How to Choose an HDTV Resolution

In the world of HDTV, 720 and 1080 refer to the lines of resolution. Additionally, "i" means interlaced scanning (the picture is projected as two interlaced fields) and "p" means progressive scanning (the picture is projected as a single field). Generally speaking higher resolution numbers with progressive scanning are considered superior, but each has its own merits. Here are a few tips to help you decide what's best for you:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Determine price first and foremost before beginning to shop for a new HDTV. Televisions come in such a wide array of prices that you must have some kind of budget in mind. This will also give you a starting point when making a decision and keep you from getting completely overwhelmed by all the choices.

2. Consider the size of the room where the television will go and the distance of the furniture from the TV. Depending on the resolution and how close you plan on sitting to the TV, your eyes may be able to detect more detail than the resolution can provide, causing the picture to look soft. You can sit closer to a 1080i or p than a 720p while still getting maximum clarity.

3. Think about the primary types of programs you will watch on your TV, as this will affect which resolution you should get. A 720p is better than a 1080 for high-movement programs such as sports because it has less data to process and therefore provides a more stable picture.

4. Choose the scanning type that you want. Progressive scanning creates a better picture quality than interlaced, especially for programming with a lot of movement. Similar to the 720, progressive scanning is better for programs such as sports. TVs with interlaced scanning may be a bit cheaper though.

5. Decide how large of a television you want to get. The two resolutions will show up differently on variously sized televisions. The larger the TV, the more noticeable the differences between resolutions. Something to keep in mind is that 1080 resolutions can potentially create motion artifacts (the larger amounts of data cause straight lines to appear jagged).

Tips & Warnings

• Most HDTVs have a great picture quality, regardless of their resolution, so don't feel like choosing a less expensive model means that you are automatically sacrificing quality. And remember that the contrast in apparent quality you notice at the store will disappear once you get the TV home and don't have others to compare it to.
• The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers recommends that TV screen width should take up at least 30 degrees of your vision field.
• In all reality, a 1080p will probably provide nominal improvement over a 1080i, so this should not be your biggest factor of consideration when picking out your TV.
• Your DVD and station signal input may be of a lower resolution than the TV you end up getting, causing the picture to actually be somewhat worse than if you had a lower resolution TV.