Topic: HD Ready vs Full HD

[gisan925]

just want to share this article i saw in the net.

How to Choose your Ideal HDTV
Full HD vs HD Ready, 1080p vs 720p?

HD signals
720i - 1280x720 interlaced
720p - 1280x720 progressive scan
1080i - 1920×1080 interlaced
1080p - 1920×1080 progressive scan

HDTV types
HD Ready - HDTV set capable of accepting HD signals (may not be able to display at full resolution 1920x1080)
Full HD - HDTV set capable of accepting HD signals and able to display full resolution at 1920x1080
720p HDTV - another name for HD Ready HDTV
1080p HDTV - another name for Full HD HDTV

Most of the HDTVs today are able to support 720i/720p/1080i/1080p signals. So the single most important spec that we should be looking for when choosing a HDTV is the screen resolution (pixel resolution).

For HD Ready HDTVs which have screen resolution less than 1920x1080, they are less than ideal. This is because if you feed a 1080i/1080p signal to a HD Ready HDTV, this HDTV will scale down the signal resolution to fit its smaller screen resolution. That is to say, you will lose resolution if you use a HD Ready HDTV to display a 1080i/1080p signal.

For Full HD HDTVs, they have screen resolution of 1920x1080, thus, when a 1080i or 1080p signal is feed to it, it is able to display the picture in its full glory at 1920x1080 with no resolution loss.

So it is not difficult to conclude that if money is not a problem, always go for Full HD 1080p HDTVs with 1920x1080 resolution instead of HD Ready 720p HDTVs which has lesser resolution.

How to Choose a Good HDTV at a Budget

HD Ready vs Full HD, size does matters
For the same screen size, Full HD HDTVs cost much more than HD Ready HDTVs. If you are on a budget, buying a HD Ready set instead of a Full HD set will save you quite a substantial amount of money.

As a general guideline, if you are getting a HDTV set which is less than 42 inch, you won't be able to notice the resolution difference between a HD Ready set vs a Full HD set. Thus, you will be able to get almost the same visual enjoyment at a lower budget if you buy a HD Ready HDTV (720p) instead.

For screen size 42 inch or greater, going for a Full HD (1080p) will be a better choice as at such big screen size, the pixel difference will be more visible.

refererence link-http://www.squidoo.com/Full_HD_Ready_HDTV

[edboy7]

thanks bro...ayun naman pala e

[gisan925]

i don't know ksi which is which. mas malinaw na ngayon which flat panel i am looking for.

[milken]

This article however says that the full benefit of FULL HD is noticeable only in panels >55".
http://reviews.cnet.com/720p-vs-1080p-hdtv/

The seating distance is also very important.  You'll more likely to see the benefit from a full hd panel if you seat very close.  There is a chart about this.

[Clondalkin]

The seating distance is also very important.  You'll more likely to see the benefit from a full hd panel if you seat very close.  There is a chart about this.

In my opinion, the seating distance is really the most important when it comes to visualizing the difference between a full HD and HD ready set.  At 1.4m distance, you can definitely differentiate a full HD 32 inch.  I'm using a 50V and I can clearly see the grid lines of HD ready TVs at 2m range.  My full HD counterpart is obviously smoother at that range.

So depende sa country yan.  In the US where people have wide and spacious TV room, then you need a huge screen to appreciate the advantage of full HD.

 

[gisan925]

This article however says that the full benefit of FULL HD is noticeable only in panels >55".
http://reviews.cnet.com/720p-vs-1080p-hdtv/

The seating distance is also very important.  You'll more likely to see the benefit from a full hd panel if you seat very close.  There is a chart about this.

great article milken! this will surely save us hdtv buyers some money!

[milken]

Here's the chart on viewing distance vs. screen size vs. resolution:

[barrister]

i don't know ksi which is which. mas malinaw na ngayon which flat panel i am looking for.

Sir milken's above posts and links are good.  The cnet article is very reliable, and the size-resolution-distance chart is top-notch.


Sorry to say this, sir gisan, but the author of your quoted article does not know what he's talking about. 

HD signals
720i - 1280x720 interlaced

For one thing, he is not aware that there is no such thing as 720i.



To demonstrate another inaccuracy, try answering this question:

The squidoo.com article says "HD Ready" is not 1080p.  If so, then what does the logo "HD ready 1080p" mean?

 

Native resolution of "HD ready 1080p" requires a minimum of 1920 x 1080, just like "Full HD". 

What's the difference then?

"HD ready 1080p" has additional requirements such as 1:1 pixel mapping without overscan, no aspect ratio distortion, and 1080/24p support, among others, which actually makes it an even higher standard than plain old "Full HD". 

[Huddaf]

Ayun, yun din question ko about 720i.

[odyopayl]

Now after the resolution, lets talk about the speed. Have you noticed that price of the HDTV depends also on the transmission rate capability (Bandwidth) like 60hz, 80hz, 100hz.......250hz?? It's the thing that makes the image clear in high speed action Movies.

[barrister]

... transmission rate capability (Bandwidth) like 60hz, 80hz, 100hz.......250hz?? It's the thing that makes the image clear in high speed action Movies.

I don't know what that is. 

Please post some links if any, so I can confirm if you're not referring to frame rates/frequencies.

If you're referring to frame frequencies, the highest so far is a 240 Hz prototype, the Samsung Blue Phase LCD Display: http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800523525_480700_NP_776013a2.HTM

[yaripon]

hi! i have questions regarding this matter

i have an hd ready tv that is capable of displaying 1080p. when i use my ps3, this is the displayed resolution. so, what does this mean if my tv displays 1080p pero hindi siya full hd?

im sorry if this is a very noob question, until now i am still trying to understand technicalities regarding hd.

thanks!

[iiinas]

hi! i have questions regarding this matter

i have an hd ready tv that is capable of displaying 1080p. when i use my ps3, this is the displayed resolution. so, what does this mean if my tv displays 1080p pero hindi siya full hd?

im sorry if this is a very noob question, until now i am still trying to understand technicalities regarding hd.

thanks!

it just means that the your tv down scaled the 1080p ps3 signal to fit your hd ready panel/tv. if you have an lcd / plasma its native resolution will usually be 720p. thats why it is usually advised that you set your players resolution to fit your panel's native resolution to avoid the panel doing down scaling.

btw, 720p is considered hd already although 1080p is called full-hd.

[barrister]

i have an hd ready tv that is capable of displaying 1080p. when i use my ps3, this is the displayed resolution. so, what does this mean if my tv displays 1080p pero hindi siya full hd?

The key to understanding it is knowing the distinction between the video data's "source resolution" and the display panel's "native resolution".  Once you get that, everything else will be easy to follow.

Source resolution is easy.  That refers to the resolution of the video data passed to your TV.

On the other hand, the panel's native resolution refers to the actual physical pixels on your panel's screen.  Flat panels have fixed pixel displays, since the number of pixels on the panel is fixed and cannot change.  The only variable pixel display is the CRT, which can physically display any resolution that its software allows.

A flat panel can only display images that exactly fit its own native resolution.  If the source is DVD, the source resolution is 720 x 480.  If the flat panel's native resolution is 1366 x 768, the TV's internal software will first scale the image to exactly 1366 x 768 before it displays the DVD image.

If the source is Blu-ray, the source resolution is 1920 x 1080.  If the flat panel's native resolution is 1366 x 768, the TV's internal software first downscales the image to exactly 1366 x 768, then displays the image. 

Now, for your questions:

so, what does this mean if my tv displays 1080p ...

It means that your TV's internal software supports 1080p source resolutions.

... pero hindi siya full hd?

Hindi daw 1920 x 1080 ang native resolution ng panel.




======================================

if you have an lcd / plasma its native resolution will usually be 720p.

Small LCDs usually have a 1366 x 768 resolution.  42" plasmas usually have a 1024 x 768 resolution.  They're just commonly referred to as 720p panels for convenience, but that's actually inaccurate.

thats why it is usually advised that you set your players resolution to fit your panel's native resolution to avoid the panel doing down scaling.

The panel will still be doing some scaling.  A 480i DVD, even after upscaling by a DVD player to 720p, still does not exactly fit a 1366 x 768 LCD's native resolution.  The TV will still have to internally scale the already upscaled 720p signal to exactly 1366 x 768 before it can be displayed.

The usual advice is to set the player's output to a resolution that is closest to the panel's native resolution for best results.  But that's just a general rule.  Results can still vary, depending on how the software scales the signal.  Most TVs are optimized for 720p inputs, some for 1080i inputs.



 

[gearhead000]

not so quick reply:

• full HD supports 1080p natively
• HD Ready downscales 1080p to 720p or deinterlaces it to 1080i
• note: full HD 1080p may not always be the most desirable feature. faced between a 1080p lcd panel and a 720p(1024x768) plasma panel of almost the same price point and viewing distance... it maybe that the plasma will appear better in most respects.
• even with a 1080i and 1080p panel, at a certain fixed viewing distance, many people would be hard pressed to tell the difference. a good test is to step back the same distance as your seating position at home and see if you can save some considerable bucks going for the lesser capable panel.
• at this point, going full hd will mosty be for future proofing... since most people will still be playing dvd materials and cable/OTA programs. it means upconverting the 480i signal to the full 1080p... almost a 4.5x image upscale (remember that a 480i signal is composed of approx. 240fields/frame, while the 1080p signal displays that full image at that same time. (as a corollary to that, i am of the opinion that a 720p signal is better than a 1080i signal). a 720p image though would just be a 3x upscale. so viewing distance and application also factor in on the decision to go full HD or HD Ready.
• for those seeking to also use their panel as desktop monitors, there's something to be had in going full hd. most graphics cards support 1900x1080 natively than 1366x768 of most hd-ready panels.

[yaripon]

wow! i didn't expect to receive very detailed replies! thank you very much! im still in the process of understanding this whole hi-def technicalities.

at alam naman naging na ang mga babaeng katulad ko ay hirap umintindi pag dating sa mga ganitong bagay. haha 

anyway, so is it recommended to set my ps3 video settings to 720p instead of 1080p? I had it on automatic setting since i didn't want to set it up manually. mahirap na baka kung ano pa mapindot ko pag manual pa, and i wasn't sure which ones to tick.

i don't think i'd be needing full hd anyway. mine is only 26 inches.

[barrister]

at alam naman naging na ang mga babaeng katulad ko ay hirap umintindi pag dating sa mga ganitong bagay. haha 

Ay, female pala si Binibining yaripon.  Hindi totoong ang mga babae ay hirap umintindi ng tech.  Ang totoo, hindi lang sila maysadong interesado; pero kung sakaling interesado, pareho lang yan sa abilidad ng mga kalalakihan.    

anyway, so is it recommended to set my ps3 video settings to 720p instead of 1080p? I had it on automatic setting since i didn't want to set it up manually. mahirap na baka kung ano pa mapindot ko pag manual pa, and i wasn't sure which ones to tick.

There is no hard and fast rule for determining which setting will work best.  I hate to say "let your eyes be the judge" (expect to repeatedly encounter that comment in this forum ), because I know it's really not helpful.  But in this case, that's the way it is  .

There's just no way to determine in advance how the TV's scaler will handle the signal, considering that the TV manufacturers don't publish how their scalers are actually processing the different video input signals.  It's probably a trade secret, so we might never know. 

The only way to know if a higher resolution will produce a better image would be by actually testing the input signal and eyeballing the resulting image.  Sometimes a higher resolution can give you artifacts such as ghosting on small moving objects.

I recommend starting with 720p, the resolution closest to the panel's own native resolution.  Then compare with other resolutions.  Results will depend on how the TV's scaler handles the input, and the only way to know which is better is by actually testing and comparing for yourself.

[yaripon]

got it! thanks! ill try that when i get home.

just to let you know, i learned a lot from this forum. i don't post that much but i take time to read and browse through the threads. it helped me lot in understanding basic information about hd. articles on the web help too, but sometimes you have to have someone explain it to you in simple terms.

[jeyps11_c]

Just to clarify -- if you have an upscaling DVD player and an HD Ready plasma/lcd it is best to set the DVD player to 720p output rather than 1080p? Same thing with the PS3, instead of using 1080p as the output better have it at 720p para mas malapit sa native resolution ng display. And no more downscaling fro the TV.

[iiinas]

Just to clarify -- if you have an upscaling DVD player and an HD Ready plasma/lcd it is best to set the DVD player to 720p output rather than 1080p? Same thing with the PS3, instead of using 1080p as the output better have it at 720p para mas malapit sa native resolution ng display. And no more downscaling fro the TV.

as a general rule, that's where you can start. but as sir barrister said, our eyes is the last judge to what we will feel is the most pleasing image for us. if you have a 1366 x 768 panel (as most 720p lcds are) try to set the dvd upscaler to output at 720p, so that the panel's internal scaler will do little scaling work to make it 720p. but you can also try the dvd's 1080p output and look for yourself which is more pleasing to you. in my case, 720p was better than setting my dvd to 1080p. but i could swear some members will say that 1080p source output plays way better in their 720p native panels. so try both and see what you like. 

[mrclark]

Wow very informative.
I have read that Plasma tv are better for cable viewing that LCD.
If both Plasma and an HD-ready LCD has the same 720p capability why does Plasma give a better picture? (If this is true...)

I'm currently contemplating on what to buy, if HD-ready or FULL-HD LCD, or should I go for Plasma?  although I'm a bit constrained on the budget.  (around 60K, and 37" above screen size)
I will be using it mostly for cable and DVD viewing only.
I'm not into game consoles and I don't see using Blu-ray in the near future as it is still expensive.

[jeyps11_c]

IMHO - if you want to go FULL HD then go with the size that will show the FULL HD capability. As per gurus on this site your display size should be 50" and above for you to appreciate the Full HD. Sa 60k I think you can get a 42" plasma kasi HD Ready lang. Meron pa sukli for other gears

I've owned an LCD and Plasma pero both are HD ready lang and I mostly do cable viewing, DVD watching and PS3. I prefer the plasma over the LCD.

[mrclark]

Thanks bro,
if going for Plasma, then I guess Panasonic's 42PV8 would be my choice, since they just have the same spec with 42PV80, and only difference is the number of HDMI output..
unless there's a better alternative within my 60K budget   

[jeyps11_c]

Get the PV80 if budget permits...you can't have enough HDMI input I have the PV8 and I am a bit limited by the 2 HDMI input (PS3, DVD upconverter and WDTV). Also, check other brands. Baka meron mas maganda at that price range.

[streetsmart]

I have read that Plasma tv are better for cable viewing that LCD.
If both Plasma and an HD-ready LCD has the same 720p capability why does Plasma give a better picture? (If this is true...)

I'm currently contemplating on what to buy, if HD-ready or FULL-HD LCD, or should I go for Plasma? 

Generally, there are 4 main factors which determine the picture quality:
1. Contrast ratio
2. Color accuracy
3. Color saturation
4. Resolution (1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i, etc.)

Even if a display has very good resolution, it may be weak in the other areas. Thus, when you compare displays, don't just look at the resolution, look at the other factors which are even more important than resolution!

[mrclark]

How do you gauge for the Color Accuracy and Color Saturation for LCDs and Plasmas?

[streetsmart]

How do you gauge for the Color Accuracy and Color Saturation for LCDs and Plasmas?

Technically .. you need special and expensive instruments. And a lot of training. 

In practice, bring DVD's which you are familiar with. Some with a lot of accurate flesh tones -- reference DVD's like Fifth Element. Some with strong colors like animated films such as Rataouille. Try to adjust the colors using the color and tint controls till you get the best for each display. Then look at the displays and you should be able to tell the differences.