Quite a thread hijack/flame war we had going on here...
And yes I realize you want to compare 720p to 1080p but here are my thoughts on 1080I vs 720P...
Anyways, like StPatGuy I also have the Sony XBR960 which has support for most resolutions except for 1080p of course. I have viewed over the air HD programs in both 720P and 1080i and MY PERSONAL PREFERNCE is 1080i. It simply looks cleaner and more detailed in my opinion. I'm not trying to say that 720p doesn't look good because it does, but that 1080i looks a little better. For instance, 720p is WOW but 1080i is OMG that's not a tv, you're looking at the real thing.
Of course for sporting events (with lots of motion) 720P is preferred so you don't get pixelized (blocky) images, but most of the stuff I watch doesn't have fast motion objects. In the end, simly look at the lines, 720 vs 1080...sure the 720 lines are refreshed faster than the 1080 but it all depends on the source material. For sports, 720 and for everything else 1080i.
I also heard that ESPN would be the first to start broadcasting in 1080p since that would benefit them the most. It remains to be seen when and if they come out with it.
If you have patience and some extra money go for the 1080P. After all the amount of pixels is significantly increases, more than doubles, with 1080P (~2.07Mpixels vs 720 which has 920Kpixels). Again, 720 looks good and who knows when 1080P content will be out but if you have patience go with the higher res.
