Interesting HDTV information from Major Nelson

[Khrest]

For those of you X360 users that don't already listen to Major Nelson's weekly Podcast you may be interested in this week's show which has a thorough interview with the bod at MS who deals with the HDTV standards for the XBOX360.

http://www.majornelson.com/2006/02/19/show-163-wma-the-one-about-hdtv/

It has the ring of a defence as to why X360 won't support 1080p, but nontheless I learned a lot listening to it and at last I understand why 720p looks better to me than 1080i.

 

[PuncH]

so basically, if i buy a hdtv one day it's best to run it in 720p? which, if you look at the back of the game boxes is the most commonly supported resolution anyway.

what's the actual resolution @ 720p? 1280x720?

 

[Kainz]

I was listening to this at work and almost fell asleep 20mins into the interview. I just got lost amongst all the figures being mentioned A very informative interview though.

 

[Khrest]

If I understand it correctly. 720p is 720 lines of resolution 60 times per second. Whereas 1080i is 540 lines times 2 at 30 fps each which makes it poor for sports TV and action games.

But the actual resolutions are 1280x720 and 1920x1080. 16:9 in each case of course.

BTW. YMMV as far as 720p looking better than 1080i is concerned, but I certainly felt it was.

To further summarize 1080p would be the daddy but requires huge bandwidth that would apparently overload the HDMI standard if 5.1 sound were included with it.

The guy in the show, Tyler, must be a really interesting person to meet at a dinner party.....NOT!

 

[Kainz]

I think Major himself was getting somewhat lost and tired during the talk

 

[Khrest]

I was listening to this at work and almost fell asleep 20mins into the interview. I just got lost amongst all the figures being mentioned A very informative interview though.

Yeah, I listened to it at the gym whilst cross training and nearly crippled myself nodding off a couple of times. Informative, but in need of a good editor

 

[ic1male]

To further summarize 1080p would be the daddy but requires huge bandwidth that would apparently overload the HDMI standard if 5.1 sound were included with it.

I'm not sure that's true otherwise would they have chosen HDMI as standard?
The PS3 is rumoured to be capable of outputting TWO 1080p signals but that's to be taken with a pinch of salt at this time.

I'm lucky enough to be enjoying 1200 lines of resolution already thanks to my little black box with Windows on it.

 

[Zarniwoop]

The PS3 is rumoured to be capable of outputting TWO 1080p signals but that's to be taken with a pinch of salt at this time.

I think you will find that Sony have dropped this claim now.

 

[AtomicBanana]

For games at least, the ps3 will be doing most (if not all high profile) games in 720p, just like the 360

 

[kidloco]

that certainly was interesting listening, if a little complecated at times.

Im struggling to comprehend why sony are pushing the 1080p capabilities if its limited to 24-30 fps, unless they have found a way to make 1080p 60 a possibility. which the guy says is out of the question for the timebeing even on hugely expensive equipment.

seems 720p is defo the best available at the moment for gaming.

 

[TONY]

I am not happy about Europe sticking with 50 hz signals from HD Dvd and Bluray players whilst the Americans get 60hz signals even though all HD displays sold in the UK etc support 60hz, it might be worth importing.

 

[ic1male]

That's what I think too. They could have agreed on some universal standard with 60Hz seeing as all the new PAL TVs can do 60Hz anyway. We'll come off 5 and 10fps lower. Yes it's probably not noticeable but I can moan can't I!