Difference between 1080p and 720p

[Gold Samurai]

Three levels

480- Poor quality. Basically before the HD conversion by networks

720- Brings footage to decent quality

1080p- Top quality picture. You're able to see the pores on peoples faces.

 

[wizard]

Simplist way to put it:

1080P - Looks like you are right there filming the movie
720P - Does not

That's subjective, though. The same thing could have been said about 480p versus 720p. And when 4K (or possibly UHDTV, which ever wins the battle of being the next big standard) comes out, the same can be said about that versus 1080p.

Also, the type of video compression plays a huge deal. Usually for professional released Blu-rays, this is not a problem. But, if someone is releasing a fan sub or something, they could chose to use poorer quality compressing, which will take faster so they can release it sooner, but will result in a picture that doesn't look so great.


Keep in mind that distance from the display plays a big role. A TV that is 32" or smaller at 720p versus an identical size 1080p TV will effectively not have much difference, because with a TV, you sit further back from the TV and your eye won't be able to pick up such small detail. Computer screens it is easier because you are only a couple of feet away.

And, in case you were wondering, the 'p' stand for progressive, while 'i' stands for interlaced. It is essentially how the signal is sent. Interlaced (regarded as the inferior method) splits the frame into two signals, even and odd numbered horizontal lines, which will result in the picture having horizontal lines. Progressive sends the data for each frame as a whole, thus no lines and a better picture. Not that it matters too much for computer monitors, this is found in TVs.

 

[Dr Kain]

Even 1080p MP4 files would look beautiful played on a PS3! (Which is what I like to do.)

I believe you may even be able to play them on a regular Blu-Ray player.

They do, I watch them on my Samsung BD player all of the time. In fact, it plays every file but MKVs.

 

[Dr Kain]

That's subjective, though. The same thing could have been said about 480p versus 720p. And when 4K (or possibly UHDTV, which ever wins the battle of being the next big standard) comes out, the same can be said about that versus 1080p.

Uh, no it's not. Watch a movie in 720P and then watch that same movie in 1080P. There is a vast different in the quality of how it looks and moves. The movements, the motions, are all different.

 

[AzraelNewtype]

Uh, no it's not. Watch a movie in 720P and then watch that same movie in 1080P. There is a vast different in the quality of how it looks and moves. The movements, the motions, are all different.

Yeah, this is meaningless snake oil you appear to be peddling. Two videos at the same framerate but different resolutions do not have different movements or motions or whatever, just clarity. And yes, your original statement of "looks like you're right there filming the movie" is pretty much false rather than merely subjective. I'd suggest going to check out a UHD display, but they're not actually in regular production yet, and there's almost no content for it anyway, but it's much closer to capturing reality than mere 1080p.

For the purposes of this thread, the difference between 720 and 1080 has more to do with the source than anything else. If the source is a TV broadcast, the difference is that you waste more time and HD space downloading the 1080p version. If it's a current series sentai blu-ray, the same applies. The issue here is that the mastering is almost certainly done at 720p, or else the video is just so filtered that you're not getting anything out of the extra definition anyway. And let's be clear, I mean the source is either literally or merely essentially upscaled, before the release encoder even manipulates the video at all. I just saw some frames from the Goseiger movie yesterday, and the difference between the raw frame and the same frame scaled down to 720 and then upscaled back up was imperceptible. Even the noise looked unchanged, to say nothing of the actual detail.

Basically what I'm saying is, in general prefer 720 downloads and forget this issue exists unless the encoder says otherwise.