How does 1080p differ from 1080i?

1080i is the main standard for HD broadcasting. (720p is the other standard employed). 1080p is not used for broadcasting at present and is unlikely to be used for a number of years. Broadcasters are still busy moving to 1080i, so expect a delay before 1080p makes much of an appearance. The difference between them is the way the image is created. the "i" stands for interlaced and means that each fram is made up of two fields. One field shows all the odd numbered lines and the other shows all the even numbered lines. If a field is shown 60 times each second, the whole frame is shown 30 times each second. "p" stands for progressive and means that each field carries all the lines of the image. If 60 fields are shown each second, then 60 full frames are also shown each second. therefore, double the data is required for 1080p compared to 1080i. Theoretically, 1080p can produce better quality than 1080i but compression for storage can mean the difference is minimal.