Video quality is something that every home theater enthusiast, whether you’re a videophile or just a huge movie buff, wants to perfect. Seeing a scene from your favorite flick in fluid, crystal-clear motion with no jagged edges or flickering… doesn’t that sound like heaven? So to get this, do you need a 1080p HDTV? Or will a 480i CRT work? Sometimes you’ll find that you can’t quite tell what all of those home theater terms means, especially when it comes to video. Audio-wise, “surround sound” pretty much speaks for itself; but 1080i and 720p are mysterious, offering no information to someone who isn’t on the inside track of the home video market.
In order to get that beautiful, pristine image, you’re going to have to understand what these terms mean, and what you need for your viewing purposes. In this article, we will discuss what those letters at the end of the resolution descriptors you see on HDTV boxes mean: the “i” and the “p”.
There are two standards for broadcasting and recording in most major television markets: Interlaced scan and progressive scan. The picture quality depends on which one of these technologies is used.
Interlaced scan was designed for older CRTs – cathode ray tube televisions. It works by alternatively refreshing about 480 horizontal lines across the television screen, 240 at a time. The even-numbered lines (2, 4, 6, etc) refresh to show the image, followed by the odd lines, at a rate of 30 frames per second. This can create some motion blur and jagged images, as the delay between the rows is particularly noticeable on high-motion scenes.
Progressive scan technology came about at around the same time that the flat panel TV market took off, and it is found on most LCD, plasma and LED TVs out there. It uses the same horizontal lines as interlaced scan, but rather than refreshing them based on odd and even lines, it does them in numerical order (1, 2, 3, etc). The resultant image is much smoother than interlaced scan.
In the United States, when you hear the term Standard definition or Standard TV, it means that the image uses interlaced scan. High definition uses progressive scan technology.
Generally, progressive scan is a more clear and defined picture, especially in the details and in motion scenes. If you compared a 720p (720 horizontal lines drawn all at once, beginning with the first line and going in order) to a 1080i (1080 horizontal lines with 540 being drawn every other line, then the remaining 540 being drawn after), you would notice a visual difference during, say, a run towards the goal for the game’s finishing touchdown. The 720p, despite not having as many lines, would look crisper and have cleaner motion sequences.
Understanding what interlaced and progressive scans mean can help you choose which flat screen TV is right for you. If you are just going to receive standard cable broadcasts, you might not need more than 480i – but you would still be missing some of the crispness that a progressive scan could give you. The be-all-and-end-all of display technology is 1080p, which offers 1080 horizontal lines that refresh progressively. This will give you the best picture possible for movies, sports, television, home videos and anything else you want to enjoy in your home theater.
Lauren writes for the HD Envy blog. HD Envy creates custom TV frame solutions for your home theater. Each TV frame solution is made from high-quality wood, leather or a material that matches your décor, and uses only the best practices in manufacturing. The unique designs of all of the TV frame solutions at HD Envy allow them to easily be incorporated into any décor, whether it is traditional or contemporary. You will be the envy of all of your neighbors when you add a TV frame solution from HD Envy to your home.
Tags: audio/video, Home Theater, Video Technology
