The race to dominate 1080p

While the question of whether or not next year will be the year for high definition to take over, it will definitely be remembered as the year 1080p hit the scene. With several different manufacturers lining up plasma and LCD displays, Displaybank took a quick look at the competitors.

From 40" to 102", "full" HD will be a big marketing buzzword in 2006. I predict we will see a $15k 1080p HDTV PS3 bundle from Gamestop at some point. It will be madness.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 31st 2005 7:45AM]

I've never managed to get my hands on a 1080p TV to do some experiments, although I have seen a demonstration of a true 1080p picture. It was awesome. It made 720p look average, and 480p positively archaic. So if someone here could enlighten me on a few points, it would be much appreciated...



I live in the UK, which currently has no HD broadcasts, so I'm in no rush to upgrade. However, when I do, I want to get the best I can for my money...so I'm thinking about 1080p. The PS3 springs to mind as a good reason, and the alleged ability for the Xbox 360 to push out 1080p (subject to some patch) also interests me.



However, when UK broadcasters start transmitting their HD signal, it will be 720p, and I expect that only special, occasional broadcasts will be in 1080p for the foreseeable future. I assume that most HD DVDs will also be 720p.



So my question is this: how does a 720p signal look on a 1080p set? Does the upscaling introduce nasty jaggies/artifacts?



Or to put it another way: would I be wasting my time and money waiting for an affordable 1080p set if broadcasts, HD DVDs and most entertainment systems will only support 720p? For the next few years, at least...



Thanks for your help.

Steve