What’s The Difference Between 1080i And 1080p? And What Does Sony Klv-32v550a Support?

Yahoo! says:

The i and p bit indicate the way the image is put on the screen or the scan type. The i stands for interlaced. Interlaced scanning is an older method of putting the picture onto the screen. It is more common in older style CRT TVs. The p stands for progressive and is the modern way to put the picture on the screen.
The picture comes on the screen very quickly but the progressive technique is smoother and less flickery than the interlaced method. Thus it is claimed that the picture will be better using the progressive method although it is hardly noticeable to the eye. It may also be better for fast paced action movies or rapid changes to the image but, again, it is debatable whether the eye will pick up on this.
1080p is the best you can get at the moment in terms of latest technology. It will allow you to get the most out of the next generation DVDs, blu ray and HD DVD.
1080i is the current best standard for HD broadcast television.
Thus 1080i and 1080p simply mean how clear the picture will be on the screen and how quickly the picture is put on the screen.
Your TV should clearly state which one it supports.