Interlaced vs. Progressive Scan - 1080i vs. 1080p

**Understanding Video Resolutions: The Difference Between 720p and 1080i**

If you subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service, you might have noticed a toggle on your set-top box that allows you to switch between 720p or 1080i. However, most TVs and monitors today advertise themselves as 1080p, which doesn’t match either of those settings. So, what gives? The "P" you always see at the end of terms like 1080p stands for Progressive, not the insurance company or Bernie Sanders. Progressive scan means that all lines in a single frame of video are drawn sequentially, creating a complete image that fills the screen. On the other hand, the "I" in 1080i stands for Interlaced, where only every other line of an image is displayed in one frame.

Interlaced signals were common for 1920x1080 TV channels and dominated analog television, where most viewers watched at 480i or 576i on CRT displays. But why isn’t it more straightforward to display a complete image per frame? The main reason was bandwidth limitations. Interlaced video saves bandwidth by sending half of a complete frame at once, allowing older TV sets to refresh more frequently for smoother motion—displaying 60 half-frames per second instead of 30 full frames.

Modern LCD flat-panel TVs only support Progressive scanning, so how do they handle interlaced 1080i signals? The signals must be deinterlaced, a process that can be done by either the set-top box or the TV itself. However, this is an imperfect science. The two halves of a fully interlaced frame aren’t from the exact same image; they’re usually delivered as halves of two separate, slightly different frames. When combined, they don’t look perfect, and on low-quality displays, this can result in "combing," where the two half-frames don’t match up well.

TVs use processing tricks to avoid severe artifacting in deinterlaced video, and it generally works well on decent displays. However, many cable boxes are made by the lowest bidder, and their deinterlacing logic isn’t as good as what your TV offers. Even with a nicer TV, rapid movement—like in a hockey game—can cause noticeable picture quality reduction due to the two half-frames being out of sync.

### Why Progressive Scan Matters

Progressive scan is crucial for modern TVs because it allows them to display complete images without the issues associated with interlaced signals. While interlaced video was a practical solution for older TV sets, it introduces problems like motion artifacts and combing on modern displays. Progressive scanning ensures that every frame is fully rendered, providing smoother and clearer visuals.

### Deinterlacing Challenges

Deinterlacing is necessary when TVs receive interlaced signals from cable or satellite services. This process involves combining two half-frames into one complete frame. However, since these halves come from slightly different frames, the result can sometimes look unnatural or blurry, especially during fast-moving scenes.

Modern TVs are equipped with better processing to handle deinterlacing, but even top-tier models may struggle with rapid motion. For example, sports networks like ESPN have switched to broadcasting in 720p instead of 1080i to maintain smoother visuals despite lower resolution.

### The Cost of Upgrading and Viewer Satisfaction

The transition to real 1080p at 60 frames per second over cable and satellite is hindered by the cost of upgrading systems and viewer satisfaction. Most viewers are content with 1080i service, so broadcasters have little incentive to switch. However, computers excel at handling 1080p signals, making them ideal for gaming, Netflix in HD, or even 4K streaming.

### TunnelBear VPN: Bypassing Geographical Restrictions

The video ends with a plug for TunnelBear VPN, which allows users to tunnel to 20 different countries. This service lets you browse the internet and use online services as if you’re in another country without complicated setup. It offers easy-to-use apps for iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and even a Chrome extension.

TunnelBear encrypts your connection and switches your public IP address to one from the chosen country, bypassing geographical restrictions. The service has a top-rated privacy policy and offers a free trial with 500MB of data without requiring a credit card. You can save 10% on their unlimited data plan by visiting their website.

### Conclusion

Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to like it or leave a comment with suggestions. Check out other channels and subscribe for more content. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or browsing the internet, understanding technical details can enhance your experience. With TunnelBear VPN, you can enjoy global internet access without hassle—no kidney required!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enif you subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service chances are there's a toggle somewhere on your set top box that allows you to switch between 720p or 1080 I but you've also probably noticed that most TVs and monitors advertise themselves as 1080p these days which doesn't match up with either of those so what gives you see that P you always see at the end of 1080p stands for Progressive and no I'm not talking about the insurance company or Bernie Sanders I'm talking about progressive scan which means it will draw all of the lines in a single frame of video sequentially so that each frame contains a complete image that fills the screen by contrast the little I stands for interlaced in which only every other line of an image is displayed in one frame interlaced signals are common not only for 1920x 1080 TV channels but they were also dominant back in the day of analog television where almost everyone was watching at 480i or 576i on CRT displays but why wouldn't it be more straightforward to display one whole image per frame well part of the reason was bandwidth you see only so much much data can be flung over the airwaves or a co-axial cable at Once interlaced video saves on bandwidth by only sending half of a complete frame at once this allowed older TV sets to refresh more frequently for smoother motion as they could show 60 half frames per second instead of 30 full frames but modern LCD flat panel TVs only support Progressive scanning so how do they work then with interlaced 108i signals provided by cable or satellite TV services well the signals have to be what is called deinterlaced this can be done by either the set top box or the TV itself but either way it's an imperfect science you see the two halves of a fully interlaced frame aren't two halves of the exact same image rather they are usually delivered as the halves of two separate slightly different frames so when you put them together they don't look quite perfect and on lowquality displays this can show up as what's called combing in places where the two half frames don't match up very well TVs use processing tricks to help avoid really bad artifacting in deinterlaced video and generally it works fairly well on displays that are worth their salt and although many cable boxes can also de interlay signals it's typically a better idea to let your TV do it as cable boxes are all too often made by the lowest bidder and the de interlacing logic inside them won't be as good as what your tv offers but even with a nicer TV it can still be possible to notice a reduction in picture quality when there's rapid movement on screen such as if you're watching a sporting event because two half frames in sequence during something like a hockey game can be way out of sync due to the fast motion of the players many sports networks like ESPN have actually chosen to broadcast in 720p instead of 108i sacrificing resolution for better movement but come on lonus this is 2016 why do we have to sacrifice anything well due to the cost of upgrading systems as well as the fact that most Bourgeois viewers seem to be content with 1080i service we probably won't see real 1080p at 60 frames per second over cable and satellite anytime soon however the good news is that computers have no problem outputting 1080p signals so if you're one of the many folks who are constantly using their rigs for everything from gaming to watching Netflix in HD or even 4K you won't have to worry about interlacing artifacts yet another reason to join the PC Master raced just make sure that you don't have to give up a kidney to your satellite provider in order to get out of your contract tunnel bear VPN lets you tunnel to 20 different countries allowing you to browse the internet and use online services as though you are in that aforementioned different country they have easy to use apps for iOS Android PC and Mac they've also got a Chrome extension and all you do like seriously my family could do it which is like a serious endorsement is click the button the little switch moves to on then whatever country it is that you pick boom your connection gets encrypted and the public IP address that you are showing to the websites and services that you use get switched to pretend as though you're in somewhere else and tunnel bear lets you bypass all the annoying details that typically come with using a VPN like messing around with Port configurations or DNS or router settings or any of that nonsense they've got a top rated privacy policy and you can try tunnel bear for free with 500 Megs of data with no credit card required at the link in the video description then if you want to save 10% on your unlimited data plan you can also go to that link so you got to go to the link either way so you might as well just get on with it so thanks for watching guys if you like the video like it if you dislike it dislike it if you want to check out our other channels boom right over there if you want to leave a comment with video suggestions boom right down there and if you want to subscribe well come on you know where the Subscribe button is let's get this show on the roadif you subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service chances are there's a toggle somewhere on your set top box that allows you to switch between 720p or 1080 I but you've also probably noticed that most TVs and monitors advertise themselves as 1080p these days which doesn't match up with either of those so what gives you see that P you always see at the end of 1080p stands for Progressive and no I'm not talking about the insurance company or Bernie Sanders I'm talking about progressive scan which means it will draw all of the lines in a single frame of video sequentially so that each frame contains a complete image that fills the screen by contrast the little I stands for interlaced in which only every other line of an image is displayed in one frame interlaced signals are common not only for 1920x 1080 TV channels but they were also dominant back in the day of analog television where almost everyone was watching at 480i or 576i on CRT displays but why wouldn't it be more straightforward to display one whole image per frame well part of the reason was bandwidth you see only so much much data can be flung over the airwaves or a co-axial cable at Once interlaced video saves on bandwidth by only sending half of a complete frame at once this allowed older TV sets to refresh more frequently for smoother motion as they could show 60 half frames per second instead of 30 full frames but modern LCD flat panel TVs only support Progressive scanning so how do they work then with interlaced 108i signals provided by cable or satellite TV services well the signals have to be what is called deinterlaced this can be done by either the set top box or the TV itself but either way it's an imperfect science you see the two halves of a fully interlaced frame aren't two halves of the exact same image rather they are usually delivered as the halves of two separate slightly different frames so when you put them together they don't look quite perfect and on lowquality displays this can show up as what's called combing in places where the two half frames don't match up very well TVs use processing tricks to help avoid really bad artifacting in deinterlaced video and generally it works fairly well on displays that are worth their salt and although many cable boxes can also de interlay signals it's typically a better idea to let your TV do it as cable boxes are all too often made by the lowest bidder and the de interlacing logic inside them won't be as good as what your tv offers but even with a nicer TV it can still be possible to notice a reduction in picture quality when there's rapid movement on screen such as if you're watching a sporting event because two half frames in sequence during something like a hockey game can be way out of sync due to the fast motion of the players many sports networks like ESPN have actually chosen to broadcast in 720p instead of 108i sacrificing resolution for better movement but come on lonus this is 2016 why do we have to sacrifice anything well due to the cost of upgrading systems as well as the fact that most Bourgeois viewers seem to be content with 1080i service we probably won't see real 1080p at 60 frames per second over cable and satellite anytime soon however the good news is that computers have no problem outputting 1080p signals so if you're one of the many folks who are constantly using their rigs for everything from gaming to watching Netflix in HD or even 4K you won't have to worry about interlacing artifacts yet another reason to join the PC Master raced just make sure that you don't have to give up a kidney to your satellite provider in order to get out of your contract tunnel bear VPN lets you tunnel to 20 different countries allowing you to browse the internet and use online services as though you are in that aforementioned different country they have easy to use apps for iOS Android PC and Mac they've also got a Chrome extension and all you do like seriously my family could do it which is like a serious endorsement is click the button the little switch moves to on then whatever country it is that you pick boom your connection gets encrypted and the public IP address that you are showing to the websites and services that you use get switched to pretend as though you're in somewhere else and tunnel bear lets you bypass all the annoying details that typically come with using a VPN like messing around with Port configurations or DNS or router settings or any of that nonsense they've got a top rated privacy policy and you can try tunnel bear for free with 500 Megs of data with no credit card required at the link in the video description then if you want to save 10% on your unlimited data plan you can also go to that link so you got to go to the link either way so you might as well just get on with it so thanks for watching guys if you like the video like it if you dislike it dislike it if you want to check out our other channels boom right over there if you want to leave a comment with video suggestions boom right down there and if you want to subscribe well come on you know where the Subscribe button is let's get this show on the road\n"