orestes

Problems with my Toshiba TW40X81--any advice?

I have problems with my Toshiba tw40x81 unit. Let me explain. Recently I bought an XBOX 360, and when I was reading my unit's manual, I found out that my TV supports 480p and 480i, 1080i.

Then, I went ahead and set my xbox 360 to 1081i to play DOA 3, a 1080i game, but at first I noticed some waving lines at the top of the screen going all the way across. Then, I remember that the same thing happen when Comcast install the digital box for HDTV. I remember this because I had to set an appointment with Comcast to fix this problem. The tech came and fix it, but he did not explain well what the problem was.

So yesterday, I look at the menu of the digital box set, and sure enough it is set to broadcast 480p. I wonder why it cannot be set 1080i? I was also reading on the net that most HD broadcast are sending only 720p which my TV does not support. Thus, the motorola box set is down converting the signal. So I am only getting a DVD quality picture instead of HD, right?

So questions:

1) Isn't 480p a DVD quality picture?
2) Is it true that HD broadcast is on 720p in most areas?
3) Does anyone know why Comcast box set cannot upconvert to 1080i?
(I already ask Comcast this question, and hopefully I will get some answers)
4) TV is about 5 years old, I wonder if the 1080i problem can be fixed. I cannot replace this unit until the end of 2007 at the earliest.

It does bother me that I cannot play games on 1080i when I do have source programming to play at 1080i. Oh, one final question, isn't 1080i better than 480p?

NOTE:
Toshiba TW40X81 supports 480p, 480i, and 1080i. It does not support 720p, period.
This unit only has two sets of component inputs. It is a HDTV ready and it is about 5 years old.
END NOTE.

Thanks.
orestes