HDTV: Do I need a 1080p display?
In a related post I detailed the differences between high definition (720p/1080i) and true, or full, high definition (1080p). There has been an explosion of 1080p televisions hitting the market in the past year. Are they worth the additional money, or would a conventional HDTV suffice?
In this article I will present reasons both for and against the upgrade to 1080p.
Given the flood of 1080p displays now available, prices have dropped significantly from where they were one year ago. For example, a 67″ 1080p DLP display was roughly $3,000 at the beginning of 2007. One can now purchase this same set for roughly 2/3 the cost. As a result, the disparity in price between a 1080i and a like 1080p display is not nearly as much as it was in 2007. This, in itself, may be enough of a reason to justify the more expensive option.
But what do you get for the extra few hundred dollars? For starters, 1080p displays feature twice the native resolution of 1080i/720p sets at ~2 million pixels. However, the key here is “native” resolution. Currently, no station is being broadcast in native 1080p format. Many sets will “wobulate” the picture to upconvert it to 1080p, yielding a sharper picture, but it’s not a native input. Blu-Ray and HD-DVD have defined a native 1080p DVD standard, but there’s no telling who will win the format war; it’s been likened to the VHS v. Beta battle in the ’80’s. Many gaming consoles also provide a native 1080p input as well.
At this point, as cable and satellite companies continue to struggle with adding HD (1080i) content as part of their service, there’s no telling when native 1080p broadcasts will be available. At twice the resolution, 1080p content will consume twice the bandwidth, or transmission throughput.
With the perpetual technology carousel, where a gadget is obsolete the day after you buy it, with 1080p you have the assurance that the technology will be more or less future proof until around 2015, based on current FCC standards. This may be a factor in your decision.
To summarize, following is a breakdown of my for and against positions on 1080p:
For
- future proof
- twice the resolution of 1080i/720p
- native 1080p input for Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, and gaming
Against
- cost
- no subscription programming currently available, and it’s unclear when it would be added
There you have it. Let me know your thoughts on the matter.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Similar Posts
Loading ...
Thanks for the post … most helpful for those of us purchasing our first HD sets. I was on the fence but plan to head 1080p now. Based on this post and the other, do you have some recommendations for sets that you like? How about attributes to look for in a good display?
Thanks!
Scott
Scott - It ultimately comes down to the environment in which you will have the set. If it will be a bright environment with the potential for glare, then an LCD flat panel is the way to go. Another consideration is the size. For anything over 60″, DLP is the better value, and the picture quality can be excellent (I like Samsung here). The most important attribute to me is the black level. I do not like washed out images on the screen. Look for a display with a high contrast ratio. Another point, when you go for “test drives” in the stores, make sure you have the opportunity to play with the settings. All displays will typically have the brightness and contrast maxed out in order to compete with each other on the floor. I’d be happy to chat offline as well.
Chris