Somewhat in regards to my post on camera resolutions in “My Digital Camera 10 Years Ago…” this comparison page, compares the actual picture quality from movies in 480p vs. 720p. (Beware Pop-ups and rogue ads.) This screen capture is a very preliminary comparison, however it does show some of the advantages of High Definition (HD) pictures.
I would not exactly call this comparison a scientific one, as there is too little information provided surrounding the comparison. (I’m thinking compression etc.) This comparison does show the first hand differences especially in sharpness.
And I am looking forward to seeing more material in a higher definition. Though the transition is slow, it is definitely in progress.
(From my understanding 480p is derived by the NTSC format and tells us that there is 480 lines vertically, the P means that it is progressive. Progressive is contra to interlaced. LCD monitors are all progressive, and interlaced is from the old tube TV’s. 720p is basically a little better “resolution”.)