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Understand The Jargon and Prepare For The Future

While high definition is an exciting prospect for home-cinema fans, its novelty means that standards are still being set out. The battle between Blu-ray and HD DVD is enough of a headache for consumers, but serious hi-def fanatics are also going to have to deal with the new 1080p high-definition format. 1080p TVs will offer the best picture quality of all, but its late arrival means that not all technologies will support it.

720p and 1080i were initially set out as the two key standards, with Sky HD, HD DVD and the Xbox 360 supporting these formats. Any TV that supports 720p and 1080i is classed as HD Ready, but if you want the best picture available, you'll have to look out for 1080p TVs later in 2006. Here's a brief outline of what all these numbers mean in real-world terms:

480p/576p: 848x480/576 pixel resolution. Standard-definition picture that is displayed progressively. Each line is displayed on the screen simultaneously, therefore it is smoother than an interlaced picture.

720p: 1,280x720 pixel resolution. High-definition picture that is displayed progressively. Each line is displayed on the screen simultaneously, therefore it is smoother than an interlaced picture.

1080i: 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution. High-definition picture that is displayed interlaced. Each odd line of the picture is displayed, followed by each even line, and the resulting image is not as smooth as a progressive feed. 1080i is therefore a more detailed picture suited to documentaries and wildlife footage, but less suitable for action-oriented material such as sports and movies.

1080p: 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution. High-definition picture that is displayed progressively. Each line is displayed on the screen simultaneously, therefore it is smoother than an interlaced picture. This is the ultimate high-definition standard -- the most detailed picture, displayed progressively.

The new 1080p standard will be supported by Blu-ray players and the PlayStation 3. If you must have the latest high-definition technology though, it's going to cost you. 1080p is a high-bandwidth standard that requires a very high-resolution panel, and manufacturers are lining up with high-end displays to fill the gap. If you're a serious home-cinema nut, keep your eyes open for some hot 1080p devices set for launch soon.

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