, 1080p is very popular among consumers.

Resolution

The designation 1080 indicates the number of lines of vertical resolution on the television. That means that there are 1,080 lines being scanned horizontally (which account for the phrase "vertical resolution") every time an image is being processed on the television. Something that, for example, has a 780p means that the television scans 780 lines per image.

Progressive Scan

The "p" in the phrase 1080p stands for "progressive scan," which means that the television is transmitting each frame in progression across the line. Another way to transmit images is through something called "interlace scanning," in which the television transmits all of the even lines on the screen and then the odd lines, which saves on the amount of work going into producing the image. However, because interlace scanning transmits in waves, the image is not as clear as the progressive scan.

Frame Resolution

Since televisions that transmit in HD generally do so using a 16:9 aspect ratio (also known as letterbox) that means there are going to be 1,920 pixels that will be broadcast on your television. In technical lingo, this means that the television has a "frame resolution" of 1,920 by 1,080.

Broadcast Availability

Although televisions are theoretically able to receive broadcasts in 1080p, as of March 2010, broadcast stations in America have yet to produce a 1080p signal for consumers to receive. Most major networks utilize either 720p or 1080i.

DVDs and Internet

Certain Blu-Ray DVDs are able to be encoded in 1080p, meaning consumers with 1080p HDTVs can get a completely clear image when watching. Also, certain websites (including movie trailers in Apple Quicktime) utilize 1080p for viewers able to receive signals of that quality.

References

• CNET: 1080i vs. 1080p
• Ecoustics Forum: 1080p and HDTV Resolution Explained