How to choose a TV: 720p vs 1080p

If you're thinking about buying a new hdtv, resolution specs are being thrown around left and right by manufacturers. When buying products, we sometimes go for the best. But in the case of tvs, do we really need the highest resolution television?

Instructions

1. Are you going to be watching a lot of broadcast\cable tv? Television companies and cable companies broadcast all their high definition content in 720p and 1080i resolution. If you have a 720p television, the 1080i content will be displayed in 720p resolution. 1080i is almost as good as 1080p, but is inferior when it comes to fast moving content onscreen.

2. Are you going to be watching a lot of movies on DVD? The average DVD has a standard resolution, so it doesn't really matter if your television is 720p or 1080p. However, if you're going to be watching Blu-rays, the content is encoded in 1080p. On a 720p television that's going to be scaled down. Whereas, on a 1080p television, you'll get the full amount of detail.

3. Are you going to be playing a lot of games on your Microsoft Xbox 360 or Sony Playstation 3? Most games in HD are in 720p.

4. The most important factor in choosing is the screen size. In reality, you can't tell the difference between 720p or 1080p on a screen that's 42" or smaller. 720p content and 1080p content will have the same amount of detail. If you're planning to buy a tv larger than 42", it would be best to go with 1080p. Any screen 42" or smaller, you might as well save money and go with 720p.