HD takes some getting used to

[Rÿcher]

I gots me a 40" Samsung LCD HDTV and when I watched standard-def programming or movie, it looks like an old episode of Dr. Who - very dimensional I guess the best way I can put it. Watching Star Wars and ST:TMP on my standard-def DVD player, it looks a lot different than what I'm used to.

Maybe an upconverting blu-ray would work a little better? Well, it even did that on an episode of Enterprise that I was watching the other night.

HD programming looks I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

If you can't afford the full overhaul, get a DVD player with an "upconvert " feature. Then by that HDMI chord. That way you can watch all the DVD's you bought, and they should look really good...as in close to HD quality.

 

[Rÿcher]

Oh, I'll be getting the Blu-Ray...

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If you can't afford the full overhaul, get a DVD player with an "upconvert " feature.

Depending on the specific HDTV model, its own upconverter might do a better job than a DVD player would.

I bought the Blu-Ray player that I did (a Sony) exactly because I can tell it NOT to upconvert.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I was making the suggestion so that he could take his time in getting Blu Ray versions of DVD's he already has. A DVD player with HDMI jack will have really good quality

 

[Brikar99]

I gots me a 40" Samsung LCD HDTV and when I watched standard-def programming or movie, it looks like an old episode of Dr. Who - very dimensional I guess the best way I can put it. Watching Star Wars and ST:TMP on my standard-def DVD player, it looks a lot different than what I'm used to.

Maybe an upconverting blu-ray would work a little better? Well, it even did that on an episode of Enterprise that I was watching the other night.

HD programming looks I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!

I recently got my first HDTV as well, and HD cable. Well worth it. Anyone who says the difference between SD and HD isn't that noticeable is fooling themselves.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I gots me a 40" Samsung LCD HDTV and when I watched standard-def programming or movie, it looks like an old episode of Dr. Who - very dimensional I guess the best way I can put it. Watching Star Wars and ST:TMP on my standard-def DVD player, it looks a lot different than what I'm used to.

Maybe an upconverting blu-ray would work a little better? Well, it even did that on an episode of Enterprise that I was watching the other night.

HD programming looks I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E!

I recently got my first HDTV as well, and HD cable. Well worth it. Anyone who says the difference between SD and HD isn't that noticeable is fooling themselves.

I wouldn't say it's unnoticeable, but I certainly don't think it's worth the expense of having to pay extra to subscribe to HD channels.

 

[Brikar99]

You keep tellin' yerself that.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

You keep tellin' yerself that.

I'm not saying things like Planet Earth aren't stunning in HD, but to be honest, I watched season 2 of Heroes in HD, and it just made the fake scenery and bad effects stand out more, and they were pretty blatant in SD.

 

[Brolan]

If you watch standard quality video on an HDTV without a decent upscaller it looks like complete crap. You can get an AV receiver that will make it look much better, but they are costly.

http://reviews.cnet.com/av-receivers/denon-avr-3808ci/4505-6466_7-32553611.html

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

You keep tellin' yerself that.

I'm not saying things like Planet Earth aren't stunning in HD, but to be honest, I watched season 2 of Heroes in HD, and it just made the fake scenery and bad effects stand out more, and they were pretty blatant in SD.

Try watching them on an actual Blu-Ray disc. Then you'll be convinced of HD's superiority. (HD cable channels are notoriously over-compressed.)

 

[Rii]

Anyone who says the difference between SD and HD isn't that noticeable is fooling themselves.

The difference is certainly noticeable, but as the basis for pushing a new disc format it's on shaky ground. Most successful format transitions involve advances far more significant than those Blu-Ray offers over DVD.

 

[Garrovick]

I've seen blu-ray and HD in my friends house. It's nice and colorful, and clearer than regular TV..

But for me, not worth the cost.

Replacing my 19inch TV I use today, with a 250 dollar plus HDTV is ridiculously retarded. I'll just stick with the cheap converter the government gave me 40 dollars for.

 

[Ghel]

I'm sticking with "regular" TV and DVD for a while too. Yeah, HD is crisper, but to me is so not worth the price. Granted, I can't see the mole on the face of the chef on the non-HD food channel, but somehow I'll have to get by.

 

[BigFoot]

Welcome to the wonderful world of HD.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

You keep tellin' yerself that.

I'm not saying things like Planet Earth aren't stunning in HD, but to be honest, I watched season 2 of Heroes in HD, and it just made the fake scenery and bad effects stand out more, and they were pretty blatant in SD.

Try watching them on an actual Blu-Ray disc. Then you'll be convinced of HD's superiority. (HD cable channels are notoriously over-compressed.)

I believe BBC HD has the highest bandwidth of any channel broadcast in the UK.
I'm not talking about problems with the broadcast, it was nothing to do with the quality of the picture, it was the quality of the effects work. As I said, it stands out in SD, never mind HD.

And as I also said, there's is a noticeable difference, I'm just not sure it's worth paying an extra subscription for, or shelling out money when you don't need to.
Perhaps the difference just isn't so big going from PAL/DVB 16:9 to 720p/1080i as it is going from NTSC 4:3 to 720p/1080i?

 

[MikeGainer]

Oh, I'll be getting the Blu-Ray...

I would wait until Super HD comes out. 4 times the resolution.

 

[RoJoHen]

I am waiting until Blu-Ray becomes the primary option for TV shows and movies.

Until they stop making DVDs, I'm going to stick with them. I do, however, own an HDTV and will say that it's definitely worth it to get a DVD player with an Upconverter.

I don't watch enough regular TV to warrant me paying for HD cable at this point. All I ever really watch are Scrubs reruns.

 

[Sephiroth]

i'm considering an HD upgrade when i move, i've got a nice 30' widescreen hdtv that i can only watch harry potter OOTP and transformers in HD on

 

[dragunzng]

I have a (crappy) 32 inch Panasonic Viera and a PS3, I tend to get visually stunning movies or movies I really, really like in HD and the rest I settle for SD. Same with digital downloads.

I'm thinking of selling the HDTV and getting a 22-32 inch LCD monitor though, I have a PC I use as a media center hooked up to the HDTV as well via HDMI but TV's are just crap at outputting a PC signal. Of course the downside is that I expect the monitor will do a crap job of displaying the signal from the PS3 :P