My Cart - In the world of technology, there is perhaps no greater debate going on at the moment than the battle between 720 and 1080p and as a top provider of cheap LED TVs, we think it’s time we got involved. So where to begin? Well, it has been shown that both formats, while different, do share some similarities. For one, both are high definition formats, meaning which ever you have, you’ll still have a high quality output. Secondly, both are progressive display formats (which is where the ‘p’ comes from) although this is where the similarities end.
So what’s the difference?
To get technical, 720 p is 1,280 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 720 pixels down the screen vertically, where as 1080p is 1,920 pixels displayed across the screen horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. These arrangements determine the amount of horizontal lines yielded on the screen, which are in turn displayed progressively- it’s in this progression that provides the high quality we’ve come to love.
But the main difference between the two formats lies in the number of pixels that make up an image. For 720p, the number of pixels is roughly one million (the equivalent of one megapixel in a digital camera), and for 1080p it’s about two million. This simply means that with a 1080p image, you’re going to get a much more detailed picture.
Does that make 1080p better?
Well, put simply, yes. However, buying a 1080p television doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to have a better time than your neighbour with his 720p television. What many people forget is that with televisions there are several outside factors that determine the quality of your video. The size of your television screen plays a big part into the quality you receive, as does the distance you sit from it.
What does that mean for my television?
Most LCD, Plasma and LED televisions are 1080p and you’ll only find 720p in televisions with a screen size below 40 inches. However, the price difference between 1080 TVs and 720p TVs is so narrow these days that manufacturers are finding it more cost effective to bring a higher quality even to the smaller screens.
For a little fun side note, TVs now being labelled as 720p have a native pixel resolution of 1366×768 which means technically they put out 768p rather than 720. Now you might be asking if these sets would display a 1080p signal…well yes, in a way. The television will process and scale any incoming resolution to its normal 1366×768.
Hopefully it’s a bit clearer now, but we know it won’t end the argument- this is a battle to last the ages! If you want to test this out first hand, we have a whole range of high def TVs for sale! Or maybe you just want more info? Either way, contact us on 0121 327 3273 and speak to one of our friendly TV experts who will fulfil all your techie needs!
