Is 1080p still 'enough'?

[Stephen Gentle]

Jim was totally right - guess what is probably getting a 2K resolution screen - the new iPad.

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/01/15/ipad-2-screen-likely-to-have-2048x1536-resolution/


Of course, it's a little unbelievable that it would be able to drive a screen that resolution while still being small and thin, and having a decent battery life. But it's possible that very soon 1080p content will be lower resolution than the 10 inch screen on the iPad.

I think this just goes to show that monitors and TVs are going to get higher and higher resolutions pretty soon.

 

[Michael Olsen]

From 1024x768 to 2048x1536...0.768 MP to 3.145 MP...

That is a major jump. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. If it's true, I think it underscores the idea that 1080p is very much the here and now, even in light consumer portable devices.

 

[Stephen Gentle]

From 1024x768 to 2048x1536...0.768 MP to 3.145 MP...

That is a major jump. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. If it's true, I think it underscores the idea that 1080p is very much the here and now, even in light consumer portable devices.

It is a massive jump. But the battery requirements are probably what make it most unlikely.

But still, if it doesn't happen this revision (a resolution increase is almost assured, but maybe not double) it is clear that they're planning to go that far eventually. Perhaps it will take two or three years before the display, graphics processing and battery tech make it possible, but 1080p is definitely not future proof...

 

[Ben Holmes]

What would be the point of 2K footage on a 10" screen? I can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 32" TV.

Computer monitors have been higher res than 1080p for a while - but the bandwidth required to download even compressed 1080p restricts wider adoption. Eventually, bigger TVs and bigger Internet pipes will make higher resolution attractive. A high resolution iPad will not, however, drive the creation of any commercial 2K content.

 

[Gunleik Groven]

The point is if someone comes up with a distribution model and cpntent, and others come up with affordable , good screens and yet others come up with effectivr deliverymethods, it probably might happen soonerish rather than laterish.

We have enjoyed 300dpi images in print for a while. Makes sense - in a way - if the iPad tries to emulate that quality...

G

 

[Oliver Cross]

What would be the point of 2K footage on a 10" screen? I can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 32" TV.
.

Do you sit a foot away from your TV? The iPad is the perfect device for high resolution becuase by it's nature it's usually viewed much closer than a TV or even a computer monitor. If you've seen the difference between an iPhone 4 and previous iPhones you will know its a thing of beauty having that much res in such a small area.

 

[Stephen Gentle]

Do you sit a foot away from your TV? The iPad is the perfect device for high resolution becuase by it's nature it's usually viewed much closer than a TV or even a computer monitor. If you've seen the difference between an iPhone 4 and previous iPhones you will know its a thing of beauty having that much res in such a small area.

This is 100% true. I can tell the difference between apps that haven't had their graphics updated for the iPhone 4's display extremely easily, and it's a higher pixel density than a 2K iPad would be.

The iPhone 4's screen is so good, that when I haven't used my DSLR for a while, my first thought when I take a photo and review it is that I've slightly missed the focus, and have to zoom in to see that it was just the screen's low pixel density!

 

[Stuart English]

Counterpoint

Counterpoint

Counterpoint: IF there were a higher resolution iPad...

What would be the point of 2K footage on a 10" screen? I can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a 32" TV.

Observable resolution is a function of (viewing angle / distance) Sit closer and you can resolve more, conversely sit further way you can resolve less.

Computer monitors have been higher res than 1080p for a while - but the bandwidth required to download even compressed 1080p restricts wider adoption. Eventually, bigger TVs and bigger Internet pipes will make higher resolution attractive.

I suggest the internet pipes are there already - especially outside the US - and it's the instantaneous bandwidth required to STREAM 1080p and maintain high picture quality that's the problem everyone is tripping up over.

A high resolution iPad will not, however, drive the creation of any commercial 2K content.

Can I take you up on that bet

The iPad is driving a lot of experimentation in hybrid stills / video content creation, there is no reason why that has to conform to existing distribution channel resolution constraints.