Many
people can detect the 60Hz refresh that is used for both HD and analog NTSC TV.
Some people can even detect the flicker of a fluorescent light bulb (120Hz) in
their peripheral vision. Flicker can be reduced by any one of three things:
moving the viewer back from the TV (placing the image more in the foveal
(center) of the eye), increasing the refresh rate (difficult to do with most
TVs), or reducing the overall brightness of the display.
So is that flagship 1080p TV really worth it? Let’s consider:
• Six
times as many pixels: Generally speaking this is a weak claim. When considering
how much content is encoded in NTSC, VHS tape, and DVD there still isn’t that
much HD content available. While there’s enough true HD content out there to
make it interesting to even a moderate enthusiast, you won’t be able to pick
what you want to see. To use the capability of the TV in the near term, you will
be watching what is being produced today. It’s going to be a while before you’ll
be able to see the Godfather trilogy in 1080i—let alone 1080p. In addition, many
HDTV shows that are supposed to be HD may not take advantage of the system’s
full capabilities. Last, if your home theater isn’t correctly set up, you are
missing a great deal of the experience. Over time these issues will be resolved
as more HD content becomes available.
• Wide format: This overlooked
aspect of HD is really more significant than you might imagine. Nearly all
film-based DVDs released today are anamorphic (enhanced for widescreen
TVs).
• CD quality sound: Audio is a significant element of any
video presentation and can really make or break a home theater setup. Ask any
serious home video enthusiast how much they spent on each part of their system.
Chances are they actually spent more on the audio than the video.
Ultimately,
it comes down to how you use your HDTV. If you buy a small screen and sit too
far away, then there is no practical advantage over standard, low-resolution
CRT. A large-screen HDTV with a close viewing distance (with brightness adjusted
to minimize peripheral flicker), access to existing content and a good video
processor will create a better-than-theater experience.
