# 720p

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{{Short description|Video resolution}}

thumb|This chart shows the most common display resolutions, 720p being one of the 16:9 formats shown in blue.

'''720p''' (720 lines progressive) is a progressive [HD](/source/High-definition_television) signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an [aspect ratio](/source/aspect_ratio_(image)) (AR) of [16:9](/source/16%3A9_aspect_ratio), normally known as widescreen HD (1.78:1). All major HD broadcasting standards (such as [SMPTE 292M](/source/SMPTE_292)) include a 720p format, which has a resolution of 1280×720.

The number ''720'' stands for the 720 horizontal [scan line](/source/scan_line)s of image [display resolution](/source/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 [progressive scan](/source/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|94005994}}, 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 [temporal resolution](/source/temporal_resolution) possible under the [ATSC](/source/ATSC_standards) and [DVB](/source/DVB) standards. The term assumes a [widescreen](/source/widescreen) [aspect ratio](/source/Aspect_ratio_(image)) of [16:9](/source/16%3A9_aspect_ratio), thus implying a resolution of 1280×720 [px](/source/pixel) (0.9 [megapixels](/source/Pixel)).

720i (720 lines [interlaced](/source/Interlaced_video)) 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](/source/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](/source/CNET_Networks) 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 to 60&nbsp;Hz conversion and slow-motion clips with progressive video.

== Resolutions ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! Standard
! Resolution
! Aspect ratio
|-
| HD
| 960×720p
| {{ratio|4:3}}
|-
| HD
| 720×960p
| {{ratio|3:4}}
|-
| HD
| 1280×720p
| {{ratio|16:9}}
|-
| HD
| 720×1280p
| {{ratio|9:16}}
|}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Television}}

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [1440p](/source/1440p), [4K](/source/4K_resolution), [Ultra-high-definition television](/source/Ultra-high-definition_television), [1080i](/source/1080i), [1080p](/source/1080p).
* [High-definition television](/source/High-definition_television) (HDTV)
* [Image resolution](/source/Image_resolution)
* [List of common display resolutions](/source/List_of_common_display_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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [720p](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.