1080p vs. 1080i

Forcillo

Forcillo

Active member
What's the difference? I googled and looked at some photography forums about it, but couldn't get a straight answer to my question: Is 1080p footage in any way better than 1080i footage?

I heard the terms "progressive" and "interlaced" thrown in with the descriptions, but I am still really confused about what all of it means.
 
1080p = full frames 1080i = half frames.

1080i is always 1080i60 meaning interlaced, so it has 60 half frames per second. You then "deinterlace" these clips to combined the frames into 30fps. You only achieve half of the true resolution with this, since you're only using half frames.

1080p can be 24, 30, 60 or whatever else frame rate the camera is capable of. p, meaning progressive, means each frame per second is a full frame, like a picture. A much higher resolution is achieved with progressive.

1080i only has one use still and its for broadcast. TV stations are either 1080i or 720p because the lower bit rates are easier to transmit over cable lines without delays/buffers. 1080i used to be the only way to record HD because it was onto tapes, but now that we have flash recording, 1080p is nbd.

With that said, never use 1080i or buy a camera that only shoots 1080i. Look for 1080p30/1080p24 and 720p60. Some new cheaper cameras are staring to shoot 1080p60.
 
Minor threadjack, but it's along the same lines. A sony rep told me that a certain camcorder records in

1080/60i. Is this interlaced, therefore I should avoid it for skiing?
 
Right on. Glad I cleared that up. The Sony site said 1080p but I read on a forum it was interlaced, then I talked to a rep about it.
 
I like how 5 years ago nobody wanted to admit that 1080i was half frames, and now that 1080p is standard everyone unanimously agrees that it is, indeed, half frames.
 
Yea thats a big detail you need to know. Some people dont know the difference, so they might put like 1080 60p thinking that p means frames per second, or they might just say 1080 60fps, and you dont know if its interlaced or progressive. I remember a while back ago there was a big thread on DVX user about it
 
do you guys know what like this would mean The XH A1 captures true 1080 high-definition resolution video at 60i, 30F or 24F frame rates (or, 50i/60i with optional upgrade). It captures a true 16:9 widescreen HD image that is made for your HD broadcast and theatrical projects.
 
The fact that camera technology is open for debate gives certain manufacturers the opportunity to deceive.

At what point do you consider it 24p? One could argue that 24pA shot to tape doesn't count, or that 24p shot to solid state (23.976) doesn't technically count, that only a mechanical film gate constitutes true 24p, or that anything with the number "24" counts as 24p.

I remember a minority of iconoclasts claiming that 1080i wasn't actual HD, while everyone else seemed to take personal offense at the notion of their new cameras not being what they claim.
 
If that is the camera I think it is, it records to miniDV and is therefore dated by today's standards. Canon uses F to signify a more clustered form of interlaced footage; instead of even and odd lines, it will be, say, divided into 1/3 of a frame. I remember using 30F on the GL2 and while it was a nice cheap technology at the time, by today's standards it's completely dated.

"true 1080 high-definition" yeah, I challenge them to definitely prove that.
 
basically what pandysloo said. but from experience with that camera, i would go 30F or 24F. the 60i is kinda shitty on any camera imo. i hate interlaced footage with a passion
 
When shooting in interlaced, you have pair and unpair frames/rasters.

interlace_diagram_interlace.jpg
 
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