So THIS is HDTV?

IJAG,

Something must be wrong with the set up. You should definitely be able to tell the difference.

To me, only cleanly shot HD video has the mild "3D" effect (the stuff on Discovery HD, HDNet, etc.) Whereas, film-- your CSIs your Grey's, etc. just looks very sharp in comparison to SD.

But yeah, on video (or live sports), you should see pores, freckles, specks of dirt on golf balls.....

That said, some of the networks cut corners. CBS doesn't use all HD cameras on its sporting events... and TNT HD upconverts (simply transfers to fit the 16:9 format) many of its movies, which I don't think should be legal.

Buck is sort of right in that HD doesn't generally blow people away.... But for a lot of people it "spoils" standard definition. For example, if you watch a lot of HD (which I do), and then you watch something in SD, you'll find yourself saying, "Why's it so blurry?"

 

You are a Pepsi person? I used to like you.

 

I hated watching the Bears this weekend and last because we don't get Fox in HD. Our cable company REALLY needs to make that available. It's so grainy. I find that with HD, it's almost as if I'm actually at the game because I see the players so clearly.

 

He said "fancy."

Fancy TV.

Next week from Appalachia, they get rid of them dadgummed fancy televisions.

 

I dare you to watch the Ghost Whisperer and tell me you don't see the difference there.

 

I paid $1800 for my standard-definition 36-inch Mitsubishi TV back in 1990.

I paid $1200 for my 51-inch Sony HDTV 2 years ago.

And I could get a 51-inch HDTV for $800 today.

10+ years of enjoyment for half of one mortgage payment. Seems like a bargain to me.

 

Not really.

I just happen to have a 10-year mortgage (refinanced when rates bottomed at 5.25% in 2002) coupled with insurance rates that have skyrocketed.

It's not easy, but knowing that my little 1,600-square foot "McMansion" will be paid off before I'm 50 makes it worth the sacrifice.

And the Lexus I drive? It came off the assembly line BEFORE Steve Spurrier was hired . . . at Florida. It's a 1990 I paid a whopping $5,000 for back in 2003. Don't ask me how fast it'll go, though. The speedometer quit working last year.

But it's a small sacrifice . . . that'll pay off in the long run.

 

I didn't enjoy it less. I just don't enjoy watching sports that aren't in HD much anymore. Until I moved in with Doc, I'd never experienced HD television. Now, I'm pretty spoiled. We have two HD tv's that I believe were $500 apiece. Watching movies in HD vs. SD isn't much of a difference, but for me, I've become so used to sports in HD that I don't like watching sports that aren't in HD now.

 

The LCD looks better than plasma in showing HD programming.
We splurged on a 46-inch LCD HDTV and hooked it up to some nice speakers, and the 40 or so HD channels rock. Literally, on a couple of music/concert channels. Live sports looks great. Non-HD shows look a touch off on HDTVs, so we don't watch as much of them as we used to. For Mrs. Editude's sake, American Idol is done in HD. :

 

FWIW, the President's cabinet does not look any better in HD than they do in SD. I wonder if it will make Bush look better.