Probably shouldn't buy an HDTV
 

. . . from Circuit City.

I was browsing achieve360points.com and saw a Circuit City ad animated in Flash. The ad is done with a basketball broadcast theme and scrolls through HDTV technology kind of like a tournament progression: LCD > Plasma > 720i > 1080p. . .

720. . . i?? :huh:

It doesn't just happen once, either. When the animation concludes, the ad gives you a "rollover for more info" type section. When you do that, down in the lower-right corner it offers, "The Stats," with in-depth info on 720i vs. 1080p. :lol:

I know I wouldn't feel comfortable buying my $2500 TV from a company that is inventing new display modes.

:fail:

It's a common mistake.

A little too common.

HDTV in general is retarded.

They should have just made the standard "there's gonna be a bit stream that self identifies it's resolution and framerate, your TV will be responsible for displaying it as best as possible". You know, basically a simplified version of the way computer monitors have been working for the last 20+ years.

Then you just go and buy the best damn display you can afford. HD "standards" are crap.

What? There is no 720i?

F that. I'm not buying a TV until I can buy it in 720i.

Just turn your 720p TV on and off 30 times a second while your watching it.

720i isn't a broadcast standard, but apparently, it is a common format for upconverting pre HD formats.
Probably what a lot of the sets do with composite inputs. especially the CRT based models, but I am guessing.