A query re; 720p/1080i vs 1080p.

[Big Chris]

My parents came over last weekend, and as they have before, they insist my TV - a Sony KDL-V40A12U (which has gotta be nudging 7 years old or so now) - has a superior off-air picture than their Sony 40V2000. On the whole I would agree with them, the picture just seems smoother than theirs without looking soft.

I was just wondering if being an older 720p/1080i design, has inherant advantages over newer full HD TVs when it comes to both SD and HD broadcasting, or if it's just their TV isn't as good as mine in the first place, and that my TV would be well and truly blown out of the water by todays TVs (remember, for the purposes of this question, I'm not talking about Blu-Ray).

Also, as a broader question, can TVs of years past still hold their own against newer models with any and all formats?

 

[CnoEvil]

My pet theory is that if you don't watch Blu-ray, a good 720p/1080i may work better, as that is what it receives through the HD Box and so has less processing and is closer to standard def programmes.....this could be complete bollox, so you're better getting advice from someone who knows what they're talking about (Daveh 75)

 

[gregvet]

A 720p display has less processing to do to upscale standard defenition material than a 1080p display with the same material. Less info is being extrapolated, and so yes I would say in my experience they can look better.

My old budget panny was 720p and i still really rate it for SD material.

I would add as an aside that I havent seen an LCD set that I really rate for SD material, compared to my two plasma TVs. I havent looked at many recently tho

 

[chebby]

Last year we gave our old 720p Samsung 32" LCD to the elderly couple next-door to replace their CRT and set-top box.

I have been back to re-tune for them whenever there have been any Freeview re-shuffles/anaolgue switch-off etc. The contrasting picture quality between the old Samsung (2007 vintage) and our Panasonic HD is always a shock! (Even SD on the Panasonic looks much better compared to the - SD only - Samsung.)

The Panasonic is a 2010 model (bought in March 2011) and a WHF award winner.

Of course the Panasonic and the Samsung are both 32", which is not huge by today's standard, where even 50" is considered 'bijou'. So SD quality material doesn't have it's deficiencies magnified to anything like the same extent. However the difference is still there. The full HD Panasonic has better, less 'shouty', colours (especially reds) and a sheer depth to well filmed SD material that the Samsung could never achieve.

Before the Samsung (our first LCD) we'd had a run of three Panasonic CRTs covering the previous 12 years or so. (From 21" 4:3 up to 28" widescreen.)

My memory of those Panasonic CRTs is that they were superb, sharp, with gorgeous, natural colours. (Especially the 28" widescreen in glorious analogue!)

I expect if I were able to compare them, to our present TV, they'd look awful despite favourable memories of their performance at the time.

 

[CnoEvil]

Last year we gave our old 720p Samsung 32" LCD to the elderly couple next-door to replace their CRT and set-top box.

I have been back to re-tune for them whenever there have been any Freeview re-shuffles/anaolgue switch-off etc. The contrasting picture quality between the old Samsung (2007 vintage) and our Panasonic HD is always a shock! (Even SD on the Panasonic looks much better compared to the - SD only - Samsung.)

Maybe the Panasonic just did everything better than the old Samsung, and a fairer comparison (to test the rather shaky theory) would be to compare a comparable HD Ready Panasonic against the Full HD one (not that I'm suggesting doing this)....I'm just trying to stop my argument from sinking.

 

[D.J.KRIME]

IMHO it's not a simple case of a 720p TVs being more suited to a native SD signal over a 1080p TV as there are quite a few factors to take into account,like the quality of the scalers etc.

Now in theory SD should look better on a 720p pannel as there is less scaling to be done over a 1080p pannel, but a native 1080i signal should look better on a 1080p pannel as the 1080p pannel only has to deal with the de-interlacing of the signal as where the 720p pannel has to both de-interlace and downscale the 1080i signal to fit its lower resolution. The results of which is better will also be dependant upon the screen size your viewing as the larger the TV the more you will notice inperfections in the image on both a 720 and a 1080 pannel.

 

[CnoEvil]

IMHO it's not a simple case of a 720p TVs being more suited to a native SD signal over a 1080p TV as there are quite a few factors to take into account,like the quality of the scalers etc.

Now in theory SD should look better on a 720p pannel as there is less scaling to be done over a 1080p pannel, but a native 1080i signal should look better on a 1080p pannel as the 1080p pannel only has to deal with the de-interlacing of the signal as where the 720p pannel has to both de-interlace and downscale the 1080i signal to fit its lower resolution. The results of which is better will also be dependant upon the screen size your viewing as the larger the TV the more you will notice inperfections in the image on both a 720 and a 1080 pannel.

Very fair comment.

I usually found that 1080i was great for slower moving stuff, like documentaries; but it takes 720p for fast moving sport.