Will 720p video really look better on the new iPad ?

[FrenchPB]

Hey all,

I don't have an ipad, but I was thinking about getting one mostly to surf the internet, show photos and watch videos.

I watch a lot of 720p sports video, and was wondering if I'd gain anything watching them on an ipad 3 rather than on an ipad 2 since the native resolution of the video is lower than the screen resolution of the iPad in both cases.

Will the new screen and processor upgrade add anything to that ? My understanding is that the iPad 3 will be great for gaming on that device, but this is not one of my use.

 

[S.B.G]

Hey all,

I don't have an ipad, but I was thinking about getting one mostly to surf the internet, show photos and watch videos.

I watch a lot of 720p sports video, and was wondering if I'd gain anything watching them on an ipad 3 rather than on an ipad 2 since the native resolution of the video is lower than the screen resolution of the iPad in both cases.

Will the new screen and processor upgrade add anything to that ? My understanding is that the iPad 3 will be great for gaming on that device, but this is not one of my use.

Yes, with the new retina display, everything will look better than an iPad 2.

 

[whtrbt7]

720p might look about the same or worse since watching lower rez content on a higher rez screen normally looks slightly dithered. You'll either have to go to 1080p or if the software is capable, allow it to fill in the empty pixels actively.

 

[FrenchPB]

720p might look about the same or worse since watching lower rez content on a higher rez screen normally looks slightly dithered. You'll either have to go to 1080p or if the software is capable, allow it to fill in the empty pixels actively.

This is my fear indeed, and the reason why I feel like the iPad 2 better fits my needs since my sports videos are 720p and won't be 1080p. Besides, a 1080p video file would be much bigger and I don't want to go into 32 or 64 GB.

 

[eclipseblur954]

dont be silly, apple has it built into the software to upscale properly. Everything will look better on the new iPad

 

[Scarpad]

on a 9.7" Screen, believe me 720p vids will look fine

 

[FrenchPB]

dont be silly, apple has it built into the software to upscale properly. Everything will look better on the new iPad

That's not necesseraly true. A Wii game might look better on a non-HD TV than on a 1080p HDTV. Upscaling is not always a good thing.

 

[whtrbt7]

In the interest in trying to get you to get the new one, I'll say that the Retina display will have better contrast, better color reproduction, and the upscale will be ok but depending on what format you watch, you may get dithering or other artefacts. Overall, it will be pretty nominal which iPad you get to playback your 720p videos. It just depends on how much of a stickler you are for quality. Native always plays back native rez better. The only exception I've seen to the rule is with really awesome hardware decoding on 2 Samsung LED units.

 

[FrenchPB]

On a side note, I currently watch those videos on my iPhone 3G, and they look great (I'm not kidding )

 

[eclipseblur954]

That's not necesseraly true. A Wii game might look better on a non-HD TV than on a 1080p HDTV. Upscaling is not always a good thing.

I hear you on that
But watching a video with the same resolution as the iphone 3g, then watching the same video on an iphone 4, the video looks better on the iphone 4, i imagine it will be the same with the ipad

 

[psonice]

Keep in mind that the iPad 1/2 had screens too small for 720p, so if you get one the videos you watch will be scaled down rather than up. Also, you're watching 720p now, but in a few months you might be watching mostly 1080p.

 

[Nightprowler]

That's not necesseraly true. A Wii game might look better on a non-HD TV than on a 1080p HDTV. Upscaling is not always a good thing.

It is when done right. Not every device has the same capabilities. Certain brands are known for being better than others.

 

[redman042]

It will definitely look better. The "screen door effect" of looking at the iPad 1 or 2 screen up close will be gone. Upscaling will be very good. Color saturation will be better.

I think for the most part 720p is a good target for videos on the new iPad. You'll be able to load 1080p videos onto it but that'll take a ton of storage and I think that will be overkill other than for showing off. When I want a high end movie experience, I lay back in my recliner and watch it on my big screen

For me, the biggest benefit of the retina display is smoothness and text sharpness above all else. Reading anything on this tablet will be phenomenal!

 

[ThatsMeRight]

This is my fear indeed, and the reason why I feel like the iPad 2 better fits my needs since my sports videos are 720p and won't be 1080p. Besides, a 1080p video file would be much bigger and I don't want to go into 32 or 64 GB.

On the iPad 2, all your 720p content is downscaled. On the iPad 3 ("the new iPad"), all your 720p content will run at the exact same resolution or will be slightly upscaled.

It might be just me, but I'd prefer the second one over the first.