720p vs 1080p – Factors Affecting Perception of Detail

There are four factors that determine how much detail you see on a screen (TV) and its quality. These factors are either related or they affect each other and what you see on your HDTV. In this part of the 720p vs 1080p guide, we are going to take a look at these factors and see what effect they have. In the end, that will help us decide on which resolution is best for our needs, and also draw a few other useful conclusions.

1. Screen Resolution
2. Screen Size
3. Viewing Distance
4. Content Resolution and Quality

Considering three of them remain constant, changing the fourth will affect the amount of detail you are actually able to see. For example for the same screen size, viewing distance and content resolution, a change in screen resolution can affect the amount of detail and its quality. In real life however, it is common that two or three of the factors will affect your decision at the same time (at least before you actually buy the HDTV). After you purchase the HDTV, most commonly the content resolution will change and everything else will remain constant – now you see a Blu-Ray movie (HDTV quality), then a regular DVD (good SD quality) then regular SD broadcast (poor SD quality).

The type of content you watch on your HDTV is going to dynamically affect the quality because in most cases the other three factors will be constant – your TV has a constant screen size and resolution and usually you sit at the same distance from the screen.

But how exactly do these factors relate to each other and affect what you see? First of all, screen resolution can be 720p or 1080p. Screen size can be anywhere between 32 inches up to 65 inches or even more. Viewing distance can have any value for different people. It is usually constant for each person though, and thats a good thing. Content resolution and quality varies a lot, but you should take into consideration the highest resolution and best quality you are going to watch. Of course, if you know you are going to watch a certain type of content most of the time you can give it more weight in your decision.

Deciding just on 720p vs 1080p is not a good idea. When buying a HDTV you should take all of the factors into consideration. You start with a viewing distance that you find out by measuring the distance from your couch or where you will be sitting, to the place where your HDTV will be installed. You will also have a budget in mind, thus being able to limit the screen size plus resolution combinations. Of course, you will find yourself in the position where you have to choose between high resolution and screen size on one side and picture quality on the other side. It will not be an easy choice but if you are informed it will be easier.

As I said, you start with the viewing distance. You can use that to find out the optimal screen size for this distance both for 720p and 1080p. At this point you will find yourself in the situation where you have to choose between a smaller screen with 720p, or a larger one with 1080p. Since screen size and resolution affect the price, this is where your budget will help you choose. If you are one of those lucky folks that can afford to pay as much as they want, it is a very easy task. You choose the best 1080p HDTV that has the optimal size for you.

Continue reading the next part of this guide – 720p vs 1080p – Content Quality – where you can find out how important the content quality is.

All 720p vs 1080p Guides

• 720p vs 1080p – The Ultimate Guide
  • 720p vs 1080p – Images / Screenshots
  • 720p vs 1080p – Technical Comparison
  • 720p vs 1080p – Factors Affecting Perception of Detail
  • 720p vs 1080p – Content Quality