1080i vs. 720p

[jsowers]

Originally Posted by Chip Chester

Stateside, the mantra is 720p for sports, apparently for its better motion characteristics. Since most content is squeezed down DirecTV/Dish Network satellite, and cable systems, few viewers see anything close to full fidelity of either format. The only real way to get it is by antenna. Or thru streaming video, sometimes. They can do 4K, but various compression artifacts sometimes dilute the experience. Sometimes.

Chip

I'm sitting here watching SNL at 1080i on my "analog cable." No silly box. Just plug the cable into the back of my flat screen TV and auto scan the channels. When I press "info" on the remote, it says 1080i for the local NBC and CBS stations. Other stations say 720p and the regular cable channels 2 through 76 say 480p. So everything isn't digital. My cable provider puts the digital versions of the local stations, and their sub-channels, on a separate tier and the signal is gorgeous and dropout-free. So am I one of the lucky ones?

I dropped Time-Warner after 20+ years when they discontinued analog and went with the local telco's cable TV and have never regretted it for a second. TWC, now Spectrum, still wastes their money sending me something almost every week and I've had two visits from someone trying to get me back. I told him I wouldn't have it even if it were free and slammed the door in his face the first time. The second time I wasn't home, but the sheet he left said I got a free "motem" with their service.

I think I'll keep what I have for as long as I can.