12 Best Blu-Ray Movies! What are the Most Visually Stunning HDTV Movies Available to Watch on My Blu-ray Player?

One of the first questions that people have after they hook up their new Blu-ray player is, "what are the best movies available?" The issue at hand is that the Blu-ray format is still relatively new and not all of your favorites will be available. Despite being offered through movie distributors that support the Blu-ray format, movies like Titanic (Fox), Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles (Buena Vista) are still not available in crystal clear 1080p Blu-ray discs. Other cinema series such as Star Wars and Spider-Man are still awaiting release, too. These types of flicks represent some of the action blockbusters that should "wow" you when played on your new HD Blu-ray player. Alas, they are not available yet. So, this situation begs the question: what are the best movies I can get for my Blu-ray?

The following is a list of a dozen of the top eye-popping movies currently available (or soon to be) under the Blu-ray format. The release date, domestic box office revenue, and aspect ratios are displayed. Additionally, you may mouse over the disc cover graphics for ordering information.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
   Buena Vista, released 05/22/07, U.S. Box office est. $423,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




2. Night at the Museum
   Fox, released 04/24/07, U.S. Box office est. $251,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




3. 300
   Warner, to be released 07/31/07, U.S. Box office est. $210,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




4. Pearl Harbor
   Buena Vista, released 12/19/06, U.S. Box office est. $198,500,000, Aspect Ratio 2.20:1




5. X-Men: The Last Stand
   Fox, released 11/14/06, U.S. Box office est. $234,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1




6. Superman Returns
   Warner, released 11/28/06, U.S. Box office est. $200,000,000 Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




7. The Fugitive
   Warner, released 09/26/06, U.S. Box office est. $183,900,000, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1




8. Mission: Impossible
   Paramount, released 05/22/07, U.S. Box office est. $181,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




9. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
   Lionsgate, released 06/27/06, U.S. Box office est. $204,800,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




10. Monster House
    Columbia, released 10/24/06, U.S. Box office est. $74,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




11. Planet of the Apes
    Fox, released 02/13/07, U.S. Box office est. $180,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1




12. Happy Feet
    Warner, released 03/27/07 , U.S. Box office est. $198,000,000, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1

For a list of the top HD DVD movies, visit my post highlighting the alternate format.

Trash the Disc, Learn from Porn! Can HD Movie Downloads Deliver the Convenience and Flexibility Consumers Demand?

SPECIAL SEGMENT: LOOK TO THE FUTURE

It has been my goal to present blog posts that provide practical, decision-aiding information on technology for the home. I have been concerned about being too futuristic with glimpses into the crystal ball. For the topic of the delivery of HD movie content, however, I believe it is important to understand the future direction in order to make a decision today. For this reason, I will be making forward-looking predictions beyond my typical articles. In other words, my blindfold is on and I’m aiming my dart at the board. Want to put an apple on your head?

Just a few days ago, in response to growing demand for high-definition DVDs, Blockbuster announced that it will be rolling out Blu-ray discs to 1,700 corporate-owned stores within the next month. This may appear to be a blow to the HD DVD format, but one should be careful about reading too much into this move. In a Blockbuster corporate press release, Matthew Smith, SVP Merchandising, acknowledged that, "it is still too early to say which high-definition format will become the industry standard." The decision to place Blu-rays in stores is of limited consequence, as both formats will continue to be offered online with their Total Access plans. In test markets, Blu-ray out-rented HD DVD 2-to-1 and Blockbuster is using this initial customer response to limit the cost of rolling out HD discs to stores. If ultimately both formats hang around for awhile, the online and in-store video rental giant will surely offer both in their stores.

While the near future will be greatly impacted by the Blu-ray and HD DVD format war, you have to wonder if the future lies with a disc format at all. Although the pornography industry played a major role in determining the outcome of the VHS vs. Betamax battle, most believe this industry will not influence the determination of the HD format winner. During the epic VHS/Betamax struggle, cassette tapes were the primary method of delivering porn. Today, the industry has embraced a greater variety of methods to deliver its goods, including the popular video downloads via the web. I like to call this porn-ography-over-IP – or PooP for short. With the weight of a multi-billion dollar industry, I think it is safe to say that these folks have thought “long and hard” about the best ways to deliver their product to its consumers. They no longer depend on tapes or discs for distribution. If this industry can give “arise” to video downloads, should it be adopted for mainstream video? Let us first look at the current state of (non-disc) HD movie distribution.

Video-on-Demand
Cable and satellite content providers that offer pay-per-view or video-on-demand actually have the needs and desires of consumers close at hand. Most are available in a HD format and only fall short in overall selection. The subset of movies made available through this method is missing the mark. There are relatively few older, classic movies made available and the newest movies were new releases for purchase or rent several months ago. If the selection improves, this method can provide a real alternative for movie fans, especially when combined with a High Defintion TiVo or HD DVR. I’m not sure if movie studios would stretch the distribution rights to allow this to happen.

Current Video Downloads
Although there are almost 300 titles available (or soon to be available) in a high definition disc format, the availability of HD movies for download is sparse. Blockbuster and Best Buy have only been rumored to be developing movie download stores. Sites that are currently delivering downloadable movies for rent or purchase include iTunes, Amazon (via Amazon unbox), WalMart, Movielink, CinemaNow (which includes a download and burn to DVD option), and Vongo (which downloads available Starz movies). The problem is that the best quality any of these sites offer is DVD-type resolutions. From these sites, there is no HD content despite the future pointing toward this high resolution form.

A company called MovieBeam, however, has introduced an innovative method of delivering movies to your home, including some in HD. They sell a MovieBeam Player for $199.99 ($149.99 fobr a limited time) that automatically keeps 40 of the latest movies available for you to rent. Appeasing early adopting geeks and nerds, the player receives the movies through a transporter similar to the one used on Star Trek (beam my movie, Scottie!). Actually, the movies are received wirelessly into the home using an indoor antenna and MovieBeam’s patented digital signal. The signal is available in 33 metropolitan areas across the U.S., including smaller markets such as Austin, Tacoma, and Nashville. Movies are available for rent from $1.99 to $3.99 with a one dollar premium for HD movies. There is no monthly subscription fee. The selection appears to be similar to a movies-on-demand source. Since movies are downloaded to the device prior to selection for renting, your rental choice may immediately be followed by the viewing of the movie. There is no waiting for the download. Once started, you have 24 hours to view the movie. Standard pause, fast-forward, and rewind functionality exists. MovieBeam claims to have access to movies from virtually every major Hollywood studio, but our search for HD movies only turned up seven possibilities.

Xbox LIVE, self-dubbed “the only online social network in the living room,” is a community of more than five million members that has access to downloadable high-definition games, television, and, of course, movies. This compares to Netflix and Blockbuster Total Access that combine for just under 10 million subscribers. Xbox LIVE is the largest online distributor of high-definition content by volume. On its website, the Xbox people boast that the vast majority of subscribers choose the high-definition version of media when given a choice between a standard- or high-definition download on the network. The claim is that Xbox 360™ is the first and only gaming console to provide HD and standard-definition TV shows and movies straight to a hard drive. Xbox LIVE® Marketplace is where you can download your favorite movies and television shows. Each title is available for rent for $4 to $6, but currently not for purchase. On their website, they have 26 HD titles shown as available.

The Future of HD Movie Downloads
For HD movie downloads to become prominent, however, eight issues need to be addressed. Once these topics are fully developed, the flood gates will likely open for movie downloads, enabling this content distribution method to pass DVD sales. Here are the eight topics:

1. Quality Must Be High Def. As discussed, almost all downloadable movie content today is DVD quality or lower. Only MovieBeam and the Xbox Live Marketplace have experienced any success in HD movie downloads. There is little doubt in my mind, however, that as these eight issues become resolved, the big boys from iTunes to Amazon to Walmart will begin offering HD content. The time is not right today, but once you read further into these points, I think you will agree that digital distribution is coming. Considering the progress of technology, I would expect to see some big boys joining the HD movie download scene by year-end, with others following in 2008.



2. More Advanced Compression. The “old” DVD format uses an MPEG-2 compression technique (also called a “codec”) that enables 3.8 hours of standard definition video to fit on a 8.5GB standard DVD. An hour of a high definition movie, however, would take almost 10 GB in this MPEG-2 video codec. A newer compression model, called H.264 or MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Codec), allows an hour of HD video to be stored in less than 6 GB with negligible loss of quality. Another codec, called VC-1, is similar in compressed size and is used by Microsoft’s Windows Media Player. These compression techniques are helping HD DVD and Blu-ray store more HD content on their discs, too. Finally, another video codec, called DivX, has slight video quality loss but cuts the space required for HD video in half. I am ignoring an important quality-influencer called bit rate, but am trying to simplify things by assuming that all codecs are using the same high quality bit rate. The bottom line is that more advanced compression techniques can greatly reduce file size with very small losses in video quality. Of the issues mentioned here, this may be one of the most mature as the codecs mentioned are available for use today.



3. Cost Justification Must Exist. For the music industry, buying a 12-song CD for $16 was replaced with individual song downloads for $1 or an entire album for about $10. This flexibility gave great credibility and cost justification for downloading music. I don’t think the movie download methodology can be sustained unless the cost of downloading a song for purchase has a significant price advantage over buying the HD DVD or Blu-ray. Rentals, on the other hand, may justify pricing similar or slightly higher than in store or mail rentals due to the convenience downloading delivers. The price must be within striking distance, though. What Xbox LIVE and MovieBeam offer today is within striking distance, but better offers could sweeten the pot within a year.



4. The Entertainment PC Needs a Boost. Although folks like Microsoft have been trying to get the PC in the main entertainment room for years, sales and full use of Windows Media Center PCs have been lackluster. Convergence has long been on the lips of Bill Gates, describing a technological utopia where all consumer electronic devices work together and create an interconnected network to serve the user. The average consumer has not embraced this vision and a shift in mentality needs to occur. As Media Center PCs, TV tuner cards, DVR applications, and networked media players mature, the vision of a home entertainment network will crystallize. With devices like the Xbox 360 acting as media players, consumers will see that the PC does not need to sit under the TV. Networks will bridge the gaps. HDTV will continue to penetrate the home and more folks will see the benefit of displaying PC output on the living room television. Progress will continue this year but 2008 will be the year that the HDTV and PC connectivity will become second nature.



5. Improved Movie Studio Support. The movie studios will need to address how their movies become available and are distributed. Walmart has been successful in getting the major movie studios to allow their content to be downloadable. It takes a powerful name such as this to get the movie studios to move in the proper direction. If Amazon, iTunes, Blockbuster, and Best Buy enter the HD download market in 2008, then there will be enough power there to get movie studios to allow their content to be distributed digitally. A name like MovieBeam just doesn’t seem to have the pull to get a huge variety of movies available.



6. Better Digital Rights for Consumers. Movie studios will be in control of how the digital rights are managed. Check out my post on digital rights management for an illustration on how DRM has worked with music content. If you download a movie, a law-abiding user needs to feel that they can freely use the video within their personal realm. The folks behind the copy-protection system within HD DVD and Blu-ray are working on a "managed copy" scheme that would allow users to make legal copies of movies to media centers, portable media players, or PCs. The hope is to have this ready by the end of 2007. If HD DVD and Blu-ray can come up with a solution, surely a pure download strategy can have a workable solution by 2008.
   
   To expand on user flexibility, subscription services (as opposed to pay-per-view) must also be made available, too. This appears to be reserved by a trio of pay-TV neworks: HBO, Showtime, and Starz. So far, Starz has been the only one to experiment with the digital distribution through its Vongo service, which has yet to offer HD content. The movies are typically one or two months behind the earliest release of movies on DVD, but the content would be available with few time constraints or volume limitations. Similar to subscribing to HBO from cable provider, you would be able to watch as much as you want, as often as you want. The difference is that an online subscription would allow you to access to a greater on-demand variety than a cable pay channel.



7. Cheaper Storage Costs. Although hard drive storage space has dropped under $0.30 per GB, the continued decline in storage costs is needed. Currently, a typical HD movie may require as much as 10 GB of storage or $3 worth. For those looking to permanently store a movie, this cost in addition to the movie download costs. As these prices continue to plummet, I believe it will be reasonable to store a move for under a buck by the end of 2008. Another way to address storage costs is to let the service do the storage. If Amazon Unbox moves to HD, then you could maintain rights to watch the movie without keeping it on your own hard drive, except when you want to view it. Obviously, additional downloads would be required. This leads us to our next issue about download capacity.



8. Increased Bandwidth. The 10 GB HD movie described earlier would take about 30 minutes to download at 5.0 Mbps, a pretty aggressive download speed. For those with a measly 1.5 Mbps download package, that jumps to about 2 hours. Verizon is continuing to grow its fiber-optic service that is dubbed “FiOS.” This program touts download speeds that start at 5.0 Mbps and run up to 50 Mbps. Their internet service is currently available in more than 1,700 communities in 16 states. This same fiber-optic technology is also available as FiOS TV to bring HD programming and video-on-demand content to homes as well. The cable companies are not sitting still. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association is moving the industry toward a new standard, called DOCSIS 3.0, that has the potential to obtain download speeds up to 160 Mbps. While Verizon’s solution is available today and expanding, the DOCSIS 3.0 standard may be years away from full implementation. The average consumer may not be engaged in this leap forward in bandwidth until 2009 or 2010. Until then, patience in download times may be the key.

The point of all of this is that we are not decades away from seeing movie downloads become mainstream. John Q. Consumer will likely not jump ship from his DVD purchases overnight, but within a few years the benefit of a huge movie selection at his fingertips will be realized. As this happens, the battle of HD DVD vs. Blu-ray will become less of an issue. Trash the disc, learn from porn!

HD DVD + Blu-ray = The HD Blues! Want To Know Which High Def Disc Player to Buy?

Most consumers are aware of the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD battle. These are the two competing formats for the latest high definition discs to replace current DVDs. For those who love movies, this appears to be the best way to take full advantage of your new high definition television, especially if you have splurged for the incredible 1080p high resolution screen (see my blog post on 10 things to know about HDTV). So, which of the two is a better option for those who want to take plunge and buy a high def player right now? Which has more movies? Which has more movies that I like? Which has a better price? Which is likely to win the format war? Will there be a winner? I will attempt to address some of these inquiries right here.

Technological Differences
The reason for the change in technology was to have a disc that could accommodate the extra space needed for high definition movies. The standard DVDs that have been flying off the shelves for years can store 3.8 hours of enhanced definition viewing (480 line of resolution) or less than an hour worth of high definition video (1080 lines). Two competing formats emerged. Both use new hardware methods to read more information on a disc, as well as more sophisticated video and audio compression techniques (called codecs) to pack more data with almost negligible loss.

The Blu-ray Disc (BD) was created by a large group of the world’s leading consumer electronics companies, including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony. Instead of the standard red laser used by standard DVD players, it uses a more precise blue-violet laser to read more information on the same sized disc, thus the name Blu-Ray. It can store 50GB of information on a double-layer disc, almost six times the amount of a standard DVD. This translates into 8.5 hours of high definition video and audio. The leap in technology, however, requires significant manufacturing re-tooling. Despite this, it is has been supported by more manufacturers and movie studios. It has also become the standard player on all next-generation Playstation 3 gaming systems produced by Sony.

The HD DVD format took a different but similar road. They also used the blue-violet laser, but with a technology closer to current DVDs. This allowed the re-tooling costs to be less significant to manufacturers. The downside is that the double layer HD DVD only holds 30GB of information or 5.1 hours of high def video and audio. This is 3.5x better than standard DVDs, but not as much as the Blu-ray format. The HD DVD format reached the market first and began penetration while the Blu-ray stumbled out of the gates. The Microsoft Xbox 360 has an add-on HD DVD player, ensuring that the format penetrates the gaming market. Although not widely used, the HD DVD format has also developed a triple layer disc that holds 51GB of information, allowing it to exceed the 50GB that Blu-ray boasts. This further clouds the issue of which format is superior. Industry backers include Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Microsoft, RCA, Kenwood, Intel, Hitachi, LG, and Samsung. Below shows a table that makes the comparison between the current standard DVDs and the new high definition formats.

	Std DVD	HD DVD	Blu-ray
Single layer	4.7 GB	15 GB	25 GB
Double layer	8.5 GB	30 GB	50 GB
Gaming	old systems	Xbox 360	Playstation 3
SD storage	3.8 hr	13.3 hr	22.2 hr
HD storage	n/a	5.1 hr	8.5 hr

Movie Release Comparison
According to sources that track high-def movie releases (such as highdefdigest.com), there are almost 500 movies released or soon to be released on a high definition disc. Of those movies, 65% are available in the Blu-ray format and 61% are available in the HD DVD format. Interestingly, there are 29% of the movies that are available in both formats. While the overall DVD selection shows a tight race, I thought that we could use the “top” movies to help us narrow down a leader. I cross-referenced our high-def movie list with the 250 top grossing movies of all-time in the U.S. Of the “top” movies available in a high definition format, 66% were in Blu-ray and 65% were in HD DVD. About 31% of these top grossing HD movies were available in either format. So, when you consider the top grossing movies, the results are even closer. To me, there is no clear winner here.

If you want to get a little more specific, maybe the particular movie studio or movies can help you determine if there is a better camp for you. Here is an example of the movie studios that have supported each of the formats, as well as a sampling of the movies available.

Available in Blu-ray Only
Buena Vista: Dinosaur, Chicken Little, Pearl Harbor, Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean
Fox: Fantastic Four, X-men, Ice Age, The Devil Wears Prada, Night at the Museum
Lionsgate: Crash, Saw, The Descent
Sony: Hitch, Click, Talladega Nights, Casino Royale, The Pursuit of Happyness

Available in HD DVD only:
Universal: King Kong, Apollo 13, The Bourne Identity, Seabiscuit, Traffic, Meet the Parents, The Mummy, Hulk, Bruce Almighty, Erin Brockovich
Weinstein: The Matador, Lucky Number Slevin,

Available in Blu-Ray and HD DVD
Magnolia: The Architect, World’s Fastest Indian
Paramount: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mission: Impossible, Coming to America, An Officer and a Gentleman, Top Gun
Warner: Scooby-Doo, The Fugitive, The Perfect Storm, Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Polar Express, The Departed, 300

So why doesn’t every movie studio make both versions available? We may apply an answer used for most questions of this kind: time and money. It is more expensive to invest in the formatting and production of movies in two formats. When selling stock, the adage of the man with two watches comes to mind. A man with one watch knows what time it is, but a man with two watches is never sure. If you have one format, you can sell what you have. If you have two formats, you’ll sell more of the format that you don’t have. Besides, many of the manufactures know that they can protect margin dollars better if there was a single format. They want one of the formats to die, therefore they will not produce high-def DVDs for the competing format. For example, Sony has their own Blu-ray player, their own studios, and their own Playstation 3 gaming system with Blu-ray. They are not going to offer their movies in the HD DVD format.

Players & Disc Pricing
Since movie selection may not have been conclusive, lets take a look at the hardware available, especially at the entry-level. The Toshiba HD-A2 has been the entry model for the HD DVD format, limiting its playback to the 720p or 1080i resolution that meets the minimum requirements for high definition. Since all Blu-Ray players have the superior 1080p output, however, the Toshiba HD-A20 that is capable of the same output provides a better apples-to-apples comparison. The 1080p Toshiba player has been running $499 with several retailers offering $100 via rebates and other discounts. But now, we have Sony’s new lower priced Blu-ray player (the BDP-S300) due out by mid June. With a retail price of $499, the gap in the hardware pricing is becoming minimal. Periodic sale prices or discounts may bridge the gap.

What about the DVDs themselves? Do we see an on-going price discrepancy there? At Amazon.com, the movie The Departed on Standard DVD was $19.99. On Blu-ray, it was $23.95. Finally, a combo HD DVD and Standard DVD was $27.95. Could there be a price difference, or was it due to a dual-format? For Mission: Impossible III, the two-disc Standard DVD version was $23.99. The two-disc Blu-ray and HD DVD were both priced at $27.95. Boy, this is getting harder than I thought.

And the Winner Is…
Heck if I know! As the determination of a winner gets cloudier, the consumers are holding out. This is not good for either side. Since HD DVD was launched first, it saw more significant sales in 2006. In 2007, however, Blu-ray has seen greater sales and continues to see more industry support. The trend in sales appears to be pointing toward Blu-ray, with each side often declaring victories for their camp. The pornography industry played a major role in determining the outcome of the VHS vs. Betamax battle, but most believe the industry will not have the influence with HD discs. During the epic VHS/Betamax battle, these tapes were the primary method of delivery, while today there are many alternatives to how porn is received. My gut tells me that Blu-ray will eventually be victorious, but it also tells me that no one will be conceding anytime soon. So, should we all wait?

No. Sitting and waiting is not my recommendation. Here is what I suggest: Look for the studios that you like best and look for a good deal on a player. My top 12 list for each format may give you an idea: HD DVD or Blu-ray. Make the leap and purchase a player, but do not start buying high def DVDs to add to your collection. Upgrading hardware will likely occur in a few years anyway, but you expect your movie collection to last longer than that. Instead, keep on the rental side. Between HD Tivo, HD on-demand, Blockbuster Total Access, and Netflix, you have many options. Both Blockbuster and Netflix will allow you to add HD formats to your queue, when available. Don’t deprive yourself of great HD movies while this format war plays out. But don’t over commit by buying a library of movies that end up sitting with your old Betamax flix (which is still next to your Rubik’s cube and pet rock).

NOTE: If, however, you feel that you must buy HD movies, check out my list of the best available awe-inspiring movies on HD DVD and Blu-ray.

There is one more side to this story. The longer this war plays out, the more opportunity there is for another alternative to arise. At the risk of sounding like a blatent teaser, you will need to stay tuned for my next blog posting. I’ll be discussing the ins and outs of downloading movies that may be played on your HD television. Music is no longer confined to CDs, so why should we expect movies to be confined to DVDs? I will discuss the current state of this technology and where it may be heading. I hope you stay tuned. Joining the feeds or email alerts are great ways to do that.

[update 6/22/07 follow-up post on HD downloading entitled, Trash the Disc, Learn from Porn!]

Hi Def Jam! Why Do HDTV Images in Restaurants Look So Bad?

If you purchase a High Definition Television (HDTV), shouldn’t everything look better on its display? No. And not anyone can make my powder blue leisure suit look good. Only I can do that. If you take a tour of local restaurants that have plasma displays, you’ll likely find a surprisingly high number of inferior-looking pictures. Poor resolution of the source signal can create sub-optimal picture quality. This is also why many folks are getting their new HD television home and becoming disappointed with the image they see. To get the best picture on your HDTV, you need to find good HD programming from your content provider (i.e. your cable or satellite company).

Is That Hi Def?
In a 2007 study by Leichtman Research Group, about 22% of HD owners state that they are not receiving HD signals. There are another 25% of HD owners, however, that incorrectly believe they are watching HD programming from cable or DBS (digital broadcast satellite). This reminds me of the stumbling drunk friend that needed a ride home. By the time we got to his apartment and I threw away the remaining empty bottles, I realized that he was drinking non-alcoholic beer. When questioned, he said that he thought it was the “good stuff”. I suppose this is the way a quarter of the HD owners may end up feeling. But instead of non-alcoholic beer, they’re being fed non-HD content.

Out in public view, Bubba the restaurant manager has placed a number of large plasma TVs in the bar area. What finer place to display very high-resolution pictures than at a bar where senses are being dulled by downed brewskies? Maybe that’s the reason the owner will plop down several thousand dollars for an HDTV, but then not spend the extra monthly fee to get HD content on the screen. The ultra-large super-size flat panel TV may be capable of sparkling “1080 I gotta P”, but the signal is from the same source they used with the old 25-inch picture tube. This may also be why ESPN’s Sportscenter shows Tiger Woods looking like he spent the week hanging out at Krispy Kreme. The television is attempting to display a narrower non-HD signal by stretching it to fit the HDTV widescreen. Analogously, they have spent the money on the powder blue leisure suit, but don’t have the collar that extends out to the shoulders. It falls short of creating the total package.

Non-HD Content
It is true that a high definition television has over 3x the resolution of a standard definition television. This feature combined with falling prices has meant that many people are upgrading to larger screen sizes. If a non-HD source is sent to the TV screen, however, the lower resolution image is much larger and the flaws have become much more visible. It relates to the celebrity close-up mug shot that shows all of the blemishes you didn’t see from afar.

Although 53% of the HD owners are receiving HD signals, it is likely that only a small subset of channels are available to them in HD. Most channels are only available in standard definition. Even HD channels will often display programs that are only shown in standard definition. While content providers are adding more HD content, it will likely be years before HD content is prominent. It is important to research your programming with your cable or satellite provider. There is a way to get free HD content: over-the-air. Local stations typically broadcast in HD, but you will likely need a new rabbit-ear antenna similar to the one I used when I first bought my blue leisure suit. This HD trend is bringing back the antenna into style - as opposed to the blue leisure suit that never really went out-of-style.

Surprisingly, I found one exception to the HD television phenomenon within restaurants. It was at my local Hooters. There were no plasmas or LCDs to be found anywhere. They had dozens of old picture tube televisions mounted on antiquated brackets that conspicuously wrap under the TV like the belt of a heavyweight champion. I guess they didn’t want to have anything flat associated with their brand of restaurant. They felt the need to stick to the ole "boob tube". Oops, I didn’t intend the pun to be that direct. If they did switch to a new flat panel television, however, they could always get a smaller LCD screen and wrap it in an XXS T-shirt to make it look larger than it really is.