Not necessarily. Progressive and interlaced video organise moving pictures differently, and the television must process interlaced material correctly. Frame or field rate, source quality, deinterlacing and compression all influence how a fast match looks, so resolution labels alone do not settle the comparison.
Understand the letters
The p in 720 p means a complete progressive picture is presented for each frame. The i in 1080 i means alternating fields carry different lines from successive moments. Interlaced video needs deinterlacing before it can be shown properly on a modern progressive display, and poor processing can damage motion.
Watch lines during movement
Look at a player’s legs, pitch markings and a scrolling scoreboard while the camera moves. Comb-like edges suggest that fields are being combined incorrectly. A soft but stable progressive picture may be preferable to an interlaced version that produces jagged motion, even when its vertical number is larger.
Test the player processing
If available, try the player’s automatic deinterlacing mode and compare with its other supported options. Change one setting, replay the same passage and return to the original if the result is worse. Do not assume the internet connection is at fault when the stream plays continuously but moving edges look wrong.
