What gives the better picture 1080i or 1080p?

Answer 1

Both 1080i and 1080p have the same resolution. That means that the amount of detail will be identical with either. However, 1080p delivers a complete image 50 times per second in Europe or 60 times per second in North America. 1080i delivers half of the image in the same time, followed by the other half in the following field. It follows that sports and other fast moving images will be better on 1080p than 1080i and that is indeed the case when the two are compared. The problem with 1080p is that it is not being broadcast at present and won't be for a number of years. 1080p required twice the bandwidth and twice the storage space. Broadcasters don't presently have equipment to handle live 1080p content. Most new televisions will handle 1080p but even if it does, sport that is broadcast in 1080i will never become 1080p quality. There is no need to worry though. 1080i delivers some great images even for sport. It is worth mentioning that the other HD standard, 720p offers a lower resolution than 1080 but it delivers a full frame 50 or 60 times each second. The bandwidth is the same as 1080p so the image detail is sacrificed a little for the sake of a faster frame rate. Some broadcasters in North America are using 720p but not all. In Europe, 720p is hardly ever seen with broadcasters all moving to 1080i as their standard.

Answer 2

The difference between 1080i and 1080p is a subtle one. 1080p 50Hz or 1080p 60Hz update the image at twice the rate of 1080i 50Hz or 1080i 60Hz. For fast movement, 1080p handles image updates rather better than 1080i and tends to avoid image flicker that can be apparent on some interlaced formats.

Whether or not it makes a noticeable difference depends on the television and the game content so it's worth trying both formats to make your own decision.