Full HD May Be Full of It! Is the High Resolution 1080p HDTV Worth The Premium Price?

With the emergence of high definition televisions that have a greater resolution than standard HDTVs, some interesting questions are popping up. Is this new technology, dubbed "Full HD" or "1080p", worth the price?

Question:
What? Now that 1080p Full HD televisions are being sold, my 720p HDTV must be only "partially" high definition! Is that something like being partially pregnant? I thought a television was either high definition or it wasn't. What is all the fuss about?

Answer:
While the minimum requirement for high defintion is indeed 720 lines of resolution, the HD television manufacturers have been pushing these new "Full HD" televisions. These sets tout incredible clarity through the use of 1080 lines of progressive scan resolution - otherwise known as '1080p'. Progressive scan means that every line is refreshed during each cycle, as opposed to the inferior interlaced scan (1080i) that refreshes every other line at a time. With 1920 columns for each of those 1080 lines, the Full HD package delivers over 2 million pixels (pixels are those miniscule dots that make up the picture). That is over twice as many pixels as the typical 720p high definition television that emerged first into the HDTV market. Three circles in the illustration above show how the shape becomes smoother when more dots (pixels) are used to create the object. The three circles represent pixel counts to similate 480p (DVD quality), 720p (standard HD), and 1080p (full HD). An example of how a photographic image becomes sharper with greater pixel count is shown, too. For best results, click on the image to get the larger version. The 1080p resolution sounds impressive. So why is there any question that this technology is the way to go? Two reasons: visual acuity and content availability.

Visual Acuity
Let us first address the issue of visual acuity. I initially discussed this topic in a post entitled, Size Matters. Back then, I explained that visual acuity refers to the capability of the human eye. A person with 20/20 vision is able to distinguish lines on a screen that are separated by 1/60th of a degree. The reason this figure is described as degrees of an arc is because you can see a smaller line when up close, but when further away the line must be larger to be visible. This creates an angle - an angle of approximately 1/60th of a degree.

How much detail a person can see on a television depends two things: (1) the line thickness determined by the screen resolution and (2) the viewing distance. The greater the resolution, the more lines on the screen and the more difficult it is to distinguish the individual lines. If you are able to actually see the individual lines on a TV screen, you may need to sit farther away, get a higher resolution screen, or both. It is my belief that you don’t want to be able to distinguish individual lines. This will ensure top picture quality perception.

Based on visual acuity, the chart at the left was created to show at what resolution screen lines become indistinguishable. For example, watching a 46-inch television at a 10-foot distance, the 720p resolution has a line thickness that is virtually indistinguishable by the human eye. There is likely no benefit to using a 1080p screen in this situation. At that same 10-foot distance, however, a 60-inch television could benefit from 1080p. Or the 46-inch screen viewed at a shorter 8-foot distance could also benefit from Full HD. The recommended resolution depends on the combination of screen size and viewing distance. This chart is useful in finding those instances when 1080p may be justified.

This chart also provides information about recommended screen sizes for different home applications. The black areas show situations that adhere to professional cinema guidelines for immersive (hard core) home theater viewing. The grey areas adhere to specifications and recommendations for more typical (practical) home entertainment applications. Again, please see the earlier post, Size Matters, for more details. Again, you may click on the chart to get a larger image.

Content Availability
There is another concern about the effectiveness of Full HD. Despite the capabilities of a 1080p television, there is very little content available to take advantage of this ultra high screen resolution. Currently there is no satellite, cable, or over-the-air programming presented in 1080p. All of the available HD content from these sources is in either 720p or 1080i.

There are, however, two proven methods to get 1080p content to a Full HD television. First, a qualified HD disc player such as a Blu-ray or HD DVD may be capable of this type of high resolution output. While all Blu-ray players are capable of 1080p, it is necessary to bypass the introductory HD DVD players and make sure the upgraded 1080p player is used. The second source for 1080p content comes from either the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 gaming system. These have games capable of Full HD output as well as disc players that can provide top notch resolution. That just about sums up the current availability of HD content in crystal clear 1080p.

Despite the lack of 1080p content today, the emphasis of this high quality resolution in the television marketplace will eventually trickle down to the content providers. As more folks invest in this technology, they will look (and pay) for content to take advantage of it. Technology will continue to move forward and 1080p televisions will become the standard. And when homes are filled with 1080p televisions, you will see content providers begin to offer the improved content. It will take time, but it will happen. If you're investing in a TV that you plan on keeping beyond the end of 2008, it is reasonable to expect that you will have more content available in the 1080p resolution. The investment in Full HD should be considered a longer term commitment.

Conclusion
The technological advancement of 1080p is undisputed. It is hard to argue with twice the pixel count. The issue comes from whether this improved performance is worth the 20 - 25% price premium a Full HD television can carry. If the television size and viewing distance at least gives the opportunity to enjoy the enhanced image, then 1080p should be considered. If considered, the decision should be made based on the range of content available now and in the near future. For many, movies on HD discs are the primary reason they would want improved clarity anyway. So these folks, Full HD will bring the ultimate in picture clarity and an incredible viewing experience. For others, their circumstances just don't justify the higher resolution. So look at your individual circumstances and determine for yourself whether 1080p is worth it - or whether the extra expense for Full HD is just "full of hi-def dung".