<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><br><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">----- Original Message ----<br>From: Wolfger <wolfger@gmail.com><br>To: MDLUG's main mailing list <mdlug@mdlug.org><br>Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2006 1:21:54 PM<br>Subject: Re: [mdlug] Building a Linux PVR<br><br>>Another question: Will a standard DVI LCD monitor suffice for HD output, or do I need one of the expensive units that >says HD on it?<br><br></div>Yes and No. High Definition Video only refers to the resolution of the video.<br>There are several different resolutions that qualify as being HD.<br>They are 720i, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.<br>Don't be fooled by these numbers though because 1080i is really no better than
720p.<br>Why you ask? <br>Because when your TV receives a 1080i signal it has to down convert it to 720p.<br>Why you ask?<br>Because most TV's are incapable of displaying an Interlaced signal and that is what the I stands for in 720i and 1080i.<br>So when your TV receives that 1080i signal it has to down convert it to a 720p signal to display it as a Progressive Scan signal.<br>So if you own one of those great new HD TV's and you bought it because the guy/gal in the store up sold you on the idea that 1080i is way better than 720p, you where taken for a ride. Just about every none tube based TV is Progressive Scan and said TV has to Down Convert 1080i (if that is the highest resolution it can display) to 720p to be able to display it on the screen. And 720p has a resolution of 1280 x 720, hence the 720p.<br><br>So to answer your question, if your DVI LCD monitor can display 1280x720 without a problem you don't need a new one for HD content as long as that content is output
at the equivalent of 720p (which in case you missed it is 1280x720). And since your display is an LCD monitor it should be Progressive Scan.<br><br>Oh one more thing, 720i is the equivalent of 480p which is the progressive scan equivalent of Standard-definition TV.<br><br>Any more questions?????<br>Is any of this a little confusing?<br>I hate to say it but the TV industry wants you to be confused about all of this. It helps them sell TV's.<br>Also those new "HD" monitors are just something else the industry is doing
to try to get you to upgrade your equipment and guess what M$ is in the
boat with them as far as the forced upgrade cycle goes, Vista will not
display all of its new eye candy if you are not using an HDMI HD
Monitor as your display. Forget buying into needing an HD Monitor to display HD video, as long as your monitor can display a minimum of 1280x720 you are already capable of displaying HD video on it.<br><br><br></div></div></body></html>