1080p or 720p? which would be best for 15"

[dsprimal]

Hello all, i was downloading some movies and i haven't been able to make a decisions on downloading a 1080p or 720p resolution movie.

I figure 1080p is too high even for my Hi-res screen (1680x1050) and that 720p is too low for the screen as well....so i ended up downloading an average dvd and the quality isn't crisp or eye popping.

Any thoughts on which size would be best for me to achieve the WOW affect of this gorgeous Hi-res screen? (possibly blu ray files?)

Thanks!!

 

[Hellhammer]

1080p will be better but scaled down, though I doubt you notice much difference between 720p and 1080p... Try the trials from Apple's site, they give you an idea

 

[cluthz]

Hello all, i was downloading some movies and i haven't been able to make a decisions on downloading a 1080p or 720p resolution movie.

I figure 1080p is too high even for my Hi-res screen (1680x1050) and that 720p is too low for the screen as well....so i ended up downloading an average dvd and the quality isn't crisp or eye popping.

Any thoughts on which size would be best for me to achieve the WOW affect of this gorgeous Hi-res screen? (possibly blu ray files?)

Thanks!!

DVDs are much lower quality, 480p.
Just try both and see what you find best.

 

[spinnerlys]

DVDs use either NTSC (720x480 at maximum) or PAL (720x576 at maximum) to store video. 720p has 1280 x 720 as a resolution, if the footage is in 1.777:1. 1080i/p is 1920 x 1080 pixel if it is in 16:9.

So in the end, you can answer your question yourself.

Btw:

Warez/Serials/Keys.
Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites, software, or techniques whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

from https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us#Things_Not_to_Do

 

[muttonhead411]

I always get 720 for general movies that i intend to watch once and 1080 for movies that i intend to keep and may want in the future hook up to a friend's external tv or monitor to watch with family and friends

But generally 720 should be enough. I just watched a 720 show on a 27" iMac and it looks awesome even on that screen. I was sitting a a distance though

 

[Hellhammer]

Warez/Serials/Keys.
Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites, software, or techniques whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

from https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us#Things_Not_to_Do

How do you know he's going to illegally download it

 

[apw100]

Well, it depends on your priority. While 1080p will look better on a 46"+ tv, you probably won't be able to tell the difference on a MBP screen. Also, 1080p files are about twice the size of 720p ones, so that could make a big difference if you are short on space
My solution is this- big budget blockbusters(LOTR, Star Wars, Iron Man, etc) are downloaded in 1080p, all others are 720p. Will I really miss the extra resolution when I'm watching Clerks? Probably not.

 

[Wheelie4]

Your display is: 1680x1050p
1080p is: 1920p x 1080p
720p is: 1280 x720p

1920 x 1080p downscaled to 1680x1050p will have more true pixels (detail/information) than 1280 x 720 upscaled to 1680x1050p. So as for detail/information goes 1080p would be the best choice.

Downscaling maintains sharpness/crispness in picture quality by removing pixels. But Upscaling from 720p up to 1680x1050p has to add pixels (information) thats not there to begin with by interpolation (guessing) and can make the detail softer.

BUT! On a 15" screen your really not going to notice much (if any) difference in picture quality.

 

[andrew086]

DVDs use either NTSC (720x480 at maximum) or PAL (720x576 at maximum) to store video. 720p has 1280 x 720 as a resolution, if the footage is in 1.777:1. 1080i/p is 1920 x 1080 pixel if it is in 16:9.

So in the end, you can answer your question yourself.

Btw:

Warez/Serials/Keys.
Do not post software serial numbers or keys or refer people to specific websites, software, or techniques whose purpose is to break or bypass software licensing methods, distribute cracks, or obtain or use commercial software or media in violation of its license and/or for copyright violation. Do not ask for or give such help.

from https://macrumors.zendesk.com/hc/en-us#Things_Not_to_Do

1.777:1 = 16:9...

 

[SDAVE]

1080p all the way. Just looks crisper, plus you can play it out to a 1080p display if you ever wanted to do that.

 

[Maserati7200]

Personally I'd pick 1080p, because I can notice the difference, and I care about the difference. Hellhammer made a great point. Go to Apple's website and download 720p and 1080p movie trailers. If you don't think the extra quality of 1080p is worth the space, then by all means opt for 720p video.

 

[ano0oj]

I generally download 720p movies due to file size difference, but 1080p looks sweet on the 15"...watched star trek 1080 the other day and loved it

 

[Reapur]

The way I do it is, if its a big summer movie i.e Star Trek, I download a 1080p version. If its a normal movie generally 720p. 1080p will eat up HD space a lot faster so save the space for the movies that really matter.