My New Sharp 52" Hi Def Flatscreen with Motorola PVR (top right).
I hear a lot of people saying, they don't really think Hi Definition TV is a big deal. They think it's not worth it or that it's over hyped and that their current TV and current signal is good enough.
I was one of those.
My iMac changed my mind. Through QuickTime, an iMac user (at least one with a recent iMac) can download 1 - 3 minute Hi Definition clips of Movie Trailers and other films. You can go here if you want to try it.
The crystal clarity of the clips on my 20" iMac was amazing. I couldn't help but stare and replay the scenes.
I thought it was worth the investment. Two weeks ago we purchased a Sharp LC52D64U 52" 1080p Widescreen LCD Television (pictured above).
It's a beautiful machine even when it's turned off. We still had standard analogue cable and the picture was good but not great. Not a whole lot better than my 61" 1998 Proscan Rear Projector television it was replacing. In fact my wife complained that it was too small.
Last Monday, the Shaw Cable Guy came over and hooked us up to Hi Definition. He installed the Motorola DCT-6416 III, a 160GB PVR with Dual Hi Def Tuners.
Some people have compared Hi Definition Television to Standard Television as being like DVD's to the old VHS videotape, as far as quality improvement.
No way. A better analogy would be from going to Black and White to Colour Television. Or from going from an antenna reception to cable.
I'll go one step further and say that Hi Definition Television is the most dramatic improvement EVER in the history of Television Technology.
The viewing experience is amazing, it's like rediscovering what it's like to watch Television.
The first night we had the HI Def we watched Memoirs of a Geisha. I think my mouth was open in wonder at the beauty of the images we were watching.
Last night we watched "House" and then an episode of the fantastic series on the early life of Henry VIII called The Tudors.
You have to see for yourself. So much detail is exposed that you find yourself looking at the background scenery, the props, the beard growth on House's face, the jewelry garnishing Henry's royal robes. It's so freaky because you almost feel like you are with the actors in the scene.
And to watch the Canucks humiliate the Anaheim Ducks in Hi Definition, well who would pay $100 for a seat at GM Place when they can watch it just as clearly if not more so in the comfort of their home.
Expensive? Yes it is. The Sharp TV cost me around $3000, the PVR with the dual Tuners, close to $800 with taxes and a modest increase in my cable fees.
I think it's the best $4000 I ever spent. Will the novelty wear off? Maybe. Technological Standards rise with every passing year. I'm still able to access all my previous Standard Definition cable channels. What I thought was pretty good reception now looks unacceptable.
If you have the money, go for it. If you never liked watching televising before or thought it was a waste of time, this new technology will rekindle your fascination with what is available for you to view.
