1080P vs 720P Decision

[pchoi04]

So... I know about the technology and all that great stuff... I cant get a plasma because of the glare and bugs the crap out of me and the only plasma I'd go for would be Pioneer because there just bad ass. I can't get a rear projection because I have to wall mount it (my house apparently isnt built for a tv). So I'm stuck with LCD (not that its a bad TV but by default).

Alright... I think I know the answer to my question but I need some reassurance. So I'm looking at getting a 46" LCD for my living room and I'm sitting 12-14 feet back. If I get the 720P I could get a MUCH better audio setup VS if I went with a 1080P. This TV is really going to be used for TV and Movies, almost no gaming (Maybe my 360 once a month). I know from this distance I wont notice a difference from 1080p from 720p. But I am going to set up a PC for this TV. Again not for gaming. Just web browsing. I will most likely get a bluray player but again... I just dont think I'll see a difference from that distance or enough of a difference to get a 1080p set even though bluray is 1080p. I think if I got a 65" Projection I would... but for something this small at that distance... Yeah?

Should I get a 720p and get the better sound system? I think its funny because its so easy giving advice but when its your decision and your money even if you know the answer its hard.

 

[KingLoftusXII]

720p vs 1080i you might not notice a difference, but 720p vs 1080p you might. Do a real world test if possible. If you're going HD DVD or Blueray, I would suggest going 1080p.

A tip for sound with HD DVD/Blueray, your center channel becomes even more important. They have better sound code than DVD and nearly all dialog comes from the center. Make sure you get a receiver with Dolby HD and DTS HD.

 

[pchoi04]

Every article I've read on 1080i vs 1080p pretty much states on a 40" tv from more than 7-8ft the human cant see the difference between 1080i and 1080p. I mean if I had the money I would have no problem with this and I would get the 1080p just because. But I want to try to keep the cost resonable and I spend more time on my computer anyway. I think if I were doing more gaming than once a month on this thing I'd see value in a 1080p set.

In this article in particle... I used to subscribe to home theater mag, I think its a really reputable source that doesnt show much bias.

http/hometheatermag.com/gearworks/1106gear/

"There Is No Difference Between 1080p and 1080i"

I don't know... I guess I'm just trying to justify the better sound system. lol

But I guess you only live once... Maybe I'll do a 1080p set and a kick ass system.

We'll see I suppose.

 

[KingLoftusXII]

Like I said, might. I would definitely try to view both in a store. My HD DVD
player let's you select output. 720p, 1080i, 1080p, etc. To say there's no difference between 1080i and 1080p is bunk I think. There's a noticeable difference between a computer animated movie on a regular 480i DVD player and a 480p on HDTV. View both, then decide if the improvement (if any) is worth it. If you plan to keep the TV a long time, 1080p I think is the way to go.

 

[scr00ge]

1080i sets max out at 1360x768 in PC mode. if you can live with that, then they are the value option. be warned though, that it's like going back to SVGA days, when the norm now is at least XGA for PCs.

1080p sets typically support 1920x1080 PC resolution, a much closer approximation of the 1024 vertical resolution you see in most laptop screens and desktop monitors. the text will naturally be smaller, but they will be much sharper, and personally easier to read.

you might have to re-evaluate your seating distance though. that far, web browsing is a challenge whether on 1080i or 1080p.

 

[heath3]

If you are going to be spending a lot of time on the PC you will want to go with the 1080P setup. You should take that into account in you decision, like you said you could go with a better audio setup if you get the 720P, I personally like to watch a lot of movies so the resolution at that size might be trumped by the audio. If I were to use the PC more often on the screen then I would definitely go with the higher resolution.

My buddy has an DLP 720P TV and on occasion puts the PC up on there, the resolution is not great and I don't really care for it, I would suggest you take the opportunity to see the sets you are comparing in action before deciding.

 

[MayDay94]

at that distance 720 vs 1080 might not be a huge deal for watching movies, particularly if the tv is a good quality one. my dad has a 720p pioneer elite and it looks as good as any other tv i've ever seen.

however, for pc use, the 1080p would make a pretty big difference.

 

[malveaux]

Heya,

1080p.

Simple reasoning: things don't support it perfectly right now, but in a few years, it will. And these TV's last for several years, unlike console/PC's. So you will have the 1080p when things actually can use it properly.

Cheers,