Full HD 1080

Is Full HD 1080 a real spec? ( stamp by Sony ™)


No, but ... that evolves, since there are a lot of new-to-market non 1080 displays that really suck, it is a useful thing for us all to see, and i like this stamp.

The truth is, that HD makers are using the 1080 number with TRUE and FULL as a differentiator for the systems that have 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and in all cases that i could determine, its an indicator of native processing and display in all 1080 inputs. A situation analysis here is for those marketing efforts that list 1080i as an input compatibility.
The fact is that even the new Samsung BD-1000 Blue-ray 1080p player actually converts the 1080p to 1080i internally, processes that and reconverts to 1080p for output. Huh? true.
Done properly it does not matter how the 1080 arrives, what matters is how that is handled, and most all the new nice 1080 stuff does what is needed nicely. Thanks.


I guess FULL HD - 1080
is just thier way of not saying this

Even more confusing is the marketing that lists a VGA resolution system as HD TV simply because it has an ATSC Digital broadcast receiver in it, AHA .. so it can tune into an HD broadcast that its not capable if displaying at any HD resolution levels. for shame, shame shame.

The problem people are encountering is that nearly all cable and satellite broadcast HD is 1080i and some new game machines and HD DVD / blu-ray stuff always says 1080p. The assumption being that a 720p or 1366 x 768 plasma display is just not up to the 1080 level of image quality.
We even have Jessica Simpson telling us in satelite tv ads that "It's broadcast in 1080i" ... "I totally dont know what that means, but i want it",.

The useful info here is the number "1080"?
The difficulty with all this is that 1080 is the display resolution, and the display processing is more important than anything else, and FULL TRUE HD 1080 whatever doesnt always mean you get everything there is.
Display makers are basically telling you that they are the only ones that make a real HD display and use 1080 as a number to do that. 1080 is in fact an indictor of the prevailing proper processing of what HD has to offer, and you want that for sure, but it isnt all there is to it.

Firstly, the source has to be in a 1080 format. At this point, 1080i or 1080p should mean to you that you are cable/satellite or HD DVD/blu-ray with your source.

One way some makers use to try and convince you that thier stuff is real HD, and the best, is by placing an HDMI stamp on thier stuff. Sorry, you can put an HDMI connection system into anything and it is no guarentee whatsoever of 1080p thruput, i have a DVD player here with HDMI labeled on the front that doesnt output anything other than DVD 480 resolution.

So you cant use the presence of HDMI stamps as an assurance of 1080 anything, however, you want HDMI in your system components, its 1.3 spec is rigorous enough to provide the best thru-put, and it is a good standard, but in an of itself it is no guarentee of the resolution you will get from a source you plug into it. Blaming HDMI for a poor image in your display is like blaming the messenger for the message, because it is simply a convention for connection between devices in such a way that includes everything, the lowest through to the highest in video and audio is inclusive in this. I really like HDMI 1.3 and Component YpBpR for video and DVI for PC connections, you should seek mutiple input in your HD display with all these and a VGA input for good measure.

FULL HD 1080 and PS3
Here is one of the current rubs in this mix, the Sony PS3 being blamed for games that are developed for it that were created in 1280 x 720 resolution, that were then connected to old 1080 displays. In this case the PS3 is worngly accused of having a comaptibility problem, since the hardware is just fine with newer systems that have newer processing and connection conventions.

Its sort of a 720p problem redux in that 720p is sort of a misguided child of the dual HD standards, and not all display systems handle this 720 resolution with equal ability. In a worst case scenario, the display seeing anthing that is not 1080, will downscale to 480 NTSC ( or PAL ) standards. This would be not just limited to the PS3... the problem exists with the older display and the fact that the game should have been re-authored to produce a 1080 optional resolution. Sony bashers are pushing this like its a huge blunder, but in fact its limited to a rather small group of older HD TV owners with 1080i displays, and in the greater scale of things it is nothing huge, but should have been identified somehow ahead of the selling of the games involved. These older system owners were not informed of the possible problems, assuming that sony branded items will always play well together, regardless of the generation of the product. This was a failure to communicate, the tech issues aside.

Consumer Information about 1080 ...

Is woeful at best. Sony's 1080 tour for example, basically says you want this, go to a store.
HUH? people go to the web to find useful info right now and immediately. 1080 evangelism is scattered about and not enough up-to-date to be immediately useful, google will find articles written in 2004 and 2005 that are in todays world just plain wrong.