I went to help my sister buy an LCD TV today at a big electronics chain store in Greece. The salesman was the typical Greek: loud, pushy, absolute in his views and of course completely wrong. My sister presented him with the following dilemma: should I buy a 32inch LCD TV with Internet@TV, and a 100Hz refresh rate or a 37inch LCD TV without the aforementioned features? He recommended the 37inch set. Here's the reasons he gave:

• He said: Internet@TV is basically locked, so it does not really make a diff if you have it or not. Wrong! Internet@TV works fine, it is just that it may not work for some premium services - it certainly works for free services like youtube though.

          Proof: http://www.samsung.com/us/internetTV/demo.html

• He said: "It is scientifically proven that 100Hz are not perceptible by the human brain, so it won't make a difference anyway". Too bad that he was oversimplifying an extremely complex issue (as the links below so) not to mention that I do not know where he got that number from; at least contemporary science shows that humans can perceive at rates much higher than just 100Hz (which is why 200Hz TVs make sense):

          Link 1: http://www.100fps.com/how_many_frames_can_humans_see.htm

          Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_of_vision

          Link 3: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10243372-82.html

          Link 4: http://www.overclock.net/faqs/94872-info-explanation-lcd-response-time.html

          In any case 100Hz (or higher) capability for LCD screens usually refers to their ability to generate extra frames using interpolation when images are moving fast and predictably and is indeed considered a feature that offers good, real value with improved motion smoothness. Here's Samsung's explanation: 

          Link 1: http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp/faqs/faqs_view_us.jsp?AT_ID=146583&PROD_ID=41&PG_ID=-1&PROD_SUB_ID=0 
          Link 2: http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp/faqs/faqs_view_us.jsp?AT_ID=125808&PROD_ID=154&PG_ID=-1&PROD_SUB_ID=0

• He said: "In any case, this TV goes up to 80Hz." Yet the manufacturer clearly states that this is a 50Hz TV!

          Proof: http://www.samsung.com/baltic/consumer/tv-audio-video/television/lcd-tv/LE37B530P7WXBT/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=spec&fullspec=

Then trying to sell us extended warranty he said: "LCD TVs break down all the time", and when I said that I would like to confirm that by checking LCD TV failure statistics on the Internet he cut me off by declaring in a very absolute manner that "there are no such statistics." Of course completely wrong again:

• Link1, LCD TVs are very reliable: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_type_of_television_has_the_longer_life_span_LCD_or_Plasma
• Link 2, Consumer Reports statistics that explicitly advise against buying extended warranty on LCDs: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cu-press-room/pressroom/archive/2007/12/0712-eng0712rpt.htm
• Link 3, failure statistics for various brands with Samsung (the brand we were interested in) specifically listed as one of the most reliable brands: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/news-electronics-computers/tvs-brand-repair-history/index.htm

So basically this guy was either wrong or deliberately misleading in pretty much everything he told us. Was that due to idiocy or extremely unethical conduct, probably we shall never know but in any case a rule that I hold very dear was once more confirmed: "thou shalt not believe the salesman, especially the Greek salesman!"