Confusion over 1024x768 resolution and HDTV

MetalOllie

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Hi,

Looking at the requirements for HDTV, I found this info on AVF...

• HD capable inputs accept the following HD video formats:
o 1280x720 @ 50 and 60Hz progressive (“720p”), and
o 1920x1080 @ 50 and 60Hz interlaced (“1080i”)

Ok, so if I go for the new Pioneer PDP-436RXE which has a resolution of 1024x768 am I wasting money that would be better invested in a set capable of a higher resolution? Surely a set with only 1024x768 is just going to downscale everything, not that I really understand downscaling either.

What is the benefit, or indeed point, of a panel that has a higher resolution? There are sets with 1366x768 and 1920x1080... how much difference is that going to make? I don't really understand the difference in vertical resolution at all, since the 720/1080 stuff is horizontal isn't it?

How will 1080p be affected on a set of 1024x768? To say I am confused is an understatement, so answers in idiot-speak would be greatly appreciated.. :lease:

Thanks

Ollie
 
the 720/1080 refer to the number of Horizontal lines which is actually the vertical resolution (720 lines stack up to a vertical resolution of 720).

From what I have read in many of these forums, dont get hung up on the number of lines a panel has (Horizontal or Vertical) it does not necissarily mean a better picture. There are many more variables with a greater impact such as build quality and the picture processing electronics. Im sure that the best advice is to see the panels in the flesh for yourself showing the material that you want to view (be that HD or SD or whatever). Choose a panel on what looks best to you within your chosen budget. I know we all like to analyse the specs and be sure we get the best for our money but there is really nothing better than seeing it for yourself.

Hope this helps.
 
You simply won't see as much detail on a 1024x768 as compared to a 1280x720 display.

HOW much of a difference is to how picky you are. 480 looks pretty good on a good 42" plasma screen imo. But when more 720p stuff appears it won't show the full resolution and thus the detail that is inherent in the video.

Go take a look but most 42" plasma screens aren't full 720p. They can display it but they downscale it.

Koing
 
There is no such thing as a native 1280/720 plasma of any size. And even if there were, due to a desirable feature, (in limited and correct amount) we call 'overscan' it would not actually match the 1280/720 video signal anyway, but would have to enlarge the image so a few lines all round could be 'off screen' to avoid the frequent junk around the edge of the picture. So be happy with 1024/768, it's perfectly fine for HD, you will never know the difference.
 
MAW

You say
There is no such thing as a native 1280/720 plasma of any size. And even if there were, due to a desirable feature, (in limited and correct amount) we call 'overscan' it would not actually match the 1280/720 video signal anyway, but would have to enlarge the image so a few lines all round could be 'off screen' to avoid the frequent junk around the edge of the picture. So be happy with 1024/768, it's perfectly fine for HD, you will never know the difference.

Yet in
THIS THREAD
you say
The XDE always rescales the picture, nothing you can do about it. It's resolution being 1024/768, is nothing like any video resolution. A school of thought says that scaling anything twice must be worse than scaling it once, which would make an upscaling DVD player a total waste of time! Even displays which are actually 1280/720 may well have 5% or more of overscan, meaning in spite of being HD native, they will still be rescaling the image, to make it effectively bigger than 1280/720. On many, even most, displays, like the XDE, this overscan is not adjustable, just built in. Pants, isn't it?

Can you please clarify whether the Pioneer's 2.5% overscan (assuming the 436RXE is the same in this respect to my 436XDE) is desirable or pants.

Trevor
 
Connsidering the variety of inputs (1080i, 720p, 576, 480 and possibly PC formats too), then it is inevitably going to do some scaling, because it's impossible to map pixels 1 for 1 on a range of different inputs. If I were to be buying a new plasma screen, the number of screen pixels would have to be a consideration, but I would also be looking very closely at how well the display copes with the scaling, because some don't do it at all well.
 
Trevor, there is no actual contradiction, overscan is both a good and bad thing. The XDE has too much, IMHO, much less is needed with HD, it's a cleaner signal. My own setup has about 1%. The whole business is pants, was what I meant, ie it's not actually possible at all, to have pixel matched video, it just does not work. Overscan is unfortunately needed, any 'native res' panel is going to have to have some overscan. My correction is built into my scaler, not my plasma, which is pixel mapped to the scaler output. I then resize the picture with the scaler controls to give the desired result, no edge junk and scaler doing the work. it's not very clear, sorry. And if your Pioneer only overscans by 2.5% you are lucky BTW. 5% is more typical.
 
I'm confused by this format to. Does anyone know WHY they created this resolution of plasma screens? What is good about 1024 x 768 compared to the 'specified' 1280 x 720? Besides being cheaper to produce.
 
They were created as PC monitors 1st, and that's the way it's gone forward. And for reasons as above, there's little or nothing to choose between a full video res screen and any other format with enough pixels. The latest generation of 50" panels look like being 1920/1080, for all the good it will do. More pixels is better, but only provided you have enough info to display on them. They could be poor with SD video, we'll have to wait and see. Have you seen the Sharp 45" with sky? It's not pretty.
 
I was wondering about this too. Basically if my Panny PV500 has a resioltution of 1024 X 768 does that mean I will only be able to display a max of 720P.

I know that the number refers to pixels but does this also equate to the hdmi 720P standard.

Not to bothered if thats all as I know both 720p and 1080 i will have benefits, just wondered.

Cheers
 
Your set will make a decent job of squeezing 1080i lines into it's 768 vertical resolution. Both 720 and 1080 will fill the screen vertically, unless it's a movie, when they might not.
 
i have spent many of hours researching this problem when and about 4 weeks after i had got my new TV.

and i came up with that if you can tell the difference between the 436xde(1024x768) and the 506xde (1274x768) both running the same HD film from the same PC/360 you will have expert eye's.

you really can not notice the difference at all.
 
Yes I've seen the Sharp 45" showing Sky in John Lewis in Oxford St, it had a price tag above 5K when I saw it, the picture was so bad I did wonder who on earth woould buy one, there must be a large enough pool of punters who just want a nice flat screen not caring about the picture quality or price.
 
Amazingly there are a lot of people like that. The Sharp looks teriffic with Euro1080i, but it still overscans, therefore scaling the image up to make it 'more than fit'.
 

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