View source for Engineering:720p

{{short description|Video resolution}}
[[Image:Vector_Video_Standards8.svg|thumb|This chart shows the most common display resolutions, 720p being one of the 16:9 formats shown in blue.]]

'''720p''' is a progressive [[Engineering:High-definition television|HD]] signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] (AR) of [[Engineering:16:9 aspect ratio|16:9]], normally known as widescreen HD (1.78:1). All major HD broadcasting standards (such as [[SMPTE 292|SMPTE 292M]]) include a 720p format, which has a resolution of 1280×720p.

The number ''720'' stands for the 720 horizontal [[Engineering:Scan line|scan line]]s of image [[Engineering:Display resolution|display resolution]] (also known as 720 pixels of vertical resolution).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/term.cfm/720p |title=720p – AfterDawn: Glossary of technology terms & acronyms}}</ref>  The ''p'' stands for [[Engineering:Progressive scan|progressive scan]], i.e. non-interlaced. When broadcast at 60{{refn|It is, however, more commonly broadcast at (60/1.001), or precisely 59.{{overline|940059}}, matching the NTSC SDTV field rate; this and the 50.00 Hz of PAL are still the second and third highest standard framerates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/.amp/opinions/will-the-end-of-ntsc-be-the-end-of-5994 |title=Will the End of NTSC Be the End of 59.94? |publisher=TVTechnology |date=2008-01-09 |access-date=2010-10-08 |first=Randy |last=Hoffner}}</ref>|group=note}} frames per second, 720p features the highest [[Engineering:Temporal resolution|temporal resolution]] possible under the [[ATSC standards|ATSC]] and [[DVB]] standards. The term assumes a [[Engineering:Widescreen|widescreen]] [[Aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] of [[Engineering:16:9 aspect ratio|16:9]], thus implying a resolution of 1280×720 [[Pixel|px]] (0.9 [[Pixel#Megapixel|megapixels]]).

720i (720 lines [[Interlaced video|interlaced]]) is an erroneous term found in numerous sources and publications. Typically, it is a typographical error in which the author is referring to the 720p HDTV format. However, in some cases it is incorrectly presented as an actual alternative format to 720p.<ref>{{cite book |title=HDTV for Dummies |last=Briere |first=Daniel |author2=Patrick Hurley |year=2006 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jb62Hkrj0oYC&q=hdtv+for+dummies |publisher=For Dummies|isbn=9780470096734 }}</ref> No proposed or existing broadcast standard permits 720 ''interlaced'' lines in a video frame at any frame rate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atsc.org/cms/standards/a72/a_72_part_1.pdf |title=ATSC Standard: Video System Characteristics of AVC in the ATSC Digital Television System |date=2008-07-29 |access-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004122811/http://www.atsc.org/cms/standards/a72/a_72_part_1.pdf |archive-date=2012-10-04 }}</ref>

== Comparison with interlace scanning ==
Progressive scanning reduces the need to prevent flicker by anti-aliasing single high contrast horizontal lines.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.afterdawn.com/glossary/term.cfm/720p |title=720p |publisher=AfterDawn |date=2010-08-10 |access-date=2010-10-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6029_7-6301006-1.html |title=720p |publisher=CNET Glossary |access-date=2010-10-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930062950/http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6029_7-6301006-1.html |archive-date=2010-09-30 }}</ref> It is also easier to perform high-quality 50<->60&nbsp;Hz conversion and slow-motion clips with progressive video.

== Resolutions ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
! Standard !! Resolution !! Aspect ratio
|-
| Vintage Small TVs; DVCPROHD<ref name="DVCPROHD">{{cite web |url = https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/professionalformatsandworkflows/chapter_3_section_6.html |title = DVCPRO HD Format Specifications |publisher = Apple, Inc. |access-date = 2023-06-24 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100216181316/https://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutpro/professionalformatsandworkflows/chapter_3_section_6.html |archive-date = 2010-02-16 }}</ref> || 960&nbsp;× 720 || 4:3 (effectively 16:9 [[Pixel aspect ratio|non-square pixels]])
|-
| HD (standard) || 1280&nbsp;× 720 || 16:9
|-
| Vertical || 720 × 1280 || 9:16
|-
|Letterbox
|1080 × 720
|3:2
|}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist | group=note}}

== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[4K resolution|4K]], [[Engineering:Ultra-high-definition television|Ultra-high-definition television]], [[Engineering:1080i|1080i]], [[Engineering:1080p|1080p]].
* [[Engineering:High-definition television|High-definition television]] (HDTV)
* [[Image resolution]]
* [[Engineering:List of common resolutions|List of common resolutions]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/techreports/tr005.pdf EBU Technical paper on HDTV formats]

{{TV resolution}}
{{Video formats}}

[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:Video formats]]

{{Sourceattribution|720p}}