Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Which gives better picture...720p or 1080i?

Judging by the following, I'd say it's a 1080i set.

Features of Toshiba 50HDX82
Like most HDTVs, the 50HDX82 can display high-definition 1080i material, and it converts incoming 720p HDTV, the format used by ABC, to 1080i. To watch HDTV on this set, you'll need to connect it to a compatible HDTV receiver. When fed standard NTSC video--such as VHS, satellite, or cable--this set's progressive-scan converter kicks in and up-converts the image to 540p. Converting the signal to 540p provides more lines (a.k.a. picture information) than that of the 480p display found in many other HDTVs.

Source

Regarding the 971 vs. the 981, the 971 will play DVD-As, but not SACDs. The 981 will play both. If you're not interested in Hi Rez audio, the 971 should suffice. I don't think (speculation, on my part) there's much difference in their video quality, particularly if your TV doesn't have an HDMI input.