1080p; can't get my head around it

[kymics]

This isn't a difficult question, but it's bugging me because I can't say I confidently understand the answer. I see now that 1080p TVs are becoming more common.

If you take a PCI or USB DVB device and use it tune in a HD signal, how do that feed get displayed/converted to a PC/TV monitor? Let me clarify; currently HD signals are either 720p or 1080i. A computer monitor can display several different resolutions but are usually progressive scan (1280x720p or 1920x1080p). Once you've picked a resolution normally it will stay at that resolution and so it wouldn't change based on whether the channel you're on is 720p or 1080i.

Upconversion isn't new, but I've only ever seen it handled in hardware. That means it must be the DVB software that takes any signal and converts it to 1920x1080p (or whatever your HDTV monitor does). Do current programs support 1080p displays? Do some programs do a better job than others at conversion? Do some video cards do a better job than others?

 

[timmy1376]

As far as I know, it shows at whatever resolution you have the computer set to output to, regardless of what the show is.

 

[kymics]

As far as I know, it shows at whatever resolution you have the computer set to output to, regardless of what the show is.

And the "it" is the software? That's what I'm not sure about, is the "it".

 

[timmy1376]

Well, it, as far as I would say, would be the resolution of your video card.

So if you have your card set to 1280 X 720, then it would downrez a 1080i to 720p.

 

[FordPrefect]

Getting my HDTV to work, a FAQ of sorts, with a primer on HDTVs
http://htpcnews.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12393

Home Theater Equipment and Display Devices
http://htpcnews.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8308

Product: Video Cable
Manufacturer : Steren Electronics
http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/cables/scvm5r.asp

Monitor Asset Manager 1.26
http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/moninfo.shtm

 

[dashaund]

Wow, what a question. The computer output is in one resolution...period...no matter what you're watching, and that resolution is whatever you have the video card output set to. It's a beautiful thing! The software is what decodes the signal. So, I'm guessing if it receives a 1080p signal, it'll decode it. I don't think anyone is broadcasting in 1080p...right now that is for the HDDVDs and BluRay DVDs. It should be able to handle it in the future whenever they do though.