HD is overrated
 

Do you agree?

Re: HD is overrated
 

depends on what you mean by HD, blue ray on a good 1080p monitor looks superb but i wouldnt pay extra for up scaled or for 720 hd

may be you need a few more options for me to vote :)

Re: HD is overrated
 

It all depends on what you're watching.

Re: HD is overrated
 

I agree totally. The vast majority of HD screened on the various Sky HD channels is upscaled material. Apart from movies and live sport not a lot of choice. So a good quality tv and a HD box that upscales will show little difference to the average punter. Blueray yes different matter different ball park for quality.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Since my only experience of HD is BBC HD via Virginn on a 1080i based 37" LCD TV, I doubt I'm qualified to vote. I'd like to see far more HD content of films and the like transmitted over a TV system before any sort of vote. Put it this way, if Virgin don't get a much better HD offering soon, I'm not going to continue paying for SD based movie channels and such like where I feel I am loosing out. I'd be better off with a subscription to a DVD / Blue Ray rental service.

I suspect, based on most of the hype that to watch a properly recorded Blue Ray 1080p disc with the full surroound sound experience on a good sized screen could be awesome.

Re: HD is overrated
 

tbh I am indifferent

I mainly watch TV on my pc monitor

I have a normal v box & use Chris TV with the dscaler add in - the picture is pretty good on a 22" widescreen monitor.

I also view downloaded TV programs, mainly those available at 720p resolution using x264 protocol.

These do look better, of course, but I question whether the difference is worth the frothing at the mouth that always seems to accompany the debate about HD TV?

My wife, however, watches TV on a 32" LCD via a V+ set top box over HDMI - and all the programs look good, whether they are HD, or not, because of the upscaling.

Subjectively my downloaded HDTV programs on my monitor look as good as the best available on the downstairs telly, though???

My conclusion is that everyone should decide what looks good for them & disregard the advice available from some of the purists - if it looks good to you, that is all that matters :)

Re: HD is overrated
 

It looks nice, but I don't think it's worth an extra subscription charge.

Re: HD is overrated
 

You see most average punters are still getting to grip with the quality of digital as compared to the analogue they have just got rid of so asking them to compare HD to digital they just don't see the difference. Plus they have no HD set either. Most people don't have the critical eye we all seem to have so its less important to the majority.

---------- Post added at 00:42 ---------- Previous post was at 00:36 ----------

By the way as we are on about picture quality has anyone else noticed that the PQ of all the discovery channels has vastly improved today. Maybe a higher resolution or higher bitrate but ive got at least twice as good PQ than before.

Re: HD is overrated
 

HD is not overrated, If you've been watching an HD channel BBC HD for example and you go back to a normal SD channel you will notice an imediate difference. you get a blocky picture with SD for a start where as HD is clear.

Having said that the upscaled picture on my V+ box is pretty good anyway, just a shame that VM don't get some more HD Channels, Fingers crossed for Sci-Fi HD.

Re: HD is overrated
 

The HD content I've seen (SKY) is breathtaking.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Dunno about over rated..but if you asked if it was over priced then I'd agree.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Things like Discovery HD, Sky Sports HD, etc look breathtaking on Sky HD, the images are so crisp and clear. I don't think it is worth the £10 a month for it, but i am glad i have it when you get a programme that takes full advantage of it. :D

Re: HD is overrated
 

I agree the HD picture on Sky is amazing, I think the subscription for the Hd channels is pretty good value for the amount you get, I would gladly pay for them if they where introduced on VM.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Depends on the content. fr example special fx films an nature stuff is Awesone in HD!!

i think its a rip off that they charge you more just to watch a better picture quality though, afterall, thats all it is. I want it want it!!! HD!

Re: HD is overrated
 

Why do Virgin only have one HD channel?

Re: HD is overrated
 

Probably because Sky are paying all the UK HD providers a lot of money for exclusive rights..

Re: HD is overrated
 

Have you seen South Pacific on BBC HD. Stunning. There's no going back.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Don't start that one off lol.

Its a combination of being slow on deciding that people want HD and now that are looking to add channels Sky has pretty much taken control of that market.

Virgin are currently negotiating with various channels and hope to have 5-6 channels launched this year but there seem to be a lot of contractual issues and its taking longer than they intitially suggested.

Re: HD is overrated
 

As for whether I think HD is overrated.. It depends on the content. Lost, for instance, doesn't really gain much from being in HD. Yes, the scenery is stunning (as are Evangeline Lilly and Elizabeth Mitchell), but it doesn't actually add to the story.

Anything that relies (at least partly) on visual impact does gain from being in HD. Heroes does. 24 does. Battlestar Galactica does. Most nature documentaries do, because most of them seem to have at least a couple of shots where you see the true spectacle of Nature (whether it be something big like a lion attacking prey or something small like an ant going through it's nest).

Similarly with films, I find the the big action films (Transformers, Spiderman etc) tend to look absolutely stunning on Blu Ray, but the difference is not so noticeable on smaller, character-driven films.

I think Homealone gave the right advice. At least he gave the advice I would give to anyone considering HD. Take a look. If possible go down to your local home cinema/hifi shop, assuming you have one and look at a few sets. It's better to go to one of these rather than a chain electrical store or department store as the staff are more likely to know what they are talking about.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Normal tv is like sex with a condom while HD is without one. While its still enjoyable with one its much better without one!

Re: HD is overrated
 

Havig lived with SkyHD for a while i cant go back to watching footbal in smearovision anymore. Skys SD sport isnt bad on a 1080 tv ( itv is appalling ) but the HD sport is just awesome.

I mean just look at the difference on that split screen sky sports ad.

That is how much difference there is..once youve had HD you cant go back

I feel sorry for those that want to leave virgin but cant as the hd content virgin has is woeful

Re: HD is overrated
 

I feel that the way HD is advertised is ridiculous. A recent advert I came across was a TV which has no motion blur but they demonstrate that there is no blur on your own television! Therefore telling the viewer that they have no need to go and purchase the advertised television.

Re: HD is overrated
 

i would still say hd is overrated if you are just talking about sky / virgin hd channels seen both on various tvs and i wouldnt pay extra fot it though i am considering ( waiting for tv to go to heaven lol hate getting rid of working things ) getting a new 1080p to watch the blue ray films i am slowly collecting

but my crt wide screan honestly looks very good the lcd/plasma tvs are only just getting to the point where they are much better than it to imho justify getting one

---------- Post added at 19:31 ---------- Previous post was at 19:11 ----------


lol ;)

Re: HD is overrated
 

No way is hd over rated i recently spent a few days staying with my mum her other half is a sky engineer he has hd in the living room on his 50'' lcd and DAM u notice the difference big time watching movies and football in hd is like 20times better i was gobsmacked when u see how clear it is hence im going to sky for the hd content alone has sold it for me! And they transmit in 5.1 which virgin dont.

Re: HD is overrated
 

If people want a real compasion of HD and SD, tesco are pushing sky hd just now they are also showing you a movie with a scroll bar that scrolls form one side ot the other showing oyu with and without hd even my wife who couldnt see the difference did with that

Re: HD is overrated
 

upscaled SD on a good TV is good but as you move closer to the screen you can see obvious signs of the interlacing.

On the BBC HD channel these signs when watching Robin Hood for example are gone(even though its still inerlaced) this in itself is a massive improvement. Also HD tv rips from the stats are impressive whether they are 720 or 1080 they are still a lot better that SD upscaled. You also have to bare in mind there are hdready tvs and HD Ready tvs and you get what you pay for

Re: HD is overrated
 

You're over exaggerating a bit, HD is 4 times the picture detail ;)

Re: HD is overrated
 

When there used to be a Sony shop and a tv shop in town, I did stop and gawp at the hd tv's. They do look pretty stunning, but then again, so do some 'ordinary' tv's. :)

Re: HD is overrated
 

Breathtaking? I doubt that. Breathtaking is watching the new Star Trek film in digital at a new cinema. Upscaled SD content on Sky is hardly breathtaking.

Placebo.

---------- Post added at 12:33 ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 ----------

Thats because that isn't an HD feed, it's SD showing a rediculously blurred image being sharpened to SD! It's a marketing gimmic...that apparently works.

---------- Post added at 12:34 ---------- Previous post was at 12:33 ----------

Plasmas have been there for years. LCDs will never reach that quality.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Yes but dont forget the discoverys and nat geo wild hist ect that show all hd material.

Re: HD is overrated
 

4 is close to 20 isnt it? ;) lol

Re: HD is overrated
 

Personally I think it's overrated.

I'm more interested in the quality of the program content than how better it apparently looks.

Re: HD is overrated
 

the problem I always have is I either watch HD or upscaled, I never see the SD pictures against a HD picture to tell the difference. During the last cup final I did do a test between the DVB tuner and BBC HD and there was a difference and it was much clearer.

I find for most content you just get more details round the edges a clear shot in the centre of the screen will still show the same actor as before.

With nature programmes it looks great but then again you can be viewing a breathtaking image to start with, I never watch these side by side with SD to tell the difference

Re: HD is overrated
 

Yes, I've just got a 32" Samsung TV that is a full HD (1080p) panel, and there is a clear difference when watching nature programmes in HD, especially when BBC HD repeat the Planet Earth series. And I really notice the extra detail when there are close ups on the animals.

Other programmes aren't so impressive in HD - the Doctors soap for example. It seems to vary a lot from programme to programme. Whether this is down to the TV or the BBC's HD output, I'm not sure.

On the other hand, I've just got a Blu-ray player and the images from that look stunning on the TV, and are a big improvement over DVD. Blade Runner has never looked better :tu:

Re: HD is overrated
 

the plasmas are better than the lcds i grant you but most i have seen have never been worth the price diference to crt

as the prices drop that call may go in thier favour but its still not the huge leap that i have seen with blue ray on a good 1080p monitor

Re: HD is overrated
 

Entirely disagree.

Neither plasmas nor LCD will EVER get to the quality of a CRT. An HD CRT will make any other screen pale in comparison, even the Kuros that are widely regarded as the greatest plasmas ever. The only reason people think that CRTs are inferior is because of their size and the lack of HD CRTs in this country. Sadly fashion ruled over function with TVs and the inferior picture of plasma and LCD won out because they were thiner, not because they were anywhere near as good.

There's a reason why CRTs are still used exclusively in the TV and film industry.

Re: HD is overrated
 

i dont know these new 1080p lcds do look fantastic with blue ray and the brightness issue is starting to be not tht much of an issue ( though i mostly watch films with lights down even with crt )

and for small tvs the size as in depth advantage out wieghs and other problems

again thouugh as to what they call HD on sky or virgin there is not much if any diference when i compare them to my wide screen crt

Re: HD is overrated
 

Blu-ray & 'full' HD (1080p) are currently not significant while discussing HD television, which is only available in 720p or 1080i :)

Re: HD is overrated
 

Have to agree there. Not sure if it made any difference but isn't it cheaper and a bigger profit on LCD \ plasma too. Seems the only choice we have is LCD \ plasma despite neither being as good as CRT

Re: HD is overrated
 

I reckon there is a difference. I can tell watching football on on my father-in-law's LCD - he has Sky HD.
In HD you don't get much benefit while the game is moving fast and the camera is way up for a wide angle view. But when the action slows, for a corner or throw-in you can see so much detail. Advertising hoardings and faces in the crowd, many rows back, can be seen in far more detail that normal TV - you can recognise faces.
Another difference can be seen when viewing digial photos on a TV.
PLug a computer in to a VGA or S-video port or other standard connectino and you get pretty blurry, grainy photos on the TV.
Plug my laptop in via HDMI and I get full screen, lovely sharp photos.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Yep, sorry for dragging Blu-ray into it :) I just wanted to make the point that the HD I've seen on Virgin('s only HD channel) seems to vary a bit in quality whereas with the Blu-rays I've watched, the quality seems to be a step up (admittedly I've only watched a small number so far). But that's enough of Blu-ray.

Anyway, in my opinion, HD TV material does look noticeably better then SD stuff, and I'm sure that difference only increases when you watch it on a bigger TV/projector. With my last TV, a 26" 720p set, I could hardly notice the change in quality.

Re: HD is overrated
 

HD is great - Virgins HD service is pants.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Saying HD is over-rated is a pretty bizarre thing to say. It's obviously a vast, vast improvement over SD, the raw stats alone prove that. If you can't see the difference then the fault lies not with HD, but with the viewer and/or the viewing equipment.

Personally I very rarely watch SD anymore.

---------- Post added at 08:05 ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 ----------

I have a 50" 1080p KURO and it's leagues ahead of my old Panasonic 32" W/S CRT. Far, far sharper and with no colour bleed, bloom, or the general blur of a CRT. It gives the most natural picture I've ever seen from a TV, and the 24fps mode is superb for movies. That is's also vastly thinner is a nice bonus.

And when was the last time you saw a 50 or 60" CRT? I don't recall ever seeing one larger than 36". CRTs are dead and good riddance I say.

Re: HD is overrated
 

No wonder you don't watch much SD any more with a TV that size but you're an exception rather than Mr Average Household. The biggest selling LCD size in the UK is only 32in, and the difference between HD and SD on the smaller screen isn't "vast, vast" - it's notable, but not to the point where you'd stop watching SD as unwatchable.
(Besides, if you have a 50in TV there's no way you could accomodate a CRT that size without building an extension! ;))

Re: HD is overrated
 

The fastest growing size though, in terms of sales, is 42". Prices on 42" full HD LCDs are now very low, so it won't be too long before a large number of these HDTVs are installed in people's homes.

Certainly when you walk into a home cinema store, or even mainstream stores such as Currys the focus is very heavily on 42"-50" HDTVs, with some 60" models there too.

Re: HD is overrated
 

I don't think what's in the stores today is representative of what the majority of people have in their living rooms. The stores are always encouraging folk to "go large". A couple of years ago when I needed a TV for the bedroom I found that a 26in was around the same price as a 32in, now 37in or 40in seems to be only a little more than a 32in. In the end I opted for the 26in as I didn't want the TV dominating the room.

I look to buy something new every five years so my next purchase will be around 2012. I'll probably buy bigger and there'll be a lot more HD on all platforms by then, but the maximum size I'll consider is ultimately limited by the room's dimensions and how much we want a TV to shape the room (and our lives!)

Re: HD is overrated
 

As far as my experience so goes, HD is over-rated unless you have a TV that is at least 32". Its also over-priced. I will not pay £10 a month extra for it.

Re: HD is overrated
 

As I say, 42" is the quickest growing part of the market. They're so cheap now they're pretty much no brainers.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Same here. We have a smallish HD TV that has a good picture and wouldn't go much bigger because it would dominate the room and look out of place.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Hmmmmm.

Personal thoughts are: Overated no, overpriced definately. Although the price of decent hd equipment is dropping now, the only real viable "live" hd option at the moment (till July, supposedly) is SkyHD at an extra tenner a month on top of the already expensive packages. Thinks i'll sit in the corner with my tvdrive and wait it out.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Seeing little joe smoe, with his cinema sized panel above the fireplace or squeezed into the corner of their pokey little room ,never fails to bring a chortle from my normally sad face:D

(It's on the same scale as seeing someone wearing trainers(especially white grubby ones )with a suit or black pants")

He's not bothered about optimal veiwing distance/screen size ,or calibrating the set ,the important thing to him is being able to say "i've got a 50ft tv " to his mates
Along with a few over priced cables ,monster brand of course,
what a character :dunce:





Anywho,i think some people get far too carried away with their "the joys of hd,it's teh bestest " reasonings,and especially those that harp on over 1080p Vs 720.(cd versus vinyl again)

The picture quality can be nice to see for the first time(just as digital dvd was ,but that was mainly down to being able to fast forward and rewind and not having the picture break up) ,especially the clarity and fine detail of (some of) it,but that's it for me,i've never gotten carried away like some people (still) are,it's akin to a caveman, making fire for the first time for them ,and you'd expect them to also act this way when they look at non tv things during their daily life ,if they act this way with a tv picture.

A turd's a turd,and a rose is a rose ,both of which i see with far greater detail than any hd format and still it's not something which makes me jump up and down each time i see either.

Re: HD is overrated
 

At the end of the day, the programme content is identical in SD as well as HD.

Re: HD is overrated
 

It is realy simple and can be shown easy.
If you don't care about quality you click the first link.
http://movies.apple.com/movies/wb/sh...tlr1_h.640.mov
Stay on SD and sell your PC monitor you don't need it a SDTV CRT will do fine via S-video out.

If you care about quality you click this second link and upgrade your equipment.
http://movies.apple.com/movies/wb/sh...lr1_h1080p.mov welcome to HD

I click the second link. I no longer ever click the any thing below 1080p on trailers any more.

Re: HD is overrated
 

yep but thats blue ray quality which i agree is great but most HD is not that quality which i why i decided to vote with yes it is over rated

it still baffels be that they allow so many varying definitions all to be called HD and the words "HD Ready" may as well be put on all items as all are ready to be upgraded to hd via a new screen and receiver lol

Re: HD is overrated
 

I dont like that statement at all :mad: I have a 40" 1080p LCD in a very small room but i sit at the optimal viewing distance (according to the THX site) and it looks and sounds fantatstic. Ive not bothered with a professional calibration and i wont untill i get a new tv next year BUT i have spent a lot of time calibrating the image and sound myself as its extremely important.
I've had a few people laugh at my setup and say what a waste, all that equipment in such a small room but the main reason they have to drop comments like that is because they either cant afford it or the wife wont let them... it only takes 10 minutes of a blu-ray at -10db to put a smile on their face ;)

Oh.. all my hdmi cables were between £10 and £20 and i didn't like handing over £40 for 2 nevermind £120 for a monster HDMI cable.

Not everyone is a showoff and a large TV doesn't need an extremely large room especially when the optimal viewing distance from a 40" 1080p tv is 5.5'

Back on the topic of overated HD, personally i cant stand watching too much SD anymore simply because it looks terrible in comparison. I still have plenty of DVDs but watching Transformers on Blu-ray is in another league. The same principle applies to TV broadcasts, 24, heroes, and prison break in SD look awfull compared to the HD versions.

Re: HD is overrated
 

It's not about programme content. It's about the quality of the picture.

I have a large screen and there is a considerable difference in picture quality with a screen as big as 38". Pixellation also occurs fairly readily with SD pictures on screens that size and above.

It really should not be a case of either/or. Many of us who care about picture quality want to have the choice.

Why would anyone wish to deny us this? It should not even be a debate. We should just have it. Full stop.

Once upon a time, the customer was always right. Now nobody seems to give a damn.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Had SKY+HD installed yesterday and its far far far far far superior in SD than standard SKY+ and the V+ box . However the HD content is still noticably better than SD upscaled and I am very pleased with it

Re: HD is overrated
 

A crap programme in HD is still a crap programme. It just looks prettier.

Re: HD is overrated
 

The thread title is way too vague, especially when the term HD doesn't just apply to images. Since this is in the cable TV section we have to assume the material in question is the few On demand HD programmes and BBC HD channel so theres not really much to go on and saying HD is overrated just by watching what Virgin media offer is rediculous.
Lets pretend the title refers to a Blu-Ray disc, its 1080/24p movie and its 7.1 DTS-MA soundtrack, now is it overrated? Hell no, theres nothing better than watching a good HD movie in 1080p and listening to the HD soundtrack at -10db :D

---------- Post added at 23:27 ---------- Previous post was at 23:22 ----------

Pointless comment, did you complain when DVDs were released because a crap film on VHS would still be crap on DVD?

Re: HD is overrated
 

It's not a pointless comment at all. It's the truth. If (say) a drama has bad acting, a bad story or bad direction, it will have those things regardless of the resolution it's watched at.


Also, before you decided what I think about HD, read the rest of the thread. I said that whether HD adds to the viewing experience or not depends on the type of programme/film. Small character driven dramas don't gain a lot. Large blockbusters with lots of action do.

See http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/34799329-post19.html

Re: HD is overrated
 

But surely we all know that if a program is crap its crap regardless of the resolution just like you said above so i just didn't think there was any need to state the obvious, therfor a pointless comment. Its the comments about lost as well, the scenery looks good in HD but it doesn't add to the story??? well of course it doesn't, how could nice looking trees make the story any better??? and again thats pointing out the obvious. If we all took this attitude there would be no pointing in upgrading any equipment especially a new TV we should all just say "well coronation street wont have a better story so we might as well just buy a £100 Bush LCD because picture quality doesn't matter"

Re: HD is overrated
 

It's all opinion. I hate large blockbusters with lots of action (Aka, leave your brain at the door films) so for me, HD would be no gain as the film would be a barrel of plop anyway. Now something like Darwin's Garden...Yes, HD would be a gain there and oh, is a gain on BBC HD. YAY.

Re: HD is overrated
 

I'm gonna :bump: this thread since there are all these threads that people are talking about HD on.

Re: HD is overrated
 

It may be obvious, but it's a point frequently missed by HD advocates. So, yes, there is a reason to state it.

You, however, have missed my point. HD *does* add enjoyment to *some* types of entertainment, just not all.

Re: HD is overrated
 

The HD channels have a noticeable picture difference but the way to describe it is its not as dramatic as increase from vhs to dvd. I still want more though! Btw Blu Ray to be defunct in a couple of years? Digital Distribution is the way its getting pushed!

Re: HD is overrated
 

It's actually more dramatic than from VHS to DVD.

VHS resolution - 320x480

DVD resolution - 720x576

BD resolution - 1920x1080

Digital distribution is indeed the way of the future but with the terrible broadband speeds and caps in most countries it will struggle to go mainstream for some time yet.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Dramatic is the difference in picture quailty, i hate to admit it but VHS to DVD , compare to DVD to HD was more dramatic, why because it went from analogue to digital, just like tape to cd.

And that is where the big difference lies the conversion to digital.

Do not get me wrong there is a big difference at least in my eyes between sd and hd but there difference between analogue and sd was far greater.

but you are correct the difference in video resolution is greater. (btw some vhs did have greater resolutions)

Re: HD is overrated
 

Blu-ray at 1080p is irrelevant to discussion on a forum concerned with fornats available over satellite or cable, how 'dramatic' is the difference at 1080i - or even the 720p many people will have selected???

Re: HD is overrated
 

1080i will look the same as 1080p when de-interlaced correctly, which most HDTVs should do.

However bit-rates are important too, as are codecs, and here BD is *massively* ahead of broadcast HD. (particularly Virgin with their reliance on the ancient MPEG 2 codec)

Re: HD is overrated
 

nothing you have posted here appears to negate my point that blu-ray is not relevant in a discussion about TV broadcasting.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Blueray is significant when saying HD tv is over rated as imho it isnt really HD any how Blueray at 1080p is

Re: HD is overrated
 

I'm not sure what we are trying to achieve on this thread. Clearly there are those who want more HD and those who couldn't care less.

For me, my TV screen is so large that if I don't watch in HD, I tend to get pixellation, particularly when there is a lot of movement in the picture. This does not happen in HD, so it suits me to have it.

HD is not so important on relatively small screens, but it still makes a difference. But if it makes no difference to the individual whether they look out of a dirty window or a nice sparkly clean one, then it's obvious that HD is not going to be an issue for them. Some of us go for quality, others just go for cheapest.

No-one is forcing anyone to take HD if it is on offer, so why are so many making an issue of this? What advocates of HD want is the choice - why would some people wish to deny us this choice?

Quite apart from my preference to have more HD channels, I am concerned that if VM don't keep up (let alone ahead of) the game, they will continue to lose out to Sky, their profits will be down and this will affect the prices we pay and the range of services (and channels) available to us.

The voting seems to be in favour of HD. The majority should prevail.

Re: HD is overrated
 

No, it won't.

You can not get rid of interlacing artifacts as i isn't just a p frame split into two, it's two fields are taken at two different times, so unless nothing has changed between the two fields being taken (extremely unlikely) you'll never reach the same quality as a p frame.

Re: HD is overrated
 

I love ot see one of those tellys, why because deinterlacing will not look the same as progressive, if it did you would not have two different formats with different quailties.

Mpeg2 is just as good a encoer as Mpeg4, the only really difference is the size of the files. This is not a true example jsut a guess, Mopeg2 10Mb/s Mpeg4 2Mb/s for the same quailty.

Re: HD is overrated
 

not against choice at all but its still overrated lol ;)

what i mean by that answer is that the HD offered by any company isnt the all sing and dancing thing its often made out to be ( yes i know they dont explicitly make the claims i am about to describe but many see it that way )

when i talk to friends and often their parents as they all seem to make a bee line for me ;) they are of the opinion that HD from sky or virgin will take full advantage of the 1080p tv they are about to buy (which is what they are normaly asking advice on which one) and often when i say are you going to get a blueray player they say no and i have to tell them that then they really dont need that 1080p tv as they dont need they often are convinced still that they do to get HD

which is why i say overrated as i see it Sky and virgin are overselling the benefits the Tv manufacturers are being economical with information on what their 1080p is needed for and blueray should come up with a better description than Full Hd to describe what it is ;)


as to content more will come at the moment i think its more an issue of space on what ever platform on when more will be HD perhaps if they all worried less about copying and put huge hds in the pvrs and ways to archive then they could free up loads of space by letting people get the content thats taking up space that repeated and repeated and repeated ..... and let them record it and keep it for as long as they wish ( you know the channels and i dont mean sky 1 lol leave my simpsons alone :angel: me )

and then some more HD would be a lot easier to put on

Re: HD is overrated
 

Hd smashes sd end of

Re: HD is overrated
 

it does if you talking 1080p ;)

other wise it often depends on how good your tv setup is some times its very very good other times the difference is minimal

Re: HD is overrated
 

it does if you talking 1080p

other wise it often depends on how good your tv setup is some times its very very good other times the difference is minimal.

I agree totally with ya there. some films etc look no different but the ones that do...wow

Re: HD is overrated
 

Most of my HD viewing is of sport , especially football and its a massive difference between SD and HD.

In fact i cant watch standard def football anymore to the extent that half the time united games are on i'll get the lads round here with beer rather than go to the pub.

Re: HD is overrated
 

football is one of the big difference programmes/shows, the older films that are re-released as blu-ray etc can be disappointing tho

Re: HD is overrated
 

depends on the remastering process if it done correctly it will look at a new hd just about. but if it done badly it can look worse than sd, but this all depends on the setup if it bad it will look bad for new hd movie etc.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Well sky , eurosport and even ITV's hd football has been very good quality

Re: HD is overrated
 

I only run mine in 720p and i can see the difference when watching Wimbledon in hd compared to sd, there's a huge difference.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Re: HD is overrated
 

For me HD via the V+ with good content is superb. Some of the VOD nature series are so much better, especially with water or snow in the shots. The 5.1 sound is an added bonus and really completes the experience.

Other than the pure pixel count I am sure that the colour rendering is better on BBC HD, maybe to do with the extra bandwidth?

Wimbledon is excellent in HD, don't get obsessed with pixel watching just sit back and enjoy the experience. :D

Just my two penneth...;)

Re: HD is overrated
 

how many hd channels does virgin have? i was told its only 1, is this true

Re: HD is overrated
 

Yes LOL

Went to sky hd and never looked back

Sky by the way have 33 HD channels.

You'll get people in here saying they are mostly upscaled - but you do get proper HD programming on all 33 channels.


Dont wait for virgin to deliver - its always coming soon.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Currently its one but there is a lot of VOD HD now and there should be 5 new HD channels by the end of the year.

Re: HD is overrated
 

only 28 behind then..

Re: HD is overrated
 

agree that Sky HD has some great channels. wish they didn't charge though. £67/month for an HD box upstairs and a PLUS box downstairs. add £51/month my VM broadband, that's nearly £1500 a year. Sound scary when you add it all up. oh forgot to add £140 odd for TV license :(

Re: HD is overrated
 

HD channels and Blu-ray look great when you compare them to many of the shoddy over-compressed programs we see on digital TV these days. I have a feeling it's no coincidence that the quality of SD has got so much worse at the same time they want us all to upgrade to HD.

Overall I'm happy with my HDTV - media centre, gaming, and HD channels all look great.

Re: HD is overrated
 

Cant tell the difference personally, maybe its my eyes!

I run between two rooms trying to spot the difference, same Philips telly in each, apart from one is HD.

Husband raves about it though, and we are watching the same TVs together.
He says the cricket is way better this year on Sky because of it.

Re: HD is overrated
 

It might be your TVs. You couldn't miss the difference on mine.

If your hubby is watching Sky in HD, he can't be watching it on Virgin Media. HD is better with VM and some programmes are simply mind blowing.

Re: HD is overrated
 

I think that the V+ upscales 'good' standard definition channels so well (via HDMI to a decent HD TV) that it makes the difference that a high definition channel makes less noticeable.