Monday, August 20, 2007
Full HD: Hip or Hype?
Posted by Jeremy Charette in "ARTICLE" @ 10:00 AM
"Eyesight is ultimately what mocks the Full HD hype. Even if you have 20/20 vision, your eyes can’t distinguish the pixel size of 1080p vs. 720p on screens of 42 inches or less. Even at 50 inches, the difference is debatable. Up at 70 inches, you may see differences—but even then, things like video artifacts, video noise, and the limits of source material (whether HD or not) take their toll."
Mark Fleischmann has a great article over at Digital Trends that demystifies the hype surrounding "Full HD". To sum it up: don't believe the hype. For starters, no one broadcasts 1080p in North America, only 720p or 1080i. Then there's the little issue of the what your eyes can actually see. Pile some video artifacts and noise on top of that, and there's no compelling reason to go "Full HD". So why are they pushing it? Money. Profits are getting slim in the flat panel TV biz, and manufacturers need something on the high-end to "upgrade" to, so they can maintain healthy profit margins. Save a few bucks, stick with 720p.
Mark Fleischmann has a great article over at Digital Trends that demystifies the hype surrounding "Full HD". To sum it up: don't believe the hype. For starters, no one broadcasts 1080p in North America, only 720p or 1080i. Then there's the little issue of the what your eyes can actually see. Pile some video artifacts and noise on top of that, and there's no compelling reason to go "Full HD". So why are they pushing it? Money. Profits are getting slim in the flat panel TV biz, and manufacturers need something on the high-end to "upgrade" to, so they can maintain healthy profit margins. Save a few bucks, stick with 720p.
