Resolution questions

[Weinberg]

Just wondering, if I set the display to 1080i as my TV supports it, if the game I'm playing only supports 720p then would the Xbox automatically play it at that resolution?

Or isn't anything 1080i at the moment anyway, so I should just set it in 720p mode..though I swear some of the movies on the HD looked better in 1080i.

[sj33]

The 360 internal scaler upscales anything that's 720p only into 1080i.

[Weinberg]

Really? Didn't know that..and therefore assume it's best to leave it in 1080i mode all the time?

[sj33]

No, it's best to leave it in whatever resolution closer matches the resolution of you TV.

[Weinberg]

There is no set resolution to my TV-it supports 480p,720p and 1080i, so shouldn't it therefore be left in the latter resolution? Sorry if I'm talking rubbish, I don't really have a clue about High Definition.

[Eiji]

According to TeamXbox, 1080i is upscaled from 540p and not 720p.

[mikewl]

There is no set resolution to my TV-it supports 480p,720p and 1080i, so shouldn't it therefore be left in the latter resolution? Sorry if I'm talking rubbish, I don't really have a clue about High Definition.

It supports all those but what you need to check for in the manual is what its native resolution is.

This is basically what will give the best picture from your tv.

[sj33]

There is no set resolution to my TV-it supports 480p,720p and 1080i, so shouldn't it therefore be left in the latter resolution? Sorry if I'm talking rubbish, I don't really have a clue about High Definition.

Unless you have a CRT TV (in which case, I can't help you - CRT HDTV's are rare in the UK), your TV will most definately have a 'native' resolution. LCD, Plasma and DLP screens all have native resolutions, and all other resolutions are re-scaled by the TV internally. It's best to use a resolution closest to the TV's native resolution for optimum quality.

That chances of your TV being 1080 native are slim. More likely 1280x720, 1280x768 or 1366x768.

[Eiji]

Only 3 CRT HDTV models in the UK capable of 50Hz, 60Hz (unlike the Samsung SlimFit) and 1080i and they are all by JVC. The models are P37/P38/D40.

[Weinberg]

Well the specs page in the manual has the following details, does it help?

'LCD: Wide XGA 1,366 x 768 pixels'-so what on earth does that mean and is it any good, and which HD setting should I put my 360 in?

Thanks for the advice. As I said, I'm really quite clueless about HD TV's but just bought an expensive one with good reviews (Panasonic TX-32LXD52).

[sj33]

Well the specs page in the manual has the following details, does it help?

'LCD: Wide XGA 1,366 x 768 pixels'-so what on earth does that mean and is it any good, and which HD setting should I put my 360 in?

Thanks for the advice. As I said, I'm really quite clueless about HD TV's but just bought an expensive one with good reviews (Panasonic TX-32LXD52).

720p is the closest match to your screen. My screen is also 1366x768, and 720p looks gorgeous through Component on here!

[Weinberg]

I thought it all looked fantastic when it was set to 1080i, but I'll change it to 720p-but would I see an improvement?! Also I just read that a 1366x768 screen isn't 'true HD'..is that correct? Thanks Jake..

[sj33]

I thought it all looked fantastic when it was set to 1080i, but I'll change it to 720p-but would I see an improvement?! Also I just read that a 1366x768 screen isn't 'true HD'..is that correct? Thanks Jake..

It's a bit complex.

There are 2 main HD modes - 720p and 1080i (lets not talk about 1080p, that's a real barrel of worms).

720p is 1280x720 Progressive.
1080i is 1980x1080 Interlaced.

Many manufacturers choose to make their sets 1366x768 instead of 1280x720, as it's cheaper, and more suitable for PC use.
For all intents and purposes, a 1366x768 set us designed with 720p in mind. 1080i will work, but it will downscale it to 1366x768.

So why is 720p (arguably) better for games? Because it's progressive, and much more suited to the fast action pace of games.

Use whichever you think looks best, I'm just saying that running in 1080i on a 1366x768 set is a little pointless because any quality enhancement caused by the higher resolution is lost in the downscaling.

As for 'True HD', many people simply look forward to 1080p and regard that as 'True HD'. It will be a long time before 1080p becomes a practicality, especially for games, so don't think too much about it for now.

[Weinberg]

Ok, thanks a lot for your detailed reply. I'll switch it to 720p mode as it definitely seems more suitable.