Why can't i get 1080p on my xbox 360?

Q: I was using the component cable from my xbox to connect to my tv, and i was using 1080p so i know its compatible. But i bought a hdmi cable earlier, plugged it in and i can only get 1080i now. What's going on?? I checked my hdmi cable and it is 1080p compatible.

A: Well, here's an easy explanation for this. Your TV may be 1080p, but only sends out information as a 1080i. The first wave of 1080p TVs had this "problem" for a bit, mainly because HDMI was experimental. Unlike Component Cables (which are unable to have two-way information), the HDMI cable gets information back from the television, and communicates that to your 360. If the TV tells the 360that it's 1080i, then that's what the 360 will output. A 360 component cable can't output 1080p, so just because you set your system to 1080p doesn't mean that's what it was outputting. In fact, your Component cable was putting out a 720p signal, but the XBox itself wasn't receiving any information to state that it couldn't attempt the 1080p signal. So a combination of these two minute problems is what's probably summing up to the "big" problem you're having now. But just for your knowledge, game graphics hardly EVER push the limits of 720p, even on 1080p settings, and hardly any of the downloadable movies go above 720p, either. So you're not missing much of anything. Take it from someone who has so much HD crap in his house that he doesn't know what to do with it all. (And no... I'm not going to just send it to you. :) ) Anyway, I hope this helped you out a little bit.

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