The Royal Heffernans


Quite possibly the best family ever

Monday, January 30, 2006

HD in the House


As requested, here are some photos of the new HDTV...






The plan is to get a new media stand soon, but for the time being we're just using this little side table so we could get the clunky old tv cabinet out of the room.

It's interesting to note a couple things I was unaware of with regards to HD programming.

  1. Although a channel is HD, e.g. ESPN-HD or NBC-HD, I would say only about 10-15% of the programs are actually in high-definition. This is okay because almost all primetime shows are broadcast in HD. It's just that your local news, daytime television and such are just standard 480i. That's something the cable companies fail to mention.
  2. Although there are 2 main HD formats - 720p and 1080i - almost every HD station is broadcast in 1080i. ESPN-HD is the lone exception, broadcasting in 720p. And from initial inspections 720p is far superior.


As for programming, SportsCenter is absolutely stunning. It is by far the highest quality HD program I have seen since I have had the tv. I know this will sound cliche, but it is honestly as if Dan Patrick was sitting 8 feet away from me in my family room. PBS-HD and Discovery HD have had some beautiful programs as well. Discovery is running a special on the African savannah called 'Equator'. I think Stephanie summed it up best when she said, and I quote, "This show alone is worth the price of the new tv." Rock...

1 comment:

ndbutter said...

Fox and ABC also broadcast in 720p (you would expect ABC since they're also owned by Disney), for what it's worth. I personally don't have HD, but most people seem to agree that 720p offers better picture for sports programming because of the fast moving images.

Now that you're on the HD bandwagon, be sure to check out HD Beat, which is a blog covering all the latest in HD news, programming, and equipment. It's pretty cool stuff.