Television resolution?

Question

I have a Samaung Back Projection TV set. link:

http://www1.epinions.com/pr-Samsung_HLP5063W_50_in_Rear_Projection_HDTV_Television/display_~full_specs

It says that i can "display" 720p at highest but can "support" 1080i. SO why would it support it if it can't be displayed?

oh, and btw my ps3 automaticaly sets at 1080i.

Answer 1

Use of the term “support” for 1080i simply means that, regardless of the display’s native resolution, a 1080i HD signal can be received, decoded, internally processed, and in some cases de-interlaced—beyond which a video signal may often be scaled—for reproduction at the native resolution of an HDTV-compliant display, such as your 1280×720 Samsung HL-P5063W RPTV. If an HDTV such as your Samsung did not support the “ATSC Table 3” video formats, including 1080i, (which would be in violation of the CEA’s definition of “HDTV” by the way,) then the multitude of 1080i digital broadcasts would be inaccessible. Thus, with so few broadcasters broadcasting in 720p HD, such a television (or display system) would be unable to access and reproduce the majority of HD content currently being broadcast and would be little more than an pseudo HD television limited to displaying SD and ED video formats upscaled to 1280×720.

Therefore in order for a display (system) to be compliant with the CEA’s definition of “HDTV” the display must be capable of: (a) reproducing a minimum of 720 progressive (720p), 1080 interlaced (1080i), or higher, active vertical scanning lines; (b) displaying a 16:9 image; (c) receiving ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions and decoding all ATSC Table 3 video formats; (d) receiving, reproducing and/or outputting Dolby Digital (AC-3) audio (excluding (c) and (d) for “HDTV monitors.”) Otherwise a display that fails to meet these basic CEA criteria could not legally carry the CEA’s “HDTV” label.

It is very important to note that displays that receive 1080i video signals do not necessarily downscale (or “downconvert”) 1080i for reproduction on a 720p display. Some display manufacturers have been alleged to have designed and sold HDTV displays that discard one field of the 1080i video signal thereby forcing such displays to upscale the resulting ‘540p’ video signal to 720p on any display that operates in such a manner. (See the second reference listed below, for further resources and details.)
 

Answer 2

When the TV receives 1080i programing, it down converts the signal to 720p so it can display it.

Down conversion basically throws away some of the information in the 1080i signal.

When the TV receives 480i programing, it up converts the signal to it's native 720p resolution so it can display it.

The TV always displays 720p, its native (fixed) resolution.

Answer 3

That term means it will display it, but for some reason they like to say it will support it.