HD resolutions explained?

[getafix33]

Hi

I would like some clarification on the following:

1. Common understanding that HD is 1280x720 (progressive)
2. Common understanding is that True HD is 1920x1080 (progressive)
3. A Plasma with a native resolution of 1024x768 will accept both the above resolutions but will scale the picture and display at it's own native resolution? (ie 1280x720 input scaled to fit and output at 1024x768)
4. Would the above be called upscaling?
5. The same would be said of a plasma with a native resolution of 1366x768 instead it would downscale an input of 1280x720 (and/or 1920x1080) and display at 1366x768.
6. A display can only output at it's native resolution no matter what input it receives?

The reason I ask is that I have heard many a sales guy say that HD resolution is 1024x768. My understanding is that is incorrect as there is upscaling that needs to take place but it still only displays at 1024x768.
My understanding is that 1024x768 is a 4x3 aspect ratio

 

[iC3MAN]

my understanding standing is that on my tv is a 1080p le40a656 sammy bought last year and if i play a 720p on it and set my tv to natvie res the pic will be played in a box then change the tv to full screen it will just stretch the pic to fill the screen but i believe the player ie blueray will upscale the pic to match your tv but HD been round for many many years just check a old white pc monitor mine old ass one will do over 2000x2000 res, hd nothing new

 

[dj_jyno]

Hi

I would like some clarification on the following:

1. Common understanding that HD is 1280x720 (progressive)
2. Common understanding is that True HD is 1920x1080 (progressive)
3. A Plasma with a native resolution of 1024x768 will accept both the above resolutions but will scale the picture and display at it's own native resolution? (ie 1280x720 input scaled to fit and output at 1024x768)
4. Would the above be called upscaling?
5. The same would be said of a plasma with a native resolution of 1366x768 instead it would downscale an input of 1280x720 (and/or 1920x1080) and display at 1366x768.
6. A display can only output at it's native resolution no matter what input it receives?

The reason I ask is that I have heard many a sales guy say that HD resolution is 1024x768. My understanding is that is incorrect as there is upscaling that needs to take place but it still only displays at 1024x768.
My understanding is that 1024x768 is a 4x3 aspect ratio

1. Yes - commonly referred to as 720p
2. Yes - think that's Bluray resolution
3. Possibly, but not too sure whether it will downscale correctly
4. Yes, if it's from 1280x720 to 1024x768
5. In a way, yes - 1080p would downscale, whilst 720p will have to upscale
6. LCD and plasma, yes.

 

[Penquin]

1024x768 on plasma is 16:9 because the pixels aren't square. It's rectangular

 

[ToxicBunny]

No, 1024x768 is 4:3 REGARDLESS of what they do with the pixels...

 

[feo]

No, 1024x768 is 4:3 REGARDLESS of what they do with the pixels...

Not necessarily. Like Penquin says, on a plasma HDTV you do get sets that are 1024x768 yet on HD channels you still get an undistorted (i.e. not stretched) picture. This, like he says, is due to a very clever way that manufacturers used to get rectangular pixels to fill the screen so 1024x768 can be 16:9..

 

[feo]

The reason I ask is that I have heard many a sales guy say that HD resolution is 1024x768. My understanding is that is incorrect as there is upscaling that needs to take place but it still only displays at 1024x768.
My understanding is that 1024x768 is a 4x3 aspect ratio

1024x768 is HD Ready, contrary to popular belief so the salesguy was right.

HD Ready only requires that the vertical resolution have at least 720 lines, it says nothing about horizontal resolution.

1024x768, commonly on computer LCDs have normal SQUARE pixels so mapped out on a grid, would result in a 4:3 picture. On plasma displays however, the pixels are rectangular and when mapped out onto a similar grid would result in a 16:9 picture.

 

[getafix33]

No, 1024x768 is 4:3 REGARDLESS of what they do with the pixels...

That's what I thought. Is 1:1 pixel mapping a display that has a native res of either 1280x720 or 1920x1080?

If the norm is 1280x720 for HD then how come most plasmas native res is either 1366x768 or 1024x768. Surely this is going to give you a stretched image as you will want it to fill the screen?

 

[ToxicBunny]

At anything other than the native res of the panel there will be upscaling/downscaling/dithering to make the picture fit.

It may not entail any stretching or anything but there will be processing work to make the image fit the screen.

As for the Plasma's with a 1024x768 res with rectangular pixels, yes it can display a Widescreen image and make it "look" normal, but it has down a fair amount of dithering on that image to make a native 16:9 image display on a 4:3 resolution monitor.

 

[PeterCH]

The reason I ask is that I have heard many a sales guy say that HD resolution is 1024x768. My understanding is that is incorrect as there is upscaling that needs to take place but it still only displays at 1024x768.
My understanding is that 1024x768 is a 4x3 aspect ratio

By some definitions 1024by768 is HD for screen resolutions, not media format resolutions. Lower down is extended resolution and even lower is standard resolution.

 

[feo]

That's what I thought. Is 1:1 pixel mapping a display that has a native res of either 1280x720 or 1920x1080?

If the norm is 1280x720 for HD then how come most plasmas native res is either 1366x768 or 1024x768. Surely this is going to give you a stretched image as you will want it to fill the screen?

I don't think you understand what 1:1 pixel mapping is. Simply put, a display that supports 1:1 pixel mapping (know as "Just Scan" mode on Samsungs) simply maps the image at it's original resolution and displays it in the centre of the screen with black bars around it.

I remember asking TivoZA this (and he's probably better qualified than both me and ToxicBunny to answer this) and AFAIK, he said it's gotta do with closed captioning or something along those lines.

 

[PeterCH]

That's what I thought. Is 1:1 pixel mapping a display that has a native res of either 1280x720 or 1920x1080?

If the norm is 1280x720 for HD then how come most plasmas native res is either 1366x768 or 1024x768. Surely this is going to give you a stretched image as you will want it to fill the screen?

This was dependent on the manufacturing process. Some plasma screens were 1024x768, others 1366x768 and others 1024x1024. All of these were/are considered HD resolutions. Now plasmas come in 1920x1080. They're not too expensive at that price either.

 

[Penquin]

Don't let resolution be the deciding factor when buying a HDTV. My plasma has a res of 1024x768 and HD looks amazing on it. I wathced the complete series of Band of Brothers in HD two weeks ago and it was like looking through a window at WWII. Even 1080p movies looks better on my HD ready plasma than on my 1080p Samsung monitor.

 

[getafix33]

No I agree, resolution is by no means the main deciding factor. I have just heard guys saying that HD resolution is 1024x768 which I personally don't agree with.
Thanks for clearing up pixel mapping.

The thing is that there is so much marketing hype out there and I have my own understandings. Just wanted to clear a few things up.

Cheers
G

 

[feo]

No I agree, resolution is by no means the main deciding factor. I have just heard guys saying that HD resolution is 1024x768 which I personally don't agree with

All you need to know is that 720 lines of vertical resolution is the minimum standard to be HD. 1024x768 has 768 lines of vertical res so TECHNICALLY it's considered "HD Ready".

 

[Smurfatefrog]

HD ready & Full HD are just marketing terms, in 10 years when resolutions are 4k x 2k what are we going to call those, extra full HD?

 

[feo]

HD ready & Full HD are just marketing terms, in 10 years when resolutions are 4k x 2k what are we going to call those, extra full HD?

Well, the proposed standard for 8k x 2k is gonna be called Ultra High Definition (UHD).

 

[milomak]

I guess Full HD is a better selling angle than 1080p HD in marketing speak.

 

[system32]

Monochoice HD broadcasts are 720p - i.e. 1280 x 720 progressive.
Most Blu-Ray disks are 1080p - i.e. 1920 x 1080 progressive.

See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hd_ready for a definition of HD Ready

"HD Ready" is not as strict a definition as "Full HD" - check wikipedia for details.

 

[beeskuiken]

what resolution is a normal dvd player?

-