LCD can display 1080p right?

OK, here is my thinking:

1. Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray will be stored in 1080 format.
2. 1080i and 1080p is a function of the display monitor, not the source signal.
3. LCD can always display in "p" mode as they don't have the drawing restrictions of a CRT.
4. Since my main planned usage of my HD TV will be to play the next generation DVD's, the best one that I could get is one that does not need to convert the 1080p to some other type of signle like 768.

I have a suspiscion that some of my assumptions above are wrong, though. I went to Good Guys and they only had one LCD panel that could display 1080 resolution - I assume 1080p. I was comparing the image of that screen to some other 768 right next to it, and I was more impressed with the image of some of the 768s over the 1080 LCD. I asked about the signal and I was told that it was 1080 to both machines. Is the signal truly 1080p, or have they cut down the content in the signal to only 1080i, which caused the LCD to not look at good? Do all LCD display in p mode, or do they also display in i mode depending on the technology?

LCD technology is capable of displaying both progressive and interlaced video. The native resolution of the LCD panels is what determines how good a 1080 image looks over 720. 1080 native LCD RPTVs are fairly new with 720 LCDs RPTVs being the more popular spec. You weren't clear if Good Guys was demo'g an HDTV broadcast or an upconverted DVD title. In either case both scenarios can only send the signal in 1080i so the answer is no...the signal was not 1080p. In theory, the best image you get with LCDs is when you match the source resolution with the native resolution of your TV, avoiding any scaling up or down of the source signal.

1. HDTV optical discs will use all standard ATSC formats, 720p60 & 1080i30 & 1080p24.

2. 1080p is both a signal standard and a display format, but they have different framerate capabilities. Image format is 24 frames per second. Display format is 60 frames per second, so it can upconvert 720p60 without dataloss. It is progressive, so it will deinterlace 1080i30 and double refresh it.

3. LCDs as well as DLP & LCOS & DILA & Plasma are inherently progressive.

4. Is not a question... but, yes, a 1080p60 display is the ultimate HDTV format. Ultimate quality is determined not only by the panel res & performance, but also by the upconversion chip.

The only 1080p60 direct view LCD I know of is from Sharp... other sets with DLP, DILA, and LCD as imagers in RPTVs will have 1080p60 models by fall or sooner.

Isn't the Samsung LT-P468W also 1080p60?

Yep, you've beat me to the punch... I just checked out it's specs yesterday! Lots more coming!

Man, you guys really know this stuff....

Please, a couple of questions...

1. I've heard that 1080p is going to be "the" new DVD standard, going forward, and that it is already out in Japan, for instance. Would you concur?

2. I've already got over 200 movies in the current American format and just flat could not replace them all (did so much of that making the jump from VHS to DVD). Will the new TV's coming out soon be able to upconvert from 480i to 1080p? I guess nearly anything's possible.

Every time I get close to buying a new set I find out something like this and then put it all off for another six months.

There is a CHINESE high def standard that uses the current DVD hardware (red laser). It's called HDV. They mostly use 720p/24 telecined from film, and there's no room for extras, etc. BluRay recorders are already out in Japan, they record the MPEG2 stream in all the formats of ATSC.

Since film is shot at 24 frames per second, any higher framerate is just redundant for transfer. I think most films will be supplied on HD-DVD or BluRay at 1080p/24, some at 720p/24. I'm sure all the ATSC formats will be supported, and there has been talk of a new 1080p/60 format, like the newest displays. Supporting this new res will require new cameras not yet designed, but not that far out of technology's reach... Most fast motion captures at 60 fps will continue at 720p for a while.

There won't be a necessity to replace your SD DVDs... new HD optical players will play them as well as CDs. At their current quality, of course.

The new 1080p/60 displays, like all fixed pixel displays, MUST upconvert all lesser formats for display... they can only produce one res, they can't change the number of pixels. But upconversion doesn't really produce new detail... it's just a way of putting a low res image on a high res display. Your 480i content will be displayed, but will all it's current limitations.

LCD technology is capable of displaying both progressive and interlaced video. The native resolution of the LCD panels is what determines how good a 1080 image looks over 720. 1080 native LCD RPTVs are fairly new with 720 LCDs RPTVs being the more popular spec. You weren't clear if Good Guys was demo'g an HDTV broadcast or an upconverted DVD title. In either case both scenarios can only send the signal in 1080i so the answer is no...the signal was not 1080p. In theory, the best image you get with LCDs is when you match the source resolution with the native resolution of your TV, avoiding any scaling up or down of the source signal.


To clarify what you're saying about LCD tvs. With my Samsung LCD with 1280 x 768, it would be best for me to watch programs broadcast at 720 p in 720p? And programs broadcast in 1080i should be watched in 1080i?

Just about every fixed pixel technology, including LCD, is 'p'; the exception being the "wobbler" DLPs ( but are not 'i' either ).

The 'i' stand for interlaced which is basically how old analog
( and still many digital ) CRTs "paint" a picture on a screen.

The old analog TV's would "paint" every odd line and then
come back and "paint" every even line, hence the term
"interlaced."

Since all LCD, PLASMA, LCOS, and LCD Projection are fixed pixel and are updated at same time, all such displays display their resolution
progressively, i.e. 480p, 720p, 1080p, etc.



Many HD stations are broadcast in 1080i but the 1080p
LCDs will convert this to 1080p in the process of updating
the pixes simulataneously.

regarding this question:
To clarify what you're saying about LCD tvs. With my Samsung LCD with 1280 x 768, it would be best for me to watch programs broadcast at 720 p in 720p? And programs broadcast in 1080i should be watched in 1080i?

-----
The Samsung resolution you quote above would display 720p
signals natively, that is, no downconverting would be necessary.
A 1080i which has a full frame of 1080x1920 would have
to be downconverted to 720p before it was displayed. If
your TV has a good scaler then you would hardly be able to
distinguish it from a 1080i signal from the 720p signal.

To clarify what you're saying about LCD tvs. With my Samsung LCD with 1280 x 768, it would be best for me to watch programs broadcast at 720 p in 720p? And programs broadcast in 1080i should be watched in 1080i?

Although your set will up/down convert your 1080i signal, you can only view 768 res. as this is the native resolution of your set.

You will have the best images using a 720p signal when possible. Not just because it has the same horizontal res, but also because it's progressive scan & 60 fps. Setting your STB to 'pass thru' means the format conversion will occur in the TV, setting 720p will cause upconversion in the STB & minimal scaling in the TV.

1080i vs 1080p

Scan doubling is not progessive scan.

your electronics can scan double this...(1080i) but there's no new information. At 1080p the whole screen in one shot and if you're dealing with high speed electronics, it's possible to have more information in the media.

1. HDTV optical discs will use all standard ATSC formats, 720p60 & 1080i30 & 1080p24.

2. 1080p is both a signal standard and a display format, but they have different framerate capabilities. Image format is 24 frames per second. Display format is 60 frames per second, so it can upconvert 720p60 without dataloss. It is progressive, so it will deinterlace 1080i30 and double refresh it.

3. LCDs as well as DLP & LCOS & DILA & Plasma are inherently progressive.

4. Is not a question... but, yes, a 1080p60 display is the ultimate HDTV format. Ultimate quality is determined not only by the panel res & performance, but also by the upconversion chip.

The only 1080p60 direct view LCD I know of is from Sharp... other sets with DLP, DILA, and LCD as imagers in RPTVs will have 1080p60 models by fall or sooner.


Crutchfield is selling a new 37" BENQ model that is 1080p for $2000.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-0OUAiNouHNS/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=153650&I=610DV3750

"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy"

I guess you mean lobotomy....!
Roger

1080p sets seem to be starting to pop up like mushrooms...

That BenQ has decent specs, limited to 1 Component, 1 DVI, 1 VGA input capable of HD though...

If Crutchfield sells it for $2000, I'd think it'll be cheaper elsewhere...