Ask Engadget HD: Is now the time to replace my 720p HDTV with a 1080p set?

"I know my 720p HDTV looks perfectly good in most situations, but with prices of 1080p sets declining, I keep wondering if now would be a good time to pick one up to replace my existing set. Outside of 1080p movies and games, are there any other compelling reasons to make the leap? Will the difference be worth the cost to upgrade?"
For folks who get the itch (and have the means) to upgrade their set every few years anyway, we don't see why you wouldn't make the jump to 1080p. 720p sets can still fetch a decent amount on the used market, and 1080p HDTVs can be had for a song if the right sale is caught. Still, the question of "is it worth it?" is a crucial one, so why not give your take in comments below?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Glavasich @ Mar 5th 2008 12:20PM
If you sit 10 feet away from your tv then it's a stupid upgrade.
Carlton Bale @ Mar 6th 2008 9:34AM
If you have a small screen and sit far away, 720p is fine. If you have a huge screen and sit very close, the upgrade would be worthwhile. Here is a chart showing when you get the resolution benefit for a specific screen size/viewing distance.
Carlton Bale @ Mar 6th 2008 10:47AM
Here is a chart showing when you get the resolution benefit for a specific screen size/viewing distance: http://www.carltonbale.com/2006/11/1080p-does-matter/
Andy Sullivan @ Mar 5th 2008 12:22PM
Hey, if you need a new set then sure, go ahead and get a 1080P. But why else would you dump a perfectly good 720P set? Almost every expert reviewer has stated that broadcast HD, gaming HD even a 1080P game, and 1080P HD movies look just as good on a 720P set as they do on a 1080P set. Unless you want to go bigger then why make the jump? The 50" Pioneer 720P plasma beat out every other 1080P display for PQ. Nuff said.
Doc @ Mar 5th 2008 12:49PM
Agreed, it is for the most part just marketing hype that is unless your going big! But with the only thing native 1080p being on a disk or game(to an extent) I really don't care about going up now since they broadcast everything in 720p or 1080i anyways and it will be a few years until they upgrade too..
Sam Winter @ Mar 6th 2008 5:01AM
"Almost every expert reviewer has stated that broadcast HD, gaming HD even a 1080P game, and 1080P HD movies look just as good on a 720P set as they do on a 1080P set."
That comment is total bullshit. I would love to see some links....
I have seen a 42" 720P and a 46" 1080P next to each other with the same native 1080P BD content, and I could tell the difference from normal viewing range. 'nuff said in my book.
HD Tom @ Mar 5th 2008 12:25PM
In my experience, it's not worth it under 46" anyways .... but that's just me. So if that's the size you have/want, then 720p should be all the TV you'll ever need. But if you go above 50" then it's probably worth the investment. As for replacing your 720 for a 1080, ask yourself this - are you already truly happy w/ your TV? Do you keep asking yourself, how could this get any better? If so, save your cash for a blu-ray player or a set of golf clubs or something. 1080p is nice, but it's not always necessary for every person.
spyder91 @ Mar 5th 2008 2:05PM
I chose my 42" Panasonic 720p Plasma because comparing it to the 1080p version gave me the higher capable resolution, but the 1080 set lowered the contrast ration significantly. I'm extremely happy with my TV and don't sit within the 4ft necessary to notice the theoretical difference in my 720p-1080i content. Just my thoughts on the matter though.
Burrens @ Mar 5th 2008 12:25PM
You know the biggest reason for me to upgrade would not be 1080p specifically, but improved contrast ratios, increased viewing angles, more inputs (more HDMI), 24Hz compatibility, or better backlighting (for LCD anyways). Then again, I do own a 1080p set already.
HD Tom @ Mar 5th 2008 12:28PM
Actually, this is an awesome point. These other features more often have far greater impact on PQ than simply moving to 1080p!!
Jim @ Mar 5th 2008 3:26PM
Don't you mean 120 Hz?
Personally, I don't like how 120 Hz makes a movie look like a soap opera.
Carlton Bale @ Mar 6th 2008 9:34AM
No, he means 24 Hz, i.e. 24 frames per second. This is the framerate at which all movies are filmed.
I agree with you about the 120 Hz feature. Having the video processor refresh the image more rapidly than the panel can refresh the pixels is not that great of a feature.
jayman @ Mar 5th 2008 12:29PM
Not worth it yet. Why pay a premium for something that isn't widely used. Wait until there is actually any 1080p content to be had other than HD DVD or BD. And even then, the difference between 1080p and 1080i is not night and day. There is a difference, but it isn't a big difference. Unless you plan to get a huge TV (+60') or sit two inches away from the screen you will not benefit from 1080p. I have a 1080p set, and kinda feel like I was taken for a ride and bought into the marketing hype. I should have gotten a bigger plasma for cheaper instead of my 1080p LCD Sammy. Just my opinion.
Daniel Gensler @ Mar 5th 2008 12:38PM
here is the chart to tell you if you need to upgrade:
http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html
9 times out of 10 your wasting your money
Nick V @ Mar 5th 2008 10:17PM
This is a great chart for understanding the issue but it's not always 100% accurate in my experience. Your eyesight is going to play a factor; if you have eagle-eyes obviously you'll be able to see the 720p/1080p difference at closer distances. Furthermore, I don't have particularly great vision but according to the chart, on my setup I should only be able to see the 480p difference, but I can easily see the 720p difference (I can't see any difference between 720p and 1080p though).
bryan catmull @ Mar 10th 2008 11:10PM
sorry but you already have a chart, built in to your head, its called your eyes, I am 64 years old
do not wear glasses and can see the difference
between HD and full HD at 2 meters or 6feet
with HD THE LINE STRUCTURE IS PLAINLY VISIBLE,
MadMike @ Mar 5th 2008 12:42PM
I would say yes. I opted for a lifestyle change and as I loved my projector my soon to be wife does not love it enough to sacrifice the living room styling. We just moved into a new house and I picked up a 60" Pioneer Kuro PDP-6010FD with a Denon AVR-4308CI. Mounted it on the wall between two floor to ceiling windows in my family room.
It does 1080p and accepts and correctly displays 1080p/24 with 3:3. Shows up as "1080p 36bit" instead of "1080p" on the TV.
I got the tv at a great price because of Pioneers obvious move to LCD. The quality is mind-blowing. MUCH better than my Optoma HD-81 which has been relocated to the basement.
Hoog23 @ Mar 5th 2008 12:45PM
I bought a 720p panasonic plasma before Xmas. Only reason that I originally thought I made a mistake was because I couldn't get my HTPC's desktop to display properly. Now that I got a Popcorn Hour that issue is resolved though.
djbarry @ Mar 5th 2008 1:00PM
Hell I can see a major difference between a 15.4" 1440 X 900 and 15.4" 1920 X 1200 Laptop LCD every one I show can tell the differnce. But when it comes to the lousy content on most TV's it makes it hard to see difference. If you hook a PC to a 720p 42 and a 1080p 42 and sit next to one another you can see the quite notice able difference. Most people are not comparing 2 tv's of same size with exact same content next to one another when making the comparison.
andy @ Mar 5th 2008 1:47PM
I don't routinely sit less than 24" from my 50" television.
Apples and oranges.
djbarry @ Mar 5th 2008 3:16PM
But with a 50" being 3 1/4 times bigger then a 15.4" laptop. With a 50" sitting 7 feet away would be equlivilent.
Scott @ Mar 5th 2008 1:01PM
I know people say the differences aren't noticable, but I recently got rid of my Samsung 720p DLP 56" in favor of a 50" Sony 1080p SXRD set. It upscales nicely and popping a blu-ray movie in the ol' PS3 looks awesome - a lot better than I ever got on my Sammy. Even some of the HD broadcast content looks virtually like 1080p and have had tons of comments on how much better it looks.
I got $850 out of my Samsung and got the Sony with stand for $1200 so I thought it was well worth it.
andy @ Mar 5th 2008 1:44PM
you would get the same effect again if you traded up to a nice 720p plasma.
FrankTheCrank @ Mar 5th 2008 1:02PM
I would love to get a 50" 1080P Plasma. I have a 42" Sony Rear Projection 3LCD TV. It's native 720P...or 768P...but the HD picture quality is awesome.
I feel like I want 1080P...but I'm on the fence. Plus plasma prices at the 50" are too high still. A good 50" 1080P will still run you at least $2K. That's nearly what I spent in Nov2005 for the 42" 720P.
I just wish the TV would croak, so I could cash in the extended warranty. Son of a bitch!
Ken @ Mar 5th 2008 1:02PM
Easy - hold off as long as you can!
Wait until your 720p breaks, is stolen during a home invasion, gets too small for your situation, you move and need to upgrade/put it somewhere else, etc.
Same with computers. Hold off as long as you can!
Dave @ Mar 5th 2008 1:08PM
Only if you are sitting less than 2x screen width from the tv.
ThePremierAssassin @ Mar 5th 2008 1:21PM
I already plan on getting one...in fact I plan on getting that sexy Samsung that you've got pictured there...
chilipepper @ Mar 5th 2008 1:52PM
There is no reason to upgrade at this point. Prices are only going to go lower for 1080P, not higher. I am looking to upgrade my 720P mitsubishi projector soon to a 1080P projector, but I am projecting the image on a 92" screen, where it WILL make a difference. Anything less than 60" won't be noticable anyway.
andy @ Mar 5th 2008 2:33PM
All of the newer models are 1080p anyway. And you know that with projectors, it's not just resolution you're getting with newer models.
The contrast, brightness, and color improve by leaps and bounds with every revision.
andy @ Mar 5th 2008 2:34PM
All of the newer models are 1080p anyway. And you know that with projectors, it's not just resolution you're getting with newer models.
The contrast, brightness, and color improve by leaps and bounds with every revision.
Randy @ Mar 5th 2008 1:52PM
Johnny Begood
@ Feb 27th 2008 6:43PM
Am I an idiot or is everyone out there purchasing tvs that have resolutions BELOW 1920x1080 asking for it in the end? PHYSICAL resolution is EVERYTHING! Isn't that the way it is in the pc world? When I make buying decisions for computer monitors for people who use those monitors for image rendering for example, why on Gods green Earth would I NOT care about physical resolution? They want to be able to reproduce that image as truly as possible.
If I had a 5 megapixel image, and I viewed it on a 17 widescreen monitor that had a physical resolution of 1440x900, are you saying that the image would look just as good as on a monitor with a physical resolution of 1920x1200? Isn't there more data that the monitor has to "throw away"?
1440x900 - 1,296,000 pixels
1920x1200 - 2,304,000 pixels
Doesn't that mean the higher resolution monitor can display 1,008,000 MORE pixels of that 5 meg image? In THIS situation, I would think that that is a HUGE amount MORE data and WELL WORTH it!
Bottom line - the more physical resolution, the HIGHER the image quality is! PERIOD! Now that doesn't mean that if you take a picture of the night sky, that you will be able to see Mars as clear as you can see the Blockbuster sign across the street. But what it does mean is that you will be able to see a better REPRODUCED image of the data you DO have. It will be MORE accurately reproduced that with a monitor that has LESS PHYSICAL resolution.
Isn't the goal here the best quality of the original image(movie) we can get????
So if you are looking at an image (bluray 1080p) on a tv that has a typical lcd or plasma PHYSICAL resolution of 1,366x768(1,049,088 pixels), am I reading correctly that the average person cannot or probably won't see a difference in that image on a tv that has a resolution of 1920x1080(2,073,600 pixels or 1080p)?????
I don't believe it! That is almost and practically DOUBLE the PHYSICAL resolution!!!!!
Is my logic flawed????? Are my numbers wrong????????????????????
If not, STOP BUYING THOSE STUPID ASS LOW RES PIECES OF CRAP FLAT PANEL TVS!!!!!!!!
If so, I'm sorry and may I burn in hell sucking on HellBoys Right big toe for eternity!
:)
MadMike @ Mar 5th 2008 2:25PM
I agree with you. When I went to get this new TV I had "4yrs Future Proof" in my mind. So I didn't get the true 1080p/24 but a nice guide on the AVS forums showed that the TV I did get, did take 1080p/24 and displayed it correctly @ 72Hz instead of 120Hz like the PRO150-FD. Honestly - not a huge deal. I wasn't about to spend $2,000 more for TRUE 1080p/24 I just wanted to be able to use it and see it displayed well.
What many people are referring to is that resolution isn't everything. If you sit far enough away, you won't be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. At that point, its better and wiser to get the brighter screen and the higher contrast over the pure resolution. Again, its a valid point. But - today 1080p is almost the norm and for the size of the screen that I got - 1080p was the logical choice and the TV I got was also discounted over $2,300 off of the MSRP because Pioneer is leaving the plasma business. Too bad, because they made one of the BEST plasmas. Heck, they made a 50" 720p (768p really) that beat all other TV's out (even 1080p).
To each his own. It's your money - spend it how you wish.
Rom @ Mar 5th 2008 3:01PM
Your logic is flawed.
Imagine if 80% of the pictures you look at were taken with a 1 Megapixel camera. Those pictures would look WORSE when blown up to fill your 1920x1200 monitor. Yet, all of your high-resolution images would still look crisp and sweet when reduced to 1440x900.
Also, you're comparing a screen that is about 18 to 24 inches away from your face (monitor) to a screen that is routinely further back four times that distance. Try comparing your photos when you stand far away from your computer. There will be very little perceived quality difference.
Just like the Megapixel rating of a camera has little bearing on the quality of images it takes (lens and CCD quality are much more important), the physical resolution of a TV is less important than its color, contrast, lighting, etc.
And anyway, the question here is not "Are 1080p sets better" but rather "Is it worth it to replace your 720p set?" The answer is no.
...but maybe next week.
daaper @ Mar 5th 2008 3:05PM
I completely agree. Is it the only thing that matters? No. Would I forsake everything else for resolution? Hell no! Would I upgrade a tv I bought a year ago solely to move from 720p to 1080p? Probably not. However, I really think anyone buying a new tv is kidding themselves by saying resolution does not matter.
I love my Sony kds-60A3000 and am completely convinced that I would not have been as happy with a tv that had the same specs only with 720p.
Daniel @ Mar 6th 2008 2:58AM
you live across the street from a blockbuster?
Paul Jaeger @ Mar 5th 2008 1:54PM
question, i have a Sony Wega 50inch RP it supports only HDMI 1.0 and does not support 1080p input, however it supports 1080i and upconverts it to 1080p. is that good enough?
MadMike @ Mar 5th 2008 2:36PM
Why are you asking us if it is good enough? You should be the judge of that to be completely honest. Your eyes will be looking at it.
If you are asking if you got something better will you notice the difference? That depends what goes in. Garbage in - Garbage Out as the adage goes. If you just have HD cable (HDMI 1.0 @ 1080i) then you most likely won't notice much of a difference. If you get the best (most future-proof?) Blu-Ray player (PS3?) then yes if you got something better you likely could notice the difference.
It all resolves around: Are YOU happy with what you have? If you plan on only playing some HD cable and some unconverted DVD's you'll be fine for a while. If you like it, keep it until you don't or until a deal of a lifetime comes around.
Me? I was perfectly happy with my 114" 1080p projector. However, I used chrome metal racks and hand me down couches and furniture in an apartment. It was my bachelor pad. I will no longer be a bachelor very soon and even though my fiance likes movies - she didn't want to have to accommodate the projector in her interior design of our new house. So when the house was finished and we moved in, I got a different TV. I'm VERY happy with my choice and she is very happy that she can now decorate around it.
Besides the basement is always mine! And it isn't finished... yet! Of course I am now out of money because building a house, buying furniture and then an entirely new home theater setup is hard on the checking account.
alienlcays @ Mar 5th 2008 2:42PM
most people can't tell the diff from 1080p and 1080i,
i will say that sometimes i can tell. with fast motion on screen and stationary backgrounds. but that's on my 120hz 47" lcd and that may have more to do with sorry decompression from my cable box as well.
the 50" sonys have good picture and if your happy with it don't bother switching just yet. just wait untill you're in the market for a new tv.
Kevin G @ Mar 13th 2008 1:48AM
"however it supports 1080i and upconverts it to 1080p. is that good enough?"
the key is the deinterlacer in the sony. if it deinterlaces 1080i correctly, blu ray movies will look just as good as on a newer 1080p set, and quite a bit better than on a similar 720p version. the reason: movies are still 24 frames per second before they are transferred to video (1080p60hz). to get the 60 full frames per second of the video signal, a scaler needs to reproduce/extrapolate information between those 24 frames to create the extra frames for the HD video signal. The difference between 1080i HDMI on your 1080p tv and 1080p HDMI on a new 1080p tv is nearly impossible to see. i had a 1080p samsung 61" DLP that was running 1080i HDMI. (HLR6178) the picture quality was about the best i've seen for that size display, other than CRT projectors going for $15k+. (i'm a custom installer).
newer PS3 games like grand turismo 5 are and will be the only content in the forseeable future that will be rendered in 60 frames per second 1080p(1920x1080 60hz), thereby necessitating a 1080p capable HDMI input to reproduce all the video information.
Jim @ Mar 5th 2008 2:25PM
When there is all this debate over 720p vs 1080p, why bother? I'm going to save my money until the next inevitable upgrade comes along that everyone agrees is a substantial improvement.
Michial @ Mar 5th 2008 2:31PM
If you have the money and you could use your 720 in another room-why not? Otherwise enjoy it until you want to buy another. It's really as simple as that. I just bought a 50 inch panny plasma 1080p because I dont want to buy another one in a few years. My tv's typically last for several years so it was a no brainer to buy a 1080p for me. Ive got growing room. The picture looks great now and it will look just as good in 5 years-even when there are 1080p broadcasts. cheers!
Se7enwolf @ Mar 5th 2008 2:52PM
1080p is only good if you're getting a tv bigger then 40". Which is great. so my advice, if you get a big tv over 40" go with 1080p, under 40", 720p should be fine.
n0ah_fense @ Mar 5th 2008 2:52PM
I own a 1080p LCD, for a year now. Your HT PC will look spectacular on it (in my case a mac mini). As far as content, or even my PS3, there isn't a huge improvement other than when I'm using it on my PC, when it looks phenomenally better.
Once broadcast content, PS3 games, and Blue-ray movies get rendered/broadcasted at higher resolutions/bandwidth, you'll be thankful that you have 1080p.
Also, don't upgrade until you need to. Or if you're bored.
El Cid @ Mar 5th 2008 2:56PM
With most 720p or 1080i sets, if the set itself has a high quality image, I'd prefer to spend money on improvement the quality of feed going into it. So, yes, BluRay players, or decent yet capable video processors would in my view improve your viewing experience over seeing mediocre signals at even higher resolutions with even more processing problems cropping up in cheap 1080p sets.
Bradley @ Mar 5th 2008 3:03PM
I see no reason to dump my less than 2 year old set. Right now I'm pretty happy with OTA HD and 720p downloads. I don't plan on getting Blu-Ray player until they are less than $200 and more catalog titles like Indy, Star Wars, and some of the Disney movies.
FrankTheCrank @ Mar 5th 2008 3:31PM
Dude..you need to go to the Toshi Station to pick up some power converters...you're never getting off this rock.
hfva @ Mar 5th 2008 3:42PM
I was out for a new Plazmas and LCDs looked and compared many (diferent sizes from the 26 and up to the 60 inches and from 720 to 1080. Well after a whole week (settled early on the smaller sets that are below 42) of comparing and reading many reviews and the pluses and minuses of everything I ended up settling with 2 Pioneer 5080 that are at 768. I did the comparison side by side with the 1080p and and with panasonic sharp and Sony and the 5080 was my clear choice. So far after 1 month of use I can say ti is the best decision I made and others who had the 1080p could not beleive teh picture quality on this one and they wished they went for it. Look over reviews in CNET, home theater magazin and others and read up as to where the resolution stacks up to other factors and if the other factors are not there teh reolution means nothing. Another thing, if one is to compare a 720 that was put ut 2 years ago and with another that is a new model now one would also see a vast improvement. My thought is that if you have it now, leave and wait a while untill there is nothing but 1080p in the market and by then the price would be equivelant to what we see now for the 720 prices. Oh yes, did I say the price on each of those 5080 plazmaz were at under $2k each.
ALEXDD6 @ Mar 5th 2008 3:59PM
Why bother anyway buying or upgrading from 720p to 1080p when LCD's and Plasma screens are pretty much done. If we waited almost 3 years to the freaking HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray war to end; whay cant we wait less than a year (probably they will com out this year from what Ive read) to buy a Laser TV. The image quality is insane and far, FAR more superior than any other TV available today. Plus: "they already come embedded with a Real-D 3D processor so that, with the specific glasses (like those you get at top IMAXes,) you will be able to see some top of the line 3D programming at home" I mean, are you kidding me!? Why are we still pulling our hair out over 720p when this technology is already set to go probably this year, plus the price is cheapr than your average 1080p display!!!!
But, thats just me, I would still buy the Pioneer's Project Kuro: The 9mm thick, infinite contrast 50-inch plasma HDTV, if I had the money, whenever it comes out, but still, laser is impresive.
dont beleive me, go check it out:
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/01/ces-2008-mitsub.html
http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/8010.cfm
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/pioneers-project-kuro-the-9mm-thick-infinite-contrast-50-inch/
Mike S. @ Mar 5th 2008 4:01PM
wow, i can't believe how many sheep are posting here. resolution is everything blah blah blah...voice of ignorance.
Thanks to Daniel G. who posted the resolution chart which is right on the money.
http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html
human eye physically can not differentiate between 720p/1080p resolutions if you sit too far from away, which most likely will be normal viewing distance for a sub 50" tv monitor. it's one thing to go for 1080p resolution on a 120" projection screen and another wasting your money on a relatively puny 42" screen.
if you go to any honest high end a/v store (not a worst buy) they'll tell you for the same money you're way better off getting a lower res tv but with deeper blacks, better color reproduction and higher contrast ratio; there is a reason why pioneer kurio line gets rave reviews.
i sure "love" seeing those washed out, limp colored 1080p lcd tv's; makes the movies really pop to life! another stupid example of quantity over quality.
same thing with 20 megapixel cameras...what good are they if the optical properties of the lens suck and make the pictures soft/fuzzy/dead looking?
keep buying them though, corporations will love you for it!
conor @ Mar 5th 2008 4:08PM
Bigger than 42" 1080p bellow 720p is fine most of the time