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Is HD really that great?

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  #1  
Old 05-27-2008
Obi-Wan Jerkobi's Avatar
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Is HD really that great?

I may like being able to have a computer monitor the size of a double-basin sink and being able to watch 16:9 movies in native resolution, but I just don't get the point of HD.

It looks exactly the same to me is what I am getting to. My Polaroid 720p in the living room displays Halo 3 on my Xbox as good as on my 27" Tube TV, but not really better. I have even changed the resolution on the Xbox to 720p and noticed no change?

I just want to know if other people see the difference.
  #2  
Old 05-27-2008
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Location: Four Corners, US
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It really is that great, but not great enough for me to spend $140 a month for something I use fof 15 hours a week.
  #3  
Old 05-27-2008
Newcomer, in training
 
Member since: May 2008, 1 posts
if you are into sports it is the best ihave a bell express view package and there is no way i could go back to digital
  #4  
Old 05-28-2008
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It might not be that great for you - but it is a necessity for me and many others. I can easily tell the difference between 720p and 1080i television and 480 really doesn't even get displayed. My television channel list lies between the lowest HD channel and the highest - I don't watch the rest. My PS3 and XBox360 are both hooked up via HDMI and my HTPC is hooked up via a DVI -> HDMI cable. This is part of the reason that Nintendo really upset me - maxing out at 480p Once you take 480p to a certain size it just looks bad - greater than 40" in my opinion will clearly show the flaws with non-HD sources.
  #5  
Old 05-28-2008
CMH CMH is offline
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You gotta be kidding me if you can't see the difference.

But then I suppose, you do notice it only after awhile.

Its like broadband: once you get on, its hard to get off (without a fight of course!)
  #6  
Old 05-28-2008
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Yep, it really is that great. Now SD on a 27" flat tube can look pretty good, but still nothing compared to even 720p HD. Now, if you are comparing a DVD to HDDVD or Bluray then I can see it being a little harder to tell. Upconverting players do a pretty good job of faking HD, and then some HD movies aren't as good as others as far as picture quality.

Sports too are much much better to watch in HD. I watch a little football (college and pro) and a lot of college basketball, and the widescreen format of HD allows you to see more of the field/court at once, and at higher detail than SD.

Also like LNCPapa, I rarely watch any channel that isn't in HD, and with the limited selection of HD channels by my cable company that means I don't watch much other than CBS, NBC, PBS, National Geographic, and DiscoveryHD Theater.

Disclaimer: I have a 46" Bravia, so SD on anything that size is going to look like crap.
  #7  
Old 05-28-2008
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You should notice the difference right away. If not, there is something wrong with the signal source or your hardware. I used to wonder what all the fuss was about until I finally saw it for myself.
  #8  
Old 05-28-2008
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Yes, I have a 27" Insignia (1080i, not p) and it is VERY noticable.

I don't even pay for my HD, because it really is a waste of money. Just go buy a multi-directional antannae and a booster, and BAM, you get 20+ channels (30 something for me).
  #9  
Old 05-28-2008
CMH CMH is offline
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Why watch TV when you've got a computer?

I hardly ever watch TV, even though I've got 4 free HD channels.

I do watch a few DVDs, but those aren't really HD.

Not looking at buying a PS3 anytime soon (will consider it when price drops dramatically).

And even then, I see the difference between standard, and HD (especially when switching to standard def channels).
  #10  
Old 05-28-2008
SNGX1275's Avatar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mopar man
Yes, I have a 27" Insignia (1080i, not p) and it is VERY noticable.

I don't even pay for my HD, because it really is a waste of money. Just go buy a multi-directional antannae and a booster, and BAM, you get 20+ channels (30 something for me).
Yes, that would be nice, but not everyone lives in areas like that. I live 110 miles away from 3 cities that have their own TV stations. This puts me right at the very edge of all 3's coverage area. Meaning I get an incredibly weak analog signal, and I'm sure the chances of getting a digital signal at all are very low.
  #11  
Old 05-28-2008
mopar man's Avatar
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Location: Cleveland, Tennessee
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True. I hadn't really thought about that.

On the other hand, I might as well list the channels I watch:
3.1 (NBC)
3.2 (Weather)

9.1 (ABC)

12.1 (CBS

20.1 (CW)

23.1 (church)
23.2 (church)

27.1 (local)

45.1 (PBS)
45.2 (PBS)
45.3 (PBS)
45.4 (PBS)

53.1 (CW)

61.1 (FOX)
61.2 (My Network TV)

*Note that these are channels I watch, not get*
  #12  
Old 05-29-2008
Obi-Wan Jerkobi's Avatar
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I can't really see the long change with my Xbox 360 because it overheats after an hour or so in HD.
  #13  
Old 05-29-2008
mopar man's Avatar
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Love the hardware! /sarcasm
  #14  
Old 05-29-2008
Obi-Wan Jerkobi's Avatar
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I just can't wait until the thing dies, then I can mod it!
  #15  
Old 05-30-2008
mopar man's Avatar
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Location: Cleveland, Tennessee
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LMAO.... well that is what I'd do, too.....

I that illegal, btw? I wouldn't think so, not if you were doing something like converting it into a computer... it may not be good, but it could possibly be a good web browser, right?
  #16  
Old 05-30-2008
Obi-Wan Jerkobi's Avatar
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No it's not illegal, it just voids the warranty.
  #17  
Old 05-30-2008
mopar man's Avatar
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Location: Cleveland, Tennessee
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Sweet

How hard WOULD it be to turn into a full computer? I would thinks that the USB ports could be the Keyboard/Mouse....

I am going to do research and post a topic on this in the G&C forum.
  #18  
Old 05-30-2008
Obi-Wan Jerkobi's Avatar
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Location: New York
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Well, you could probably get an ITX motherboard or something, maybe make a power brick out of a PSU, and get a laptop hard drive.

I actually found this on the web while I was trying to mod my Xbox 1.

http://gizmodo.com/337083/xbox-360-p...le-to-good-use
  #19  
Old 09-26-2010
Newcomer, in training
 
Member since: Sep 2010, 12 posts
It's really personal preference, if lower-res doesn't bother you, don't bother investing in HD.
  #20  
Old 02-14-2011
Newcomer, in training
 
Member since: Feb 2011, 12 posts
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I refuse to watch anything if it isn't in shiny HD these days! - The difference is like putting on glasses and being able to actually focus in on something
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