Personally I HATE the shift to HD, to me it seems like an excuse to make me buy a new TV and all my movies again. I'm even more annoyed that so many game developers are making games with text/game icons that is nearly impossible to read on a Standard Definition television (read MGS4, Dead Rising). What do other people think about the "switch" to HD?

I have a HD TV and only like four HD channels. More would be brilliant.

personally, HD will happen. i know it sucks to face it, but people will eventually buy it and soon they'll stop making regular tv's. Hopefully the designers will offer backwards compatibility so regular dvd's still play. i don't see the big difference really, but who am i to say, i atcually believe intellectual games are better than monotnous pretenders trying to offer intellect but just end up being very stupid.

At this point and time, I have over ten thousand dollars invested in DVD videos and tv shows. My television is a 36" CRT Toshiba, it is neither plasma/LCD nor is it large enough to merit HD, and I already have a five disc and single disc DVD player. In addition, I'm looking to buy a certain 400 disc player that upconverts regular DVD to HD quality should I ever replace my TV... So no, I saw HD and BluRay duke it out and didn't care one way or the other. HD wins the format war, but they still haven't made a cent from me, nor will they ever.

Bah, this whole HD thing is overrated anyway. As Charlie Brooker pointed out, computer monitors have already been HD for years. Tellies have only now started playing catch up.

And personally, I can't see much difference anyway. We've got an HD telly in our living room, with a normal DVD player plugged into it. All my DVDs look perfectly sharp. S'all hyperbole and spin, designed to make lots of money.

It's not a shift to HD, it's a shift to digital. Which means if you have an antenna, or little bunny ears, you'll nolonger receive T.V. of ANY KIND. Not even EBS (Emergency Broadcast System). It's a money grub is all it is.

I dunno, seems reasonable. I've had an HDTV and digital receiver for a while now. The picture is fabulous and I like the menu and guide and such. I have really lousy service though. Like, exceptionally lousy service. Maybe with the switch I'll have more options and can go to a different company?

I watched my first movie on Blu Ray the other day, and I have to say it was pretty awesome. There were several moments where I just sat up and said "whao" becuase of the quality. I have an HDTV with a 40 inch screen and standard definition channels have poorer quality then on a normal TV but the HD channels, well they are amazing.

I like my HDTV better than my old TV. This is like asking if I prefer a 5 dollar apple pie or a 25 cent shit sandwich I believe the answer is obvious

yeah i like my hdtv, it's very nice, as for switching all my dvd's to blu-ray, that won't happen for a few reasons, the ps3 can upscale and not all movies make the transition to hd very well, that could be the tv tho, and some movies aren't worth getting in hd either. i'm only recollecting movies that are worth it in blu-ray, like fifth element and getting some movies in dvd when they come out or blu-ray depending, typically on the goodies it comes with

If HD was the visual equivalent of dolby5.1 then maybe....maybe maybe.

Dolby5.1 gave my ears a spanking and i felt better for hearing all the musician could throw at me yet HD isnt the equivalent.

I look at my 32" LCD screen, in 1080p mode, saying "seen it, seen it, seen it"#

Do i see more detail... nah, its just a little smidgen clearer. Are there easter eggs accompanying HD? No, no, no... just a big fat price.

Blue ray -- hd dvd -- who cares.. rip the smegger with DIVX6 and give me a 100mb connection.

TheNecroswanson:
It's not a shift to HD, it's a shift to digital. Which means if you have an antenna, or little bunny ears, you'll nolonger receive T.V. of ANY KIND. Not even EBS (Emergency Broadcast System). It's a money grub is all it is.

Yeah, I am confused. Is everybody here talking about HDTV vs. normal TV or the fact that in Feb. 2009 all TV will be digital? FYI, digital TV signal does not equal HDTV. It just means there will no longer be analog signals (antenna). So what is the argument, digital vs. analog or HD vs. SD? They are not the same thing.

If we are talking about HDDVD vs. SDDVD's I've never actually seen an HDDVD format play. I see no need to get a High Definition player, I think the movie are too high priced. I have only seen HD channels on my 50" plasma, and there is a world of difference between SD and HD for TV signals. Hell, I could watch Discovery channel HD all day. So I think the HD channels are good. But I really can't say anything about DVD format as I haven't seen it.

Also, there is a very noticible differnce in games. The image is much more crisp. I have a friend with a 50+ inch LCD that is not HD. While playing some games there were elements of the HUD that were illegible due to small text and poor definition, but in HD the small text is extremely crisp and legible. The best example is Lost Planet online, for death match you have a sliding bar and the score is in white over the bar, but it is illegible if not in HD.

All that being said, Is HD worth it? That is for you to decide. I can afford it, so I have an HD TV and fraking love it.

wgreer has cracked it.
With all the fun of file sharing and the movie industries complete inability to control 5 billion computer users they did, at least, use their brain matter.

Now we have file sizes of 25gb and higher, even with compression the file size is large 4-9 gb for a classified HD file.

In game -- wouldnt doubt it has more visuals and i would venture to suggest that Animation, Pixar and such stuff can cram more into the HD versions but.....

regular films, with normal living real people, will be the same at 2000x1000 as it is at 800x600

"Pan's Labyrinth" in 1080p looks amazing. Anyone who says otherwise is blind.

Also, right now, more HDtv's are being sold than SD. They have the majority of the marketplace. I don't know what the denial is about, it's basically already happened.

It's like the shift from one console generation to the next; it's gonna happen eventually. Unfortunately, it is a bit expensive. That said, I love how my games look on my HDTV, and wouldn't really like to go back. I could live, but still...

the difference between HD and SD for me is quite clear. i definitely prefer HD but that is not to say that i can't live with SD. tbh, i prefer my tv to be in HD, but i game in lower resolutions because it drains the processor less. My computer screen can handle up to 1680x1050 i think but i normally game in much lower than that to save processor.

with my xbox, i set it to HD and turned all the settings up to 1080p to enjoy pure HD on a 1080p screen, and there is a marked difference, but not enough to cinch a deal between cheaper SD and better HD.

Seems like some people are missing the point a bit. It is not that you must change all your DVDs to blurays, but it is the same thing as VHS to DVD. New things will comes only on DVD, and if you want, you can buy the old movies you have on DVD. It did not make VHS's not function, they still work even today. Personally, I just couldn't go back, streched tapes, bad quality picture and sound. The more you watched it, the sooner it died. No thanks.
Even though DVD is good, and I plan to keep my DVDs for years, I'm still going to buy a bluray player when the prices come down a bit.
Funny thing about SD quality, the last ice hockey world championships were about a few months ago. The quality was so bad on SD that when the camera moved even the slightest it looked like the players weren't using sticks at all. I wathced few games on HD, and I must admit it, it rocked.

guys, normal rez is like 640x480. HD is 1920x1080p

Games can only look so pretty at 640x480. Getting an HDTV does make a difference in how your games look (more so than the xbox/GC/PS2 gen anyway). You could even do what I did is buy a cord from monoprice.com that would connect your 360 to your computer monitor. Thats my simple hd solution right there.

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
Bah, this whole HD thing is overrated anyway. As Charlie Brooker pointed out, computer monitors have already been HD for years. Tellies have only now started playing catch up.

Not full HD though, I don't think they make monitors big enough to show 1080p, do they? I mean, I've know for ages that PC monitors where better than standard TVs but I'm pretty sure that the higher end HDTVs are another jump up from the quality of monitors.

And yeah, I needed a new TV for ages and HD finally made me go out and make the purchase, I've got a very pretty 40inch Bravia and I love it to bits, watching blu-ray through my PS3 is generally always a joy and even upscaled DVDs look great through it.
I'm pretty sure that the switch over will happen, it won't be that long before standard TVs are no longer stocked by shops.

Eagle Est1986:

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
Bah, this whole HD thing is overrated anyway. As Charlie Brooker pointed out, computer monitors have already been HD for years. Tellies have only now started playing catch up.

Not full HD though, I don't think they make monitors big enough to show 1080p, do they?

Umm, yes.

Eagle Est1986:

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:
Bah, this whole HD thing is overrated anyway. As Charlie Brooker pointed out, computer monitors have already been HD for years. Tellies have only now started playing catch up.

Not full HD though, I don't think they make monitors big enough to show 1080p, do they?

1920x1080p is 1080p. That resolution is capable at a 22" moniter, so...yea. We have been pc gaming at that resolution for a long time.

Anyone who doesn't see much of a difference between HD and SD...is probably watching crummy HD.

If the opening trip in the Bathysphere in _BioShock_ doesn't give you a 3-D effect you're not seeing what HD can really do. Watch something like the opening space battle in _Star Wars Episode III_ on a good HD tv and you'll never want to go back to anything but the directing of Irvin Kershner.

HELL NO the only real difference between HD and Standard is the price point and once you've already bought an HD T.V. really the only thing you can do is sit and watch while in a heavy state of denial like my dad does

Aries_Split:
1920x1080p is 1080p. That resolution is capable at a 22" moniter, so...yea. We have been pc gaming at that resolution for a long time.

Fair enough. Is this a fairly standard thing in monitors or do you have to go out of your way to find a 1080p? Sorry for my apparent ignorance on the subject, I left PC gaming a long time ago.
Still, I am 100% sure that 1080p looks better on a 40inch screen than it does on a 32inch, so the same must be true for the difference between a 40inch and a 22inch. Anyways, I'm getting a little off the point now anyways.

dudeman0001:
HELL NO the only real difference between HD and Standard is the price point and once you've already bought an HD T.V. really the only thing you can do is sit and watch while in a heavy state of denial like my dad does

No. Either you're blind or your Dad isn't actually viewing any HD media on his tv, the difference is huge, even my friend who always refuses that he's ever been wrong (hover crafts don't hover, we don't see the world in 3D, to name but two occasions) has admitted that HD looks a hell of a lot better than SD.

Eagle Est1986:

Aries_Split:
1920x1080p is 1080p. That resolution is capable at a 22" moniter, so...yea. We have been pc gaming at that resolution for a long time.

Fair enough. Is this a fairly standard thing in monitors or do you have to go out of your way to find a 1080p? Sorry for my apparent ignorance on the subject, I left PC gaming a long time ago.
Still, I am 100% sure that 1080p looks better on a 40inch screen than it does on a 32inch, so the same must be true for the difference between a 40inch and a 22inch. Anyways, I'm getting a little off the point now anyways.

dudeman0001:
HELL NO the only real difference between HD and Standard is the price point and once you've already bought an HD T.V. really the only thing you can do is sit and watch while in a heavy state of denial like my dad does

No. Either you're blind or your Dad isn't actually viewing any HD media on his tv, the difference is huge, even my friend who always refuses that he's ever been wrong (hover crafts don't hover, we don't see the world in 3D, to name but two occasions) has admitted that HD looks a hell of a lot better than SD.

You understand the basis of resolution right? Most 22 inch moniters support 1920x1080p. All that is a resolution.

It seems that most are troubled by the price. Every new piece of electronics costs more than the old one, that is just how things are. If you look back at your previous purchases you see the same thing. I once bought an IBM 386/33 laptop (well laptop back then was totally different thing that it is now) and I payed for it gargantuan sums compared to what I paid for my latest pile of gaming grade hardware. Now that computers value is hanging only by it's nostalgic value. Still I say that it was a good purchace then. All new things cost more than the old ones. Sure you can get that 32" SD cheaper than 32" HD, and you also get that '89 Nissan cheaper than '08 Nissan.

Aries_Split:
You understand the basis of resolution right? Most 22 inch moniters support 1920x1080p. All that is a resolution.

Ok, I wasn't aware that the average 22inch montior would support that resolution as I only use a PC at work. I had assumed that a VGA cable wouldn't carry a full HD signal.

Still, like I said before, a 40inch HD tv will give you a much better picture than a smaller screen, to the point where you feel as if you should be able to reach into the tv and grab a hold of whatever you are watching.

I believe for gaming HD is superior but i was watching some HDTV and it just looked sterile. The movement was to cut out, the contrast between focuses was to exaggerated and it made Pirates at the Caribbean which was a pretty average movie with decent cinematography look like Neighbors.

The bad quality forgives things a lot of the time and gives it a more full feel. I play my ps3 on a tv from the 80s. It looks terrible :P

28 replies and nobody else has called anyone else an idiot. It's time to fix that. You're idiots--mostly.

There is a difference between HD and SD. If you can't see it, you're not receiving HD programming. Cable boxes (or satellite, or DVD, or whatever) must be broadcasting at HD resolutions. That means HD-specific channels (like National Geographic HD, or History HD). They broadcast in 1080i usually, some might be in 720p, which is still HD, which is still better than SD.

Regular DVD players can broadcast at a maximum of 480p (considered enhanced def or ED). This is often promoted as "progressive scan" DVD players. (that 'p' stands for progressive, while 'i' is for interlaced). So, a 480p DVD will look blurry still on a 1080p television, if the television scales it at all. Otherwise, it'll just be a box on your screen.

As for Upscaling DVD players, they wash the signal and up-scale regular DVD's to "near-HD" resolution. Basically it's the HD without the HD. It sharpens and enlarges the picture, but you don't have the same levels of clarity or detail that you get with True HD movies.

As for 1080p HD, the real show, it takes more than just an s-video cable. If you want to see a great picture, go HDMI. Buy the cables cheap from any number of online retailers; RCA cables just don't cut it.

Most computer montiors that support 1920x1080 (or 1200 for 5:4) are 24" and above, but I'm sure you can find some 22".

As for VGA, DVI, HDMI, it all depends on the DRM now. VGA can and will support full 1080p, but it's broadcasting over analog signals and is subject to interference, unlike DVI and HDMI. Only DVI and HDMI (Digital cables) will support HDCP, the bullshit copy-protection Blu-Ray and HD-DVD use to prevent illegal piracy--except as usual, DRM screws over the consumer who has to figure out why there monitor and computer won't play their movies. More on that another day.

As for resolutions, the 22" monitor and the 40" TV are broadcasting at the same resolution. However, you are seeing a higher pixel density on the monitor than the TV. So, in theory, you will actually see a better picture on the computer monitor than on the TV. However, people sit 1' away from their computers, and 9' from their TV's, so the TV picture still looks pretty damned good.

Any other questions?

ADDENDUM: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention cable providers (and satellite) like to complain about their "limited" bandwidth here in the States. Bullshit, but whatever. They just don't want to invest in expanding their network backbones. The result of this? They use lossy compression to send streaming video (aka, your nightly cables news in HD) so the signal already is kinda shitty when it reaches your box.

To Konraden:

Thanks for being and ass for me. Now I don't have to be the bad guy. By some people's responses, it sounded like many didn't really know what they were talking about. To sum up, if you can't tell the difference between HD and SD on your HDTV, you are not watching an HD signal.

Edit: You actually weren't an ass, post was well worded and not flaming. I take back my ass statement.

wgreer25:
I take back my ass

You my good sir, just won the quote of the year award.

I love HD. 1080p FTW which unfortunately you can't see unless you are playing a 1080p game or watching Blu-Ray. Cable/satellite still comes in 720p/1080i but it's still clearer than SD.

So, as I said before, I love me some HD! (Used to work at Best Buy in the home theater dept as well. :)

TheNecroswanson:
It's not a shift to HD, it's a shift to digital. Which means if you have an antenna, or little bunny ears, you'll nolonger receive T.V. of ANY KIND. Not even EBS (Emergency Broadcast System). It's a money grub is all it is.

It would actually be a move forward if broadcasters would give back all the spectrum they no longer need after shifting to digital.

Of course, they don't want to. Because they're bastards.

So only a tiny chunk of frequencies remain open to true public use.

-- Alex

Aries_Split:
guys, normal rez is like 640x480. HD is 1920x1080p

True. Even w i d e s c r e e n isn't that much bigger; 720x480.
I use Computers because they have 'truer' resolutions and are variable.
TVs are fine the way they are and need no improvements in my mind.