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Very often, I'm asked by friends and clients if the "P" is necessary in an HDTV? In other words, is 1080p worth the money?

My shoot-from-the-hip response: If you have to ask, the answer is "No." Basically, what I'm saying is that the people who will unquestionably benefit from 1080p over 720p already know the benefits and wouldn't ask me the question. However, there is no set answer that works for everyone. (Note: I'm deliberately omitting 1080i from the discussion.)

The biggest variables to consider are the size of the TV and how far back you will be sitting from the TV.
Try looking at it like a screen door. A 1080p screen door of the same size has more little holes (pixels) than a 720p screen door. At a relatively close distance (like 2-4 feet), the 1080p screen door will look less like a screen door and more like a solid tinted sheet of transparent material. This is a good thing. You want the TV (screen door) to look as solid as possible. Move back to about 8-10 feet and it will be much tougher to tell the difference between the two. They both will look like solid tinted sheets of transparent material. Once again, this is a good thing. In TV speak, at a standard viewing distance (around 8-10 feet) and a screen size below 50 inches (diagonal), it's difficult to notice a difference between a 1080p and 720p television. Picky viewers with excellent eyesight may disagree with me, though.

Technically speaking, 1080p IS better than
720p. But it may not be worth the extra money to you. That's really what I care about. Consider ALL of the following:

1. If you are looking at a screen size less than 50 inches and the price difference between TV's is substantial to you, go with 720p.  You'll be fine. You will have a great picture to look at it. (ESPN HD broadcasts in 720p. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.)
2. If you are looking to buy an HDTV AND another device (or two) and have a firm budget, consider 720p.  You can use the cost difference between 1080p and 720p HDTV's to buy other toys while staying within your budget. Once again, your viewing experience will be fine.
3. Consider 1080p if your new HDTV must last you 5-7 years. 1080p will future-proof your TV. Also, consider 1080p if you have a high definition Blu-Ray player. This will give you the best viewing experience.

There can be a lot of intimidating acronyms involved in buying an HDTV. They all mean something but most really don't actually mean anything to the average person. The TV may seem intimidating but in reality, it isn't. It just needs a hug.

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I’m a hardcore watcher and listener (via XM) of CNBC. Everyday I hear more and more about your Uncle Sam trying to borrow money when he already owes a bunch of people money. I have an Uncle like yours so I won’t judge you. I also hear a lot about the Digital Television (DTV) conversion being mandated by your Uncle Sam. Some of  you believe that he’s just trying to con you into spending a bunch of money on an expensive High Definition TV (HDTV). He has done a lot of things that could legitimately be classified as a hustle or scam but this isn’t one of them.

First, DTV doesn’t automatically mean HDTV. Just like pasta doesn’t automatically mean spaghetti. HDTV (spaghetti) is a form of DTV (pasta). That means that you DON’T have to purchase an HDTV.  You just need a way to feed your TV “pasta”. If you have cable or satellite TV service on a TV, you only have to do one thing to be ready: Pay your bill! If you have done, and continue to do, that, you can keep doing what you have been doing (*see my note at the bottom).

If you only have an antenna (or coat hanger; I’m not judging you) connected to your TV, you will have some issues when they hit the switch. Here’s what you can do: