No proposed or existing broadcast standard permits 720 interlaced lines in a video frame at any frame rate. However, in some cases it is incorrectly presented as an actual alternative format to 720p. Typically, it is a typographical error in which the author is referring to the 720p HDTV format. 720i (720 lines interlaced) is an erroneous term found in numerous sources and publications. The term assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, thus implying a resolution of 1280×720 px (0.9 megapixels).

When broadcast at 60 frames per second, 720p features the highest temporal resolution possible under the ATSC and DVB standards. The number 720 stands for the 720 horizontal scan lines of image display resolution (also known as 720 pixels of vertical resolution). The frame rate is standards-dependent, and for conventional broadcasting appears in 50 progressive frames per second in former PAL/SECAM countries (Europe, Australia, others), and 59.94 frames per second in former NTSC countries (North America, Japan, Brazil, others). All major HDTV broadcasting standards (such as SMPTE 292M) include a 720p format, which has a resolution of 1280×720 however, there are other formats, including HDV Playback and AVCHD for camcorders, that use 720p images with the standard HDTV resolution.

720p (1280×720 px also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1).

„720“ steht für die vertikale Auflösung, „p“ für progressive Bildübertragung.

720p ist die geringste Auflösung der Fernsehnorm High Definition Television.

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