What is 1080i and 1080p what cable and HDMI version do I need

So you've got your new Flat Panel Plasma TV and Blu Ray DVD player what cable should you use, am I really 1080p HD Ready ?

So here it is in laymans terms

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface. It's a digital interface to get the best, uncompressed digital picture possible.There are currently five versions that are setup as improvement on the last since its introduction in 2003

The first high defintion TV's were classed as HD Ready only the resolutions were set at 1280x720= 921,600 just under a MegaPixel per frame and were called 720p and are capable of viewing only 1080i signals with the correct cable the latest version is called HD Ready 1080p the HDMI standard for this is HDMI 1.3 which means that unless you have a TV that is rated for HDMI 1.3 your 1080p Blu Ray player wont work in full 1080p there will be no picture and the players HDMI output will have to be reduced to 1080i this can be done in the Blu Ray Players settings so you can still watch the video on your older HD Ready television

1080i vs 1080p - Basically both formats have the same number of Pixels 1920 across the top and 1080 across the side this gives a total number of pixels (1920x1080=2,073,600) aka 2 MegaPixels per frame assuming that the aspect ratio is 16:9 this is the same as a basic digital camera or phone jpeg.

You might also see written like this 1080p24 means that it originated from a progressive scanned 24 frames source and has become an established production standard Cimena and for your Blu Ray player will also have this setting if you require it.

When Compared to standard DVD with and aspect ratio of 4:3 which has 720x576=414,720 this is an increase of 500% in the resolution alone over the now humbled DVD Video format with interlaced video

The difference between the two is that one is interlaced (like normal DVD-Video) and the other is progressive OR non-interlaced scan which means that 1080p requires way more transfer speed than that of the 1080i format.

So the main disadvantage of progressive scan is that it requires higher bandwidth than interlaced video that has the same frame size and vertical refresh rate this is why DVD-Videos incorporate the interaced video due to the lack of a digital inteface like HDMI 1.3 rated cable is required to transfer this higher speed of transmission in contrast the 1080i signal requires a much slower speed and HDMI 1.2 rated cable might work.

As far as interconnects go you can still connect your full 1080p Blu Ray Player to your 1080i Plasma TV using the three cable interconnect that comes with the players but for the best possible connection you need to use a HDMI cable with gold plated connecitons. Prices range from £15 right upto £60 and beyond if you go with Monster Cables however the £15 version if it says rated for Blu Ray it will work just fine so save yourself £40.


HD Ready
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HDMI 1.0 - combines a digital video signal (standard or HD) with a two-channel audio signal over a single cable used with the HD Ready
HDMI 1.1 - This version adds the ability to transfer not only video and two-channel audio over a single cable, but also added the ability to transfer Dolby Digital, DTS, and DVD-Audio surround signals, as well up to 7.1 channels of PCM audio.
HDMI 1.2 - This version adds the ability to transfer Super Audio CD signals in digital form from a player to a receiver most Home Theatre Systems require at least this type of cable for full capabilty however you can use a v1.3a cable works just as well

HD Ready 1080p
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HDMI 1.3 and HDMI 1.3a These versions include improvements in both audio and video capability. With the advent of Blu-ray Disc it adds the ability to transfer the digital bitstreams for the new high resolution audio formats in addition to the standard 24-bit color depth we are used to, HDMI 1.3a has the ability to transfer color depths up to 48-bits, and can accommodate resolutions much higher than the 1080p resolution standard that is in use today on all TVs that are HD Ready 1080p

HDMI 1.4 and HDMI 1.4a HDMI version 1.4 adds practical enhancements for HDMI connectivity. If home theater components, such as HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, and Home Theater Receiver, the next step in HDMI of the future is covered by the v1.4a cables wrt to speed.