1080p "True HD"

This stuff really makes me angry. The terms "True HD" and "Full HD" are marketing terms made up by Sony and other companies. They were made up for one purpose and one purpose only, to make people think if they buy a 720p set they aren't getting the full high definition exerience. But, to get that full high defitnion experience, you have to pay up the ying yang.


But salesman at the fine electronic stores forget to tell you is, the only time you will ever watch 1080p material is through-

-Blu-Ray
-HD DVD
-Xbox 360
-PS3
-Computer


TV that broadcasts in high definition is broadcasted in 1080i. And for those of you that don't know, 720p sets that have come out in the past few years can display 1080i.

Another thing that most people don't know is, cable companies don't have the bandwidth to broadcast in 1080p. So unless you have one of the things from the list I made up there, you're $4,000 1080p set of yours, isn't being used to it's full potential. You could save your self literally thousands of dollars by getting a 720p set.

What makes me the most upset about this, is that those salesman at Best Buy and other electronic stores take advantage the common man's lack of knowledge in the area.

They take advantage of the sorry saps that spend two thousands dollars for a 40" 1080p set. For those of you that don't know, 1080p on that small of screen is indistinguishable from 720p. You have to be sitting at the right distance away from the TV and have the right screen size to really tell a difference.

Sure, if you're going to be buying a 46"+ TV you're probably going to want to opt for a 1080p set. Because at that size, you're going to definitely be seeing a diffrence between the two. But before you do, ask yourself this.

Are you going to be buying into high definition DVDs, without knowing whether or not HD-DVD or Blu-rays' are going to win the format war? What if you buy into Blu-ray, pay $25 for each Blu-Ray, then the next year, Sony and other companies drop Blu-ray, and HD-DVD is the winner? Also, are you going to be playing the few Xbox 360 and PS3 video games their are in 1080p?

Maybe you're one of the few that has a computer capable of playing games at 1920x1080 at a playable frame rate? Sure if you were running an 8800 Ultra or something, but chances are, you probably aren't. You have a much better chance of playing them in 1280x720 (720p) at smooth frame rate.

Now I'm not bashing on 1080p TVs at all. They look incredible and look better then a 720p sets, providing you have the right source material.

Just keep that stuff in mind when you go out to buy a TV. Yes, 1080p sets are top of the line, theirs no question about that.

But is the premium worth it if you aren't even going to be watching stuff in 1080p? Unless you're a gamer or own a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive, you'll be wasting money.