[mythtv-users] OT: Why 1080p?

[Michael T. Dean]

On 11/07/2006 01:48 PM, Ed Gatzke wrote:
>
>  On 11/7/06, Rich West <Rich.West at wesmo.com> wrote:
> >
> > 1080p is not in the spec for broadcasts.  It was never considered,
> > and word is that you'll never see 1080p over regular broadcasts.
> > The highest you will get via broadcast would be 1080i.
>
>
>  I have heard 1080p is in the broadcast spec, but I can't find a link
>  to support this.  Nobody currently broadcasts 1080p


Yep--and it's been in the spec since the ATSC spec was finalized (i.e. 
as long as we've had HDTV).  
http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ISSUES/what_is_ATSC.html

That's why saying "1080i" or "1080p" or "720p" is just plain wrong when 
discussing video--it doesn't fully define the spec (while it's fine for 
discussing resolution of an X display or a TV).  Instead, you should 
say, "1080i60" or "1080 60i".  Similarly, there's "1080p30" ("1080 
30p"), "1080p24" ("1080 24p"), and 720p comes in 60, 30, /and/ 24 fields 
per second varieties.  (For progressive formats the number of fields per 
second equals the number of frames per second.  For interlaced formats, 
the number of fields per second is twice the number of frames per second.)

In the US (at least at this time), /all/ broadcast networks have decided 
to use only /one/ format for /all/ content (all of them 60 
fields/second).  Therefore, ABC and Fox are using 720p60 and PBS, NBC, 
CBS are all using 1080i60.

With CW and MyTV, the situation is more complex...  Previously, WB used 
/only/ 1080i60 and some UPN stations used /only/ 720p60 and some UPN 
stations used /only/ 1080i60 (I think the CBS-owned UPN's were 1080i60 
and the FOX-owned ones were 720p60).  When CBS bought up the WB, in some 
markets where both WB and UPN affiliates existed, the WB affiliate 
became the CW affiliate, but in other markets, the UPN affiliate became 
the CW affiliate.  (And, the one that didn't become the CW affiliate 
either became a MyTV affiliate or went "independent".)  I haven't heard 
whether all CW affiliates are currently using 1080i60, but most 
(possibly all) are, and all are going to be.  I have no idea about MyTV.

Therefore, when people talk about "1080i", they generally mean "1080i60" 
and when they talk about "720p", they generally mean "720p60"--solely 
because those are the formats that are currently in use in the US.  
However, just because people haven't seen any of the other 16 formats 
available in the ATSC specification, that doesn't mean they're not 
there...  :)  (OK, so some of the 480 formats actually exist in the 
wild, but you get the point.)


> > HD-DVD supports up to 1080i, and Blueray supports up to 1080p.
> >
> > If you use your Myth system for anything else (viewing Blueray
> > DVDs, playing games, etc), you will want the best resolution your
> > set can offer. :)


Good luck getting your system to read a BD-ROM or an HD-DVD--every 
occurrence of both are tagged "defectivebydesign" (= DRM-encumbered) by 
the EFF on any web storefront that allowed tagging:

http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HD-A1-DVD-Upconverting-Player/dp/B000E1PTGK/sr=8-1/qid=1162928919/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0916098-6255835?ie=UTF8&s=electronics
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BDP-S1-Blu-ray-Disc-Player/dp/B000DZS0G8/ref=tag_sr_title/103-0916098-6255835

Along with /much/ more:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/tagging/glance/defectivebydesign/ref=tag_dp_ct/103-0916098-6255835


> > However, as you can guess.. a lot of the noise about 1080p is
> > solely about numbers ("If my TV can push 1080p, then I am going to
> > display it at that rate!" and "1080p is a lot more than 720p!")
> > more so than about what is actually being displayed.


But, in reality, to properly display 1080i on a fixed-pixel display, you 
/must/ have 1080p pixels.  Otherwise, the picture would jump up and down.


>  And game consoles are coming out with 1080p games.  I think the PS3
>  is doing this at least.  I have run HL2 on 2650x1900 (greater than
>  1080p) and high resolution is very nice indeed...


I heard MS just pushed out an update providing 1080i for the XB360.

Mike