Understand 1080P in HDMI at a Glance

When choosing an HDMI cable, we often see the label “1080P.” What does it actually mean? This article explains it in detail.

1080P is the highest-level high-definition digital television format standard defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Its effective display resolution is 1920 × 1080, with a total pixel count of 2.0736 million. The high image quality delivered by 1080P provides consumers with a true home-theater-level audio-visual experience. Because it is fully backward compatible with other HD formats, it is highly versatile and widely applicable.

In the process of digitalization, standardization of digital signals is one of the most important steps. From a consumer-focused perspective, the most intuitive parameter is image clarity. SMPTE classifies digital HDTV signals based on scanning methods into 1080P, 1080I, and 720P (i stands for interlace, and p stands for progressive).
1080P refers to a display format that achieves a 1920 × 1080 resolution using progressive scanning, representing a perfect integration of digital cinema imaging technology and computer technology.

To clearly understand 1080P, we must first explain 1080i and 720P. Both 1080i and 720P are internationally recognized digital high-definition television standards. Countries that originally used the NTSC system adopted the 1080i / 60Hz format, which matches the field frequency of NTSC analog television. In contrast, Europe, China, and other regions that originally used the PAL system adopted 1080i / 50Hz, matching the PAL analog television field frequency.
As for 720P, it became an optional standard due to the deeper involvement of IT manufacturers in the television industry and has since gained traction in HDTV playback devices that use optical discs as the primary medium. It should be noted that 1080P is a de facto standard, that it does not exist only at 60Hz, and that 1080P is not the same as FULL HD.

So what is FULL HD?
FULL HD refers to flat-panel televisions that can fully display 1920 × 1080 pixels, meaning their physical (native) resolution is 1920 × 1080. To achieve the best viewing results when watching HDTV programs, a FULL HD television is required. It is important to note that FULL HD is not the same concept as the “1080P” claimed by many manufacturers in the past.

So-called 1080P support means that a television can accept and process 1920 × 1080 video signals, but the TV itself does not necessarily have a physical resolution of 1920 × 1080. Instead, it scales the 1920 × 1080 image down to its actual native resolution before displaying it.
For example, a 32-inch LCD TV may have a native resolution of 1366 × 768, yet its manual may state that it supports 1080P. This simply means it can accept a 1920 × 1080 signal and convert it to 1366 × 768 for display. In this case, “1080P” refers to the maximum supported input or display resolution, indicating that the TV can receive a 1920 × 1080 signal, but it does not display it at that full resolution.