March 11, 2005 4:00 AM PST
Clearing up the HDTV picture
In some cases, retailers run video into the sets from closed circuit networks. They do that for various reasons, including wanting to demonstrate the sets' capabilities and keep pranksters from turning to racy programming. But the practice may be distorting consumer expectations, leading to disappointing experiences--and product returns.
"There is no doubt there are higher return rates on HD sets than analog televisions," said Mike Vitelli, senior vice president of consumer electronics at retail giant Best Buy.
What's new:
Consumers want their HDTVs, but they're not always as happy with their fancy sets as they expected to be.
Bottom line:
Creating the ideal HD viewing experience for consumers has posed its difficulties. First off, buyers need to understand that having a TV with a built-in HD tuner only gets them halfway to HDTV heaven. HD service from a cable or satellite provider helps to complete the picture.
The discrepancy in picture quality, however, isn't the only reason customers bring their high-definition TVs back. Some haul their expensive sets home only to get hit by a case of buyers' remorse, Vitelli said. Then there's the issue of video source. "It should almost be illegal to buy an HD set unless you can prove you have HD service," he said.
With shipments of flat-panel televisions expected to more than double in North American markets this year compared to last (and similarly rapid growth expected in coming years), Vitelli and other retail and television service executives don't want to kill the golden goose.
Still, creating the ideal HD viewing experience for consumers has posed its difficulties.
Early on, customer support lines for television set makers, retailers and service operators often shuttled complaining customers back and forth, leaving many wondering if the industry could get its act together to sell to and support HDTV consumers.
More recently, retailers and cable companies have been working in tandem to sell HD products to consumers. Comcast, for example, has been working on partnerships with Best Buy and Circuit City to improve training of their salespeople. Best Buy has been running rebates for cable services with the purchase of new televisions.
The result has been higher subscription rates for HD service. The 800,000 Comcast subscribers who signed up for HD service started when Comcast began working with retail chains to better educate their salespeople.
their HDTV experience. Above is
LG's 62-inch DLP DU-62SY20D.
Still, after spending thousands of dollars on fancy new high-definition televisions, owners commonly don't even watch shows in HD programming, according to Bruce Leichtman, principal analyst at research firm Leichtman Research Group.
"Call it cognitive dissonance or ignorance is bliss, but most households, about two-thirds, aren't watching shows in HD even though they think they are," Leichtman said.
Vitelli isn't surprised. "I would agree with that guestimate without even seeing (the data behind) it," he said.
Ignorant bliss or not, HD television shipments have been soaring. In 2003, 3.7 million digital sets were shipped in North America. That number will more than triple to 14.9 million units by 2005, according to research firm iSuppli.
Halfway to high-defFueling the surging demand is consumers' desire for sharp images that only HD sets can display, as well as immense screen sizes that don't degrade picture quality. Access to high-definition programming and broadcasts is a major selling point for HD sets--without it, consumers aren't really getting the high-definition television they paid for.
The high-definition television experience is comprised of an HD set and a service that can display high-definition programming. But consumers can easily confuse either end of that equation--by purchasing a television that can't play HD content
The HDTV service and decoder would add $30 a month to a bill that is already $86.00. No way am I paying $1,500 a year (taxes included) for such marginal benefit.
One caution I'd offer to potential HDTV buyers is that most bigger TVs (20" and up) made in the last 10 years use an scan line interpolation feature that enhances the perception of signal sharpness. When commbined with analog channels delivered digitally via fibre optic, as is the case with my provider, the sharpness is visually identical to HDTV at normal viewing distances.
This is why consumers don't miss the HDTV signal: It is little understood that the HDTV's extra resolution is no help on HDTVs with a veritcal height less than that found on a convewntional 33" set. So you must spend huge bucks to get an HDTV set that can deliver in practice a better signal than digitally delivered analog TV.
THe real truth is that a lot of the apparent fuzziness in a TV signal is because much of the remarkable sharpness of regular TV signals at the head end (as in viewed at the TV station) is lost in transmission. HDTV simply does not take the viewer far enough beyond this signal, digitally preserved to the set, to make consumers want it. Bottom line: HDTV is a pricey luxury nobody needs for a crisp picture. One will not miss the extra HDTV detail viweing a set at 15 feet, quite frankly. And not at $1,500+ a year.
The HDTV service and decoder would add $30 a month to a bill that is already $86.00. No way am I paying $1,500 a year (taxes included) for such marginal benefit.
One caution I'd offer to potential HDTV buyers is that most bigger TVs (20" and up) made in the last 10 years use an scan line interpolation feature that enhances the perception of signal sharpness. When commbined with analog channels delivered digitally via fibre optic, as is the case with my provider, the sharpness is visually identical to HDTV at normal viewing distances.
This is why consumers don't miss the HDTV signal: It is little understood that the HDTV's extra resolution is no help on HDTVs with a veritcal height less than that found on a convewntional 33" set. So you must spend huge bucks to get an HDTV set that can deliver in practice a better signal than digitally delivered analog TV.
THe real truth is that a lot of the apparent fuzziness in a TV signal is because much of the remarkable sharpness of regular TV signals at the head end (as in viewed at the TV station) is lost in transmission. HDTV simply does not take the viewer far enough beyond this signal, digitally preserved to the set, to make consumers want it. Bottom line: HDTV is a pricey luxury nobody needs for a crisp picture. One will not miss the extra HDTV detail viweing a set at 15 feet, quite frankly. And not at $1,500+ a year.
Its called Buyer Beware
Bought HDTV from Best buy and unless you pay close to 500 for service contract u are screwed on 91st day, BB will Not support
Its called Buyer Beware
Bought HDTV from Best buy and unless you pay close to 500 for service contract u are screwed on 91st day, BB will Not support
I think we all can agree that regardless of, or lack of, HDTV programming, the bulk of viewing is the good ol' standard 4:3 aspect ratio of standard broadcasting. This means viewers of the plasma TVs must either watch a distorted image, if their TV is in the 16:9 HDTV aspect ratio, making everyone look fat and bent out of shape, or switching the TV to the narrower screen, i.e., 4:3 aspect ratio.
But viewer beware, as I found out the hard way. If the bulk of your viewing is in the narrower mode, you'll soon discover when you decide to rent a DVD movie, that the "sidebars" (that area on the left and right side of the viewing area that was normally "not lit" during 4:3 viewing), will appear much lighter when switched to 16:9. You may not notice it at first glance, but wait for a pause in programming, such as occurs for a second or two, when a TV station breaks for a commercial and the screen is all "black". Then it will be very obvious. You'll see the screen divided into three sections; the two sidebars on the extreme left and right of the screen and the center area.
This is what is called "burn in" and voids your warranty! So, what is one supposed to do? Either watch the standard broadast (non-HDTV) the way it was supposed to be viewed and void your warranty, or watch it in stretched-out mode and make everything look weird, or set the TV into Zoom mode and cut off the top and bottom of the viewing area.
In other words, there is no solution to enjoy standard broadcast TV on a plasma screen TV without voiding your warranty!
I think we all can agree that regardless of, or lack of, HDTV programming, the bulk of viewing is the good ol' standard 4:3 aspect ratio of standard broadcasting. This means viewers of the plasma TVs must either watch a distorted image, if their TV is in the 16:9 HDTV aspect ratio, making everyone look fat and bent out of shape, or switching the TV to the narrower screen, i.e., 4:3 aspect ratio.
But viewer beware, as I found out the hard way. If the bulk of your viewing is in the narrower mode, you'll soon discover when you decide to rent a DVD movie, that the "sidebars" (that area on the left and right side of the viewing area that was normally "not lit" during 4:3 viewing), will appear much lighter when switched to 16:9. You may not notice it at first glance, but wait for a pause in programming, such as occurs for a second or two, when a TV station breaks for a commercial and the screen is all "black". Then it will be very obvious. You'll see the screen divided into three sections; the two sidebars on the extreme left and right of the screen and the center area.
This is what is called "burn in" and voids your warranty! So, what is one supposed to do? Either watch the standard broadast (non-HDTV) the way it was supposed to be viewed and void your warranty, or watch it in stretched-out mode and make everything look weird, or set the TV into Zoom mode and cut off the top and bottom of the viewing area.
In other words, there is no solution to enjoy standard broadcast TV on a plasma screen TV without voiding your warranty!
Also not all HD is going to be created with HD cameras. With film you usually won't get a sharp image unless it is well lit or daytime shot. Some people ignorantly think that every scene should look pristine in HD (they'll be big fans of DiscoveryHD and INHD Imax shows). But scene softness may often be done on purpose and with film you often loose sharpness when shooting a night scene etc.
This may all be a moot point next year after HD-DVD is on the market. It would have been here already if it hadn't been the red and blue laser squabble.
Still I would rather not watch TV at all than to go back to analog.
Also not all HD is going to be created with HD cameras. With film you usually won't get a sharp image unless it is well lit or daytime shot. Some people ignorantly think that every scene should look pristine in HD (they'll be big fans of DiscoveryHD and INHD Imax shows). But scene softness may often be done on purpose and with film you often loose sharpness when shooting a night scene etc.
This may all be a moot point next year after HD-DVD is on the market. It would have been here already if it hadn't been the red and blue laser squabble.
Still I would rather not watch TV at all than to go back to analog.
- Comcast stating 10 -15 HD channels are ENOUGH?????
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by Rickrack
March 12, 2005 2:59 PM PST
- give me a bullet ! of course I'm kidding about the bullet but hey I want every show in HD, yes it's true my 72 year old mother cannot tell the differance. I CAN however I have a local VHF on roof for local LA Direct TV ( URGGGGG) and I'm craving for more balancing the cost of cable, Dish Network and Voom ever other day.
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