How much sharper is a 1080p vs 720p vs SD tv image?

Question

I'm going crazy trying to find answers to this question. Can someone give me an idea of how much difference there is in sharpness of picture (not color or anything else) on a 1080p vs 720p vs standard tv image? Lets say a standard tv image is a 0 and a 1080p is a 100 in terms of sharpness, where would the 720 fall on that scale? Would there be much of a noticeable difference between each one and how much? Thanks.

Answer 1

If 1080p was 100. then 720p would be about 66.7...there is much more information in 1080p then there is in 720p. The only way you're not going to be able to tell is if you are far enough away from the display. Bu overall, you will notice a big difference between the two. 1080p will be much sharper and smoother.

Answer 2

720p Versus 1080p

Answer 3

4 by 3 aspect standard TV is about 640 by 480 pixels. The a ctual aspect varies depending on analog versus digital. And can vary on digital channels due to other factors (number of megabits per second assigned to a program). But 640 by 480 keeps the math simple (so that is really is 4 by 3).

So for 480i you have 307,200 picture elements in a picture.

The 720p sets with their 16 by 9 widescreen have 1280 by 720 pixels (actual sets have a few more because again the math is not really 16 by 9 but it is close).

So for 720p you have 921,600 picture elements in a picture. Or three times more detail than the 480i picture if both are showing the same scene.

The 1080i and 1080p sets with their 16 by 9 widescreen have 1920 by 1080 pixels.

So for 1080i or 1080p you have 2,073,600 picture elements. Which is 6.75 times the detail of the 480i picture and 2.25 times the detail of the 720p picture.


Summary

480i - Standard -- Your = 0
720p - 3 times the detail of 480i -- Your scale = 44.44
1080i or 1080p - 6.75 times the detail of 480i -- Your = 100

Answer 4

There isn't much of a difference between 720p and 1080p, bottom line. If your going to get a new tv there are a ton of 32" flat screens that are well under $500, which will be like night and day compared to your old TV. The important things when buying a TV is, budget, where is it going, and how big should it be in that spot(in that room). Also try and buy American(assuming you are one) Vizio is a great bargain and made in the U.S.

Answer 5

Part of the reason you are having problems getting an answer is that it there isn't a simple answer.

That said, on a 0-100 scale the 'score' for 480, 720 and 1080 would be something like 45-50 (it can't be 1 since that would be almost no resolution of detail), 75 and 100.

But in reality it isn't that simple since apparent difference in sharpness is dependent on not only the resolution, but screen size, the electronics (video processing), the viewing distance, the input signal, the native resolution, the viewers eyesight, etc.

The article at the 1st link is the best I've come across in explaining about resolution.

The quote below comes close to summarizing the situation (See 2nd link for the whole article)

"We've done side-by-side tests between two 46-inch LCD HDTVs, one with 1366x768 resolution and the other with 1080p resolution, using the same 1080i source material, and it was extremely difficult for us to see any difference. It becomes even more difficult at smaller screen sizes or farther seating distances--say, more than 1.5 times the diagonal measurement of the screen."

Bottom line ... if you sit at the optimum distance (and it varies with resolution and screen size) you won't see any difference in sharpness (since part of defining optimum viewing distance is ensuring you DON't see the individual pixels) at any of the resolutions. But for a constant screen size the lower resolution image will be smallest and the highest will be much bigger. See the graph and table near the end of the article at the first link.

Answer 6

On your scale I would give 720p an 85. I don't know how everyone is seeing such a HUGE difference between 720p and 1080p. There definately is not the same jump in visual clarity from 720 to 1080 as there is from 480 to 720.

Answer 7

you will only notice the difference depanded on the size of a television. if standard def is 0 on your scale 720p would be 50 and then 1080p at 100.

1080p is about 2 million pixels on the screen
720p is about 1 million
480p is enhanced def with .5 million pixels

im not to sure of standard but i wouldn't count on it being too high.

but remember just because you television is 1080p or 720p you will have to feed it that signal. it will not convert standard def to any one of those. all it will do is stretch a lesser quality signal to fit the bigger screen.

you dont need a 1080p screen till you get around the 46' + range
720p is standard on 32' and lower they do not come in 1080p and if you see one its not worth the money.

Answer 8

In the USA nothing is transmitted in 1080p You can watch Blue-Ray or HD-DVD movies in 1080p and of course the PS3 is 1080p.
Standard TV is dead 02 of 2009 all analog TV transmit ions will end and you will need a set top box to convert Digital to analog. Standard TV is a 60 year old technology.
HDTV is the future, All HDTVs will do 1080i,720p,480p,480i depending on the source. So if you aren't interested in PS3 or Blue-Ray or HD-DVD get a 720p HDTV and your good to go for less.
The "p" stands for progressive scan, better than interlaced picture "i" so 720p may actually look better than 1080i to you, you have no control over this, it is determined by the broadcaster. Both look great and you will enjoy your HDTV.

Answer 9

The 720p and the 1080p will look the same on tv broadcasts because nobody is broadcasting in 1080p. The only 1080p sources availabe are blu-ray discs and games for Sony PS3. But compared to SD tv, I say my Sony 1080p has 100 times better image quality and definition.

Answer 10

The best way to find out is to go to a TV store that has a bunch of various models on display, all showing the same picture, and see for yourself. I have a Sony Bravia 40" LCD HDTV and I watch it from an average distance of about 10 feet. And, I find the difference in clarity between standard definition and HD programming (at 720p) to be absolutely amazing.

Not only is the clarity of the pictures striking (especially sports and newer movies), but you get about 25% more picture (the screen is wider). This is especially cool for sports, because you get to see more of the field. Also, you get to see more background stuff in movies.

I've never seen a side-by-side comparison of a 720p versus true 1080p image.