TV Output 720p, 1080i, 1080p

[Trippy]

That doc is the MPEG-2 encoding format specification for digital TV in the US which includes HD and non-HD. I.e. you can digitally broadcast regular NTSC (non-HD) video and it still counts as "digital TV" but not HDTV.

[Jeff Kelly]

That document is in force since January 2007.

1080p has not been part of that standard when the xbr1 was produced. As far as the official ITU-R recommendation goes ("Parameter values for the HDTV standards for production and international programme exchange", BT-709) or the official recommendation of the EBU (european broadcaster's union) it still isn't included there.

The ITU recommendation is the official standard used, it is even cited by the atsc document that you linked.

[Trippy]

Wrong again. 1080p was/is one of the original 18 formats specified in the ATSC format specification back in 1995. This is the list of the 18 digital TV formats (includes both HD and SD) proposed by ATSC and adopted by the FCC at then end of 1996:

1080p 1080 1920 16:9 Progressive 24
1080p 1080 1920 16:9 Progressive 30
1080i 1080 1920 16:9 Interlaced 30
720p 720 1280 16:9 Progressive 24
720p 720 1280 16:9 Progressive 30
720p 720 1280 16:9 Progressive 60
480p 480 704 16:9 Progressive 24
480p 480 704 16:9 Progressive 30
480p 480 704 16:9 Progressive 60
480p 480 704 4:3 Progressive 24
480p 480 704 4:3 Progressive 30
480p 480 704 4:3 Progressive 60
480p 480 640 4:3 Progressive 24
480p 480 640 4:3 Progressive 30
480p 480 640 4:3 Progressive 60
480i 480 704 16:9 Interlaced 30
480i 480 704 4:3 Interlaced 30
480i 480 640 4:3 Interlaced 30

Since the TV Morfiend bought was meant for the North American market, the ATSC standard is what applies (US, Canada and Mexico all use it) and it's not relevant to us if the ITU has a different standard.

Edit: here's a copy of the ATSC format spec from 1995:

http://www.henninger.com/library/hdtvfilm/files/a_53.pdf

Going down to section 5.1.2 again you can see that same table with 1080p listed as one of the allowed formats.

[Jeff Kelly]

OK, so my info has been wrong at least when the american market is concerned. Well I apoplogize for that.

Still, the xbr1 was never designed to accept 1080p signals. So morphiend either talked to a very clueless salesman or he was lied to.