With the recent price drops in 1080p flat panel televisions its time to return to this classic battle. 1080i vs. 1080p. Is 1080p finally worth the extra price? The short answer is 'Yes'.
Only a few months ago that wasn't possible to say. The difficulty in creating 42 inch and larger panels forced the manufacturers to pass the cost of piles of discarded panels on to the public. Ahhhh,... but the beauty of technology is that there will always be those willing to bear the pain of high prices to have the latest and greatest.
While the public waited for flat TV's the geeks had 7" to 12" panels in their laptops and were eager to pay for each size and quality upgrade. God bless the geeks (Now if only they could help me with my girlfriend but everyone knows that geeks are 'Romantically Challenged').
The 'i' or 'p' following the 1080 indicates the manner in which the picture will be displayed. 'i' stands for interlaced and it means that the panel displays every *other* line (1,3,5..) then makes a second pass to fill in the picture (2,4,6..).
The only thing that makes this trick possible is a quality of human vision called "persistence of vision". Know how you can cut a light or TV off in a dark room and still see a fading afterglow from the light? that's the effect.
Your eyes see lines 1,3,5 and they stay in your vision as the TV draws lines 2,4,6. very slick huh? 1080i allows a signal to be broadcast with only 50% of the information in each frame. Of course 1080p (progressive) is the exact opposite. It draws the screen from the top down 1,2,3,4.. just as you would expect.
The result is a picture that appears more solid and exact with no subtle flickering. depending on the source of the video signal the quality can be clearly seen. But is it worth the extra price?
Looking at the current market I have to say: Depends on where you buy it from.
That seems to be the largest variable in the price premium for 1080p over 1080i. Most in store salesmen realize that 1080p video quality can easily convince a buyer to pay a larger premium in-store. How could it not? Your dream TV is in your face in 1080p High-Definition. What's not to love?
Online the market is more competitive and the price difference between 1080i and 1080p versions is much smaller but there are some very serious things to take into consideration before making such a huge purchase online. This is a little more serious than buying sneakers from eBay.
1) The Vendor - Can you trust that the vendor will actually deliver? HD Panels cost many thousands of dollars. Your card will be charged. Will you get the unit? Only deal with vendors with a proven track record of positive customer service. Research the vendor and read delivery reviews. A lot of good reviews that basically state how people feel about the TV are best because it verifies that the company delivers.
2) Are Warranties Available? - Please don't buy a flat panel without buying a service warranty. The On-Site services that repair or replace the panel are the best. Don't be cheap here. You're spending thousands on the panel not spending a few hundred on sleep-at-night insurance would be foolish?
3) Is the HDTV In-Stock? - Many websites will instantly slap a picture of the hot HDTV on their website and happily take orders for items that may be backordered for months. Be wary of websites that don't display in-stock status.
4) Check Delivery Options - Just because the store has the HD panel in stock is no guarantee that you'll be able to watch the big game this weekend. Depending on the size of the HDTV delivery can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Most units 42" and under can be shipped by FedEx or UPS but larger units usually require truck delivery.
Ask where the final point of delivery is. Some will only ship to your curb. Which means you'll be responsible for moving an oversized item of several hundred pounds into your home. Standard options are curbside (cheapest if you have a dolly and a few buddies), to your door, into a room of your choosing with or without setup and box removal. Full setup is often referred to as white glove service and is usually worth the cost if you must install the HD panel yourself.
So in summary - Yes! 1080p is worth the extra resolution - The pictures clarity and stability is worth the smaller price markup over 1080i when buying at internet vendors. Making such a large purchase online does have risks but if you follow these basic simple tips you can avoid the most common mistakes made by HD online buyers and enter the world of glorious 1080p goodness - Just like I did.
Enjoy! Now where did I put that remote?
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The author Jarvis McCrary researches and writes extensively about Technology and Geek Gadgets
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