If 720p is about as good as 1080p picture-wise, why spend more for the 1080p?
While a 720p image can look every bit as good as a 1080p image, differences can arise when the original source is in one format (e.g. interlaced standard-definition TV broadcast to HD) and converted for display on another. Differences also become noticeable the larger the screen and the closer you sit to it. How huge the difference is is a personal choice. Will the happiness you get from knowing you have some extra dollars in your pocket outweigh the angst you feel knowing that there’s something "better" out there?
Some material such as Blu-ray movies will be noticeably better on a 1080p display, but if your main goal is a low-budget theater, we guess you wouldn’t think the difference is big enough to justify spending a premium.
Of course, you can get by with a display that doesn't do 1080p--and save some bucks in the process. But when more 1080p sources are readily available and more-or-less standard features on displays, will you still be happy with your decision? You’ll have to answer that one for yourself.
HD sets reveal flaws in standard TV
Regular TV on an HDTV: Aside from being able to display high-resolution HDTV shows and movies, a high-definition set can also make regular TV look a little better. Almost every HDTV has a processor that takes the regular TV image and converts it to progressive scan for a more stable image.This conversion won’t work miracles, however, and many HDTV buyers are disappointed by how regular television looks on their new sets. That’s because the big screen exaggerates the flaws in standard TV programs. No matter how nice a TV you buy, there isn’t much you can do to make regular TV, including digital cable or satellite, look better.
DVD on an HDTV: HDTVs can make DVD, a very high-quality source, look spectacular. 1080p DVD-upscaling players have their own internal processors that are generally superior to the ones inside most digital sets. Mating a high-performance kit based on Faroudja DCDi and Silicon Optix HQV chips with an HDTV will give you the best picture you can get outside of HDTV itself.
The original story first appeared in CNET.com
