720P vs 1920 HD

[Craig Seeman]

If only there were one setting to rule them all.
Broadcast is 1080i60 fields or 720p60 frames
Web is always Progressive
Many claim to bet better results downconverting from 720p over 1080i or p.
Editing 1080 in an SD timeline gives you room to create fake pans and dollies as well as shot reposition.
p60 or i60 will give you better temporal resolution that p30 or p24.
p24 gives you easy transfer to PAL 25fps format and works in 29.97 with pull down.

720 is 1280×720
1080 is 1920×1080
Both are broadcast HD

There generally is no “better” because it really depends on both your source and delivery.

For me:
720p60 for sports. I like the temporal resolution.
1080p30 for just about everything else. It’s what I use most often.
1080p24 if I need a “universal”
720p24 for overcrank
720p30 I’ve used for digital signage (their delivery spec)
1080i60 I avoid because I dislike interlace and deinterlace in post is a compromise. It does give you a bit more light sensitivity than progressive.

[Rafael Amador]

I agree with Craig.
For the kind of jobs you are facing (broadcast, DVD, web), I would go to any of the 720p flavors.
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Ron Pestes]

I have experimented extensivley with all formats for the web and stand by the 1080i for shooting and then using Compressors Youtube preset for sending HD to the web. It downconverts it to 720p but still looks better than if it was shot in 720p.

Apple Certified Master Pro FCS 2
Sony EX-3
MacBook Pro

[Bruce Wittman]

Hey Ron,

You suggested 1080i for shooting, but Craig says he stays away from 1080i because of the interlace-deinterlace issues. I plan to edit in whatever format I shoot in.

Bruce Wittman
Executive Producer

Eagle Video Productions, Inc.
2201 Woodnell Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603-5240

Website: http://www.eaglevideo.com
Email: bruce@eaglevideo.com

pho: 919-779-7891
cel: 919-818-5556

[Ron Pestes]

I know everyone has a different opinion but I shoot everything in 1080i and let Compressor do the changes. I get a noticably sharper picture when I shoot 1080i rather than 720p even after Compressor changes it to 720p for the web. I would recommend trying a short sequence both ways and seeing for yourself how it works. I am using FCS 3.

Apple Certified Master Pro FCS 2
Sony EX-3
MacBook Pro

[Craig Seeman]

It depends on which way you’re looking at things and the content.
1920x1080i is 1920×540 a field
1280×720 is 1280×720.
The difference in resolution is a bit closer given the way processing works but 720 can actually have slightly more resolution in one dimension compared to interlaced 1080.

Deinteralcing is never a good thing. It’s always a compromise and it slows the workflow. At its worst is blending or doubling fields. At its best it may be doing edge and motion detection but even that’s a compromise.

[Rafael Amador]

[Craig Seeman] “Deinteralcing is never a good thing.”
Neither Down/Up-scaling.
I’ve been using long time Compressor (best setting) but recently I’ve got horrified with the poor job he maid on downsizing (1080>720) compared with Shake.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Bruce Wittman]

Should I go 1080i60 or 1080i30?

Bruce Wittman
Executive Producer

Eagle Video Productions, Inc.
2201 Woodnell Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603-5240

Website: http://www.eaglevideo.com
Email: bruce@eaglevideo.com

pho: 919-779-7891
cel: 919-818-5556

[Craig Seeman]

The answer has already been given in some detail.

[Bruce Wittman]

I was asking Ron Pestes specifically. My bad. He mentioned 1080i, but did not specify 1080i60 or 1080i30. Forgive me as I am new to all this.

Bruce Wittman
Executive Producer

Eagle Video Productions, Inc.
2201 Woodnell Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603-5240

Website: http://www.eaglevideo.com
Email: bruce@eaglevideo.com

pho: 919-779-7891
cel: 919-818-5556