Popular Mechanics cranks out another ten HDTV myths

Truthfully, it's quite sad that these top ten lists of HDTV myths keep popping up, as it just reinforces the sad truth that many folks are still mystified by the prospect of HDTV. Nevertheless, Popular Mechanics has doled out its own version of the woefully popular rundown, and making the cut are the ever popular tall-tales that an HD set-top-box is somehow required to receive any HD programming, a 1080p TV is unquestionably superior to a 720p counterpart, and that an HDTV will magically convert all programming to stunning high-definition. Additionally, we shed a tear just thinking of those who still believed that all flat-panels are indeed HD-ready and that pristine video quality is only channeled through stupendously overpriced cabling. A few newcomers to the list involved 1080p panels that actually can't accept 1080p signals from a scaling player, and the unbelief that HD video can't be recorded onto standard DVD-Rs. Of course, there's no shame in being duped by a unintelligible big box employee or just not being up to speed on the HDTV minutia, so take a few and hit the read link if you're looking to clear up any lingering HD haze.

[Photo courtesy of Chris Eckert/Studio D, thanks Matt]

[Jypson Posted May 20th 2007 3:57PM]

Good article. I imagine Sony, Samsung, and the rest of the boys would be out of a lot of benjamins if people did a little research before waltzing into the electronic store.

[(Unverified) Posted May 20th 2007 5:14PM]

One clarification - HD files can be recorded to regular DVD, but they can not be played on regular DVD - you must have an HD dvd player to view.

[(Unverified) Posted May 20th 2007 8:38PM]

All this should be common sense to anyone who does five minutes of Wikipedia research on HDTV... It's unbelievable... What cheapness...

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2007 3:03PM]

They are probably going to confuse some people, and might be confused themselves:
From Myth 4, "A 1080p set (one with at least 1920 x 1080 pixels) does have higher resolution than a 720p (at least 1920 x 780) set."
From Myth 6, "But the two high-definition broadcast standards are 1280 x 720 (720p) and 1920 x 1080 (1080i)."

[(Unverified) Posted May 28th 2007 2:20AM]

Best article description field ever, keep more things coming

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[(Unverified) Posted May 28th 2007 6:22PM]

Unfortunately, in the very first Myth, they turned around and perpetrated ANOTHER myth: that to get HD off the air, one must use an "HD antenna." More misinformation.
A regular, everyday $20 UHF antenna will do the job, the special "HD" antennas out there are just shameless attempts to rip off people who don't know any better and assume that it is some kind of special signal that can't be received with a regular antenna.