While I may be pulling the curtain back and exposing the one of the most lucrative markets in North America, below are the top 3 HDTV-related myths and their [probably not-so shocking] facts.

Myth #1: 1080p is much better than 1080i (720p).  (i – interlaced vs. p – progressive scan is briefed at the bottom)

Fact: In tests after tests experts have proven that the human eye just isn’t sharp enough to see the difference at screen sizes and distances typical of North American homes.  So while you may feel like you’re slumming when you ’settle’ for a 720p HDTV to save a few bucks, know that your picture will likely look just as good as your neighbour’s 1080p (all else being equal).  And don’t forget, your incoming Satellite or cable HD signal is coming in at 720p – that’s a perfect match!

Myth #2: You need expensive new HDMI cabling to take full advantage of your HDTV.

Fact: Well, this one is about 50/50.  Yes, you’ll need HDMI cabling to get a higher than 480p picture but you don’t have to spend a lot on it.  There are only two standards when it comes to HDMI: standard and high speed.  If you are being asked to pay more than $10 CDN for less than 2 metres then you’re overpaying.  PMP: Packaging + Marketing = Profit.

Myth #3: 7.1 Surround sound is the best way to recreate that in-theatre experience.

Fact: Guess what?  The audio you’re listening to wasn’t even recorded in 7.1 surround sound.  Even on Blu-Ray.

What’s the difference between 1080i and 1080p?
That’s a good question.  Well, the 1080 is the number of horizontal lines of resolution.  That’s the same on both.  The “i” stands for interlaced and the “p” stands for progressive scan.  Interlaced means that only half of the lines are being refreshed during every other scan while progressive scan means that all 1080 lines are being refreshed on every scan.  Theoretically it means a smoother picture during fast moving action but in the real world, viewers have a really hard time picking out which set is “i” and which set is “p” on typically sized HDTVs.  480p is the maximum that a good DVD player can produce.  Oh yeah, and 720p and 1080i are basically the same – you can choose to have the entire screen refresh 720 lines at once, 720p, or you can have the entire screen refresh 1080 lines every other scan.  Experts say that fast moving sports like hockey sometimes look better on 720p.  I’ll let you know what I think soon.

What’s the difference between 60Hz and 120Hz?
Yet another good question.  60Hz and 120Hz (pronounced hertz) are the refresh rates of LCD TVs.  Not to be confused with response rates, which are how fast the screen can display the signal from the source, refresh rates are the hot topic in 2008.  Film movies and television are shot at 24 frames per second (as opposed to digital which is 30 frames per second).  If your TV has a refresh rate of 60Hz it means that some fancy footwork has to be done to try to show those 24 frames evenly.  Thus the 3:2 pulldown.  Your TV has to adjust the content to 30 frames and this can cause ‘jaggies.’  A 120Hz TV can handle 30 frames per second as well as 24 frames, without having to adjust anything (both 24 and 30 divide evenly into 120).  Jaggies are bad.  Choose 120Hz if you can.  This is not an issue with plasma displays.  Which brings me to my final question.

Plasma or LCD?
Personal preference.  Take your favourite movie into your favourite big box store and ask them to show you on both.  It really is just down to personal preference now.  Don’t let anyone tell you that burn-in or brightness are issues with either – those days are long gone.

Get ready for something completely different, coming January 2009 – jacobkennedysolutions.com – trust me, it’s different…