tech talk: blog 
tech talk's blog
what is up with the whole 480i-1080p thing?
by faith trust and pixie dustPublished Jun 11, 2008
Views: 360
When you see the numbers 480i, 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p...think of computer resolutions.
"Each of the numbers, 1080, 720, and 480 indicates the number of vertical lines of resolution present in a video signal or that a television is capable of displaying. For example, a 1080p video signals have 1080 lines of information from the top to the bottom of the image. The more lines used to describe the image, the clearer and "higher-quality" it is. In the United States, there are three common standards of digital video quality: 1080i/p, 720i/p, and 480i/p."
Here is a link to a good diagram and the rest of the article that was copied from:
http://www.hddefinition.com/resolution.php
Most non HD is displayed as 480i signal on an HD TV. 480i is compairable to no hd, but it doesnt distort the image too much. If you select a widescreen tv, make sure the remote has a button for aspect ratio...you should be able to change from 16:9 to 4:3. While 16:9 is perfect for HD, non HD will be stretched. If there is an aspect ratio button on the remote, you can easily change to watching it with bars on the sides of the screen so the image is not stretched.
oh and one other pointer...coax and A/V (Yellow, Red, White) do not carry or produce HD...so unless you choose a TV with a QAM tuner that pulls in HD through a coax, make sure there is enough componant and HDMI connections.
Filed under: Internet & Technology
close![[no avatar]](http://wwwcache.wral.com/presentation/v1/images/golo/noavatar.gif){kind=avatar}
Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.
You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
August 18, 2008 3:24 p.m.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
June 12, 2008 12:19 p.m.
We never had this issue back when we had cable. We went to satellite because it is cheaper and the picture is a lot better, in addition to the fact we get a LOT more HD channels.
GOLO member since August 16, 2007
June 12, 2008 11:16 a.m.
GOLO member since September 4, 2007
June 12, 2008 10:42 a.m.
GOLO member since May 2, 2008
June 12, 2008 10:07 a.m.
Please log in to add comment.