How to pick your pixels

The latest buzzword in HDTV land is 1080p, the highest resolution now available for flat-panel televisions. It beats out its high-def precursors 720p and 1080i by about a million pixels. But what does 1080p mean to most casual viewers?

Not much, a Ken Crane’s salesman in the South Bay says, unless you’re a serious movie buff or a gamer.

Only Blu-ray (high density optical disc format), the newer generation HD DVDs, and Sony PlayStation 3 actually produce high-definition content at the 1080p level. No over-the-air broadcast does, nor will any time soon.

So if you’re just watching TV, even with a 1080p set, you’re more or less watching it in 720p or 1080i mode at best.

— Jordan Rane