How has the expanding variety of HD content changed the way you make your entertainment choices?

Question

With better sound and picture, some people are watching only HD programming. Others are setting up elaborate home entertainment systems to recreate the theater experience in their own homes. How has HD changed the way you experience entertainment?

Answer 1

In some ways, HD has had little to no effect on my entertainment experience.  It's nice to be able to order HD movies OnDemand and to see them on the HD channels, but until they have HD channels for every channel, I doubt things will change for me.  Truthfully, one of the biggest changes in entertainment seems to be the whole OnDemand thing.  I'm not sure what other companies have it besides Comcast (who I really don't like as a company, but enjoy their services) but it really is/was a revolutionary concept.  HD is fine.  The fact that the aspect ratio is theater-like is better.  The sleek look of most HDTVs is classy and the ability to mount them on walls is innovative.  All in all, I'd say it's the actual changes in the television itself that are attractive, along with the cable companies' innovations.  The fact that the resolution is better is just icing.  

Answer 2

Add me to the list of people who prefer HD channels over regular. I even find myself watching an HD program I might not otherwise watch just *because* it's in HD. I love that HD allows me to enjoy a wider viewing picture so I can "experience" the program better. I can't say that I've invested in a fancy sound system just because I have HD, but I definitely find myself staying in and watching TV a bit more than I used to before HD.

Answer 3

I watch Television shows at my leisure now...

HD Steaming is awesome. I can watch my favorite shows in HD streaming when I want where I want on my PC, Laptop or Smart Phone. I have an HTC product right now, but I plan to replace it in when my contract expires.

I recently watched an entire season of Heroes in HD steaming in a marathon weekend of TV watching. Same with Lost.

I have also taken to watching a few shows that I otherwise would have skipped if I had to be at home a certain time every week.  I think HD  will be a boon to advertisers who want to market to a niche..

You asked about the expanding variety of HD content,  I answered based on expanding variety of HD sources, My favorite being Streaming HD...

Answer 4

Yes, I have a dedicated home theater in my vacation home and I bought a device called "popcorn hour" that lets me stream content from my PCs to my large front screen projector.  I also bought a dedicated upconverter to help make SD content look better.

I usually put my DVDs on a computer hard drive so I can stream it to anywhere in the house.  When HD content becomes more available to save on HDD I will definitely buy those so I can stream it.  I am also looking forward to being able to edit together those scenes from movies and TV shows so I can only watch the parts I want.

For example, I have Xmen and the Spiderman trilogy on blu-ray.  I'd like to put all the action scenes together so I don't have to keep spapping discs out of my blu-ray player.

Due to the lack of quality HD content on cable ot satellite I haven't subscribed to either one yet.  If there were more good quality HD channels that did not require a box from the cable/satellite company I would subscribe immediately.  

Answer 5

I often look through the HD channels first, when sitting down to watch TV.  I rarely, however, record HD since the hard drive in my Comcast (Motorola) DVR leaves a lot to be desired.  For SD programming it's great; for HD programming it is next to useless.  There are a few weekly shows that I record in HD since I try to watch them within a few days of airing but in these cases the DVR often ends up recording SD even when I set the series recording for the HD channel- frustrating.

I haven't figured out how to view captions along with HD- that frustrates me.  I am not hearing impaired but I do like having captions to read with video.  It eliminates any cases of "what did that person say?"  In my opinion directors (or whoever's responsibility it is to review the audio) do not pay enough attention to 'mumbles' and low volume voice throughout their movies... Some do but most do not.

Answer 6

I have definitely changed the way i view content since things have been available in HD, granted the change is more in regard to the fact that i use a cable box and high def console to view my content on my HD sets.  The content itself isn't changed, and distribution is limited outsides of HD DVDs, (High definition DVDs as in HD DVD or Blu-Ray) downloaded movies via xbox live, HD channels on my cable box or video games in HD.  

I watch what is on, i don't need content in HD but if it is I'll make sure to watch it in that format where available.

Answer 7

It seems that whenever technology provides an opportunity for us to participate in a new innovation that allows us to grow in experience, then we should appreaciate it and participate.  If we choose not to participate, it may stifle the next big and great innovation that is ready to evolve from what was experienced.

HD programming is one of these revolutions that has the seed of an idea that will push us further into something that will advance us further in a new form of communication and entertainment.

It may not be the HD programming that impresses us, but there is an idea ready to merge HD programming with my computer.

Because I can only watch tv or go on my computer separately.

When and how will they merge completely is my question?

Answer 8

Well, if you ask me this kind of question, I will say that the picture are more lively alike with High Deination Contents. Ofcourse with High Defination contents which is really common these days around, Videos or some Documentation that we watch will make you say"WOW. I can feel as if I was in there." Moreover, watching VIdeos like the Aimation Cartoon (take Pixar Animation for example) people at all age can enjoy thier free time with thier loves one at thier free time. Some people even go beyond that level. Which is making their home a theater place or install some theater sound system to watch movies or some Documentation of their favorate at better taste

Answer 9

HD TV and movies have really changed how we watch and buy media. Ever since we upgraded to our new plasma and blue ray we very rarely watch anything besides HD programming and movies. We are very cautious too when purchasing PS3 games, movies, TV programming to ensure it has the best quality digital support. And I don't think the entertainment systems have become elaborate. We hooked up a digital surround sound system and only spent around $1k total. My only complaint is that the blue ray movies are still so costly and the variety of HD TV programming is still very low. We need more channel options.  

Answer 10

My friends have an enormous flat-screen + surround system + HD and we usually go to our friends' place to watch important football matches. Yes, it is kinda nice, especially e. g. when you're fed up with the sports commentator, you can easily switch to another channel and have someone else commenting the game, the picture is brilliant - actually it is a real event. However, at home we only watch two or three shows each week and really don't mind having to stick to the ordinary TV schedule, watching the shows on a small screen (we have full surround though ;-) ). Films and shows we love we usually buy on DVD. The quality is sufficient. To be honest: I do not need HD in my life. When I want to see a good game I either go and visit my friends or I go to a sports bar. If I want to watch Dr. House or CSI - the good ol standard telly is fine with me.

Answer 11

HD has changed the way i make my choices. The main reason i went to a HD tv in the first place was because i had a playstation 3. now i am finding that instead of buying normal dvds i am buying blu ray dvds for the HD quality. I am also in the process of upgrading to Sky HD tv. I believe tat both the sound and picture, mainly when playing games really give you a feeling that you are participating in the game or films rather then just watching.  

Answer 12

I prefer my own meager home theater to the actual theater experience these days.  I can control the audio and video quality.  I also feel more immersed in the movie because the audio experience of my small room feels fuller and more immersive than a large theater auditorium.  My 7.1 system kicks my butt every time I watch an action movie.

Furthermore, sports programming in hd is incredible. It makes you feel like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are in your living room.

Answer 13

I watch the same shows I use to, just get a better picture now.  Picture quality is great, but I wouldn't watch something just because its in HD.  Like I said, picture quality is great, but not great enough to cause me to watch c**p on tv just because of it.  I still look for quality programming, and still won't watch reality programming regardless of the picture quality.

Answer 14

None. I didnt opt in to HD technology. Watching movies for me is an experience that is of course auditory and visual, but the most important thing is to be able to sink in to the movie as a whole, and not just be amazed by the visual and audio stuff. I found out that a normal TV is the best way to watch a movie. Of course I am not talking about Batman or Indepedence day, but about movies crafted by the Geniuses of cinema like Andres Tarkovsky. Trie watching 'Nostalgia' by him, and you wouldnt give a toss about HD!

Answer 15

The way that HD has changed the way I experience entertainment is that it keeps me at home.  There is no need to go out and deal with crowds and noisy kids, or adults.  It actually saves me money now that the cost of going to "the movies" has increased dramatically, which includes the cost of food.  That's the advantage.

The disadvantage is the risk of becoming an introvert and antisocial.  The number of people staying home is increasing with the luxuries that exist nowadays.  We can now view the world from the large computer screen or the 52" Flat Screen TV mounted on the wall.  We can now listen to sound clearly instead of using the ears that we were born with.

So what's next?  Smell TV ?  

Answer 16

You are clearly talking to the people out there who have money and can afford to buy an HD set.

Me?  I'm a 25 y/o programmer from PA who pays an overpriced company that starts with a V and ends with an izon $220 a month for standard programming.  Then when I think how much it would be to add HD packages ... my blood boils even more.  I have a wife, with a kid on the way.  I can't afford an HD set, programming, and anything else that is needed to "enhance" my "entertainment".  I will stick with what I have, because as much as I am paying now (almost a car payment for "entertainment") I can't imagine what it would be with HD added on.

As for the question about how has it changed my entertainment choices?  It hasn't.  Not one bit.  All it has done is made me rely more on the internet for news because the TV company that I have seems to broadcast EVERYTHING in HD so my picture is cut off more times than not.  I love watching hockey, and when there's a goal, and since it's in HD it cuts off the goalie so all I see is the defense throwing their hands in the air ... I get excited because I know that I just missed everything!  Thank god we have HD, my life would be utterly useless without it.

Thank you fine HD programming,

Chad

Answer 17

HD has drastically changed the Entertainment I use and the way I view and listen to it.  I own a 1080p High Def flat screen which I use to watch Blu-ray movies and play high-definition games. The screen also functions as a computer monitor which I have enjoyed tremedously.  Using an HDMI cable I have maximized the visual and audial quality of my entertainment and I never want to go back to standard deffinition.

   The Television i watch has also drastically changed.  My cable provider has numerous channels offered in HD, and I much prefer to watch those channels.  In fact, if there is nothing worth watching on the HD channels I usually don't watch TV at all.

   HD media has greatly increased my interest in movies, the internet, broadcast and distribution technology, videogames and interactive digital entertainment, and High Def sound.

Answer 18

For Christmas I bought my husband an LCD HDTV to add to our viewing experience. We had switched to Fios last year when it became available in our area. The new tv made it even better. Recently, more HD channels were added to Fios. Both my favorite channel and my husbands, sci-fi and speed respectively were added. We are enjoying the difference enormously. We have picture in picture feature and when you put the channels side by side that have regular and HD you can really see the difference! We will be also getting an surround sound system from my husbands 35 year anniversary with Verizon gift. He never would have chosen that had it not been for the new tv and HD!

Answer 19

So far, after buying a large screen 42" HDTV, I haven't been that impressed. There are some shows, that do show it off well, mostly, those nature shows.

But as to changing my viewing habits, it hasn't. I still watch those shows I enjoyed before I bought the set.

I do get a better picture, even on those non HD shows. But I haven't gone to the home theater, audio system yet, or for the Blue Ray, DVD players.

One other thing, is my Cable company, Time Warner, doesn't have all that many HD Channels. It does have all the local broadcast channels, in Los Angeles, and the few others they have added are subscription channels. As I'm already paying them over a hundred a month, for  TV and Cable Internet service, that's about it for me.

Strangely or not, when I watch those old 1940 or 1950's Technicolor movies, on TCM, they show up the best and they aren't even in HD.

My cable box, doesn't have that HDMI, connection, so that could be why the difference isn't as good as it should be.

So while I'm enjoying my big screen, I'm not as overwhelmed by the HD side of it.

Answer 20

It hasn't changed the way I make choices at all. I've almost completely stopped watching TV (I have FiOS) now that I can stream (or buy) almost anything I want from the internet. Keeping video service and internet service separate should phase out, in my opinion. I would like to see entertainment return to the people instead of being controlled by large corporations and Crappywood, California. I think youtube and the advent of streaming multimedia will go a long way to making that a possibility.  

Answer 21

I watch mostly HD programming. When new shows come on I won't bother watching unless they are in HD so I don't get hooked on something with crappy quality. It's very annoying that Blu-Ray DVDs are so much more money and we still have to wait months for them to come out or for movies to be offered "on demand". I find myself ignoring the new movies and catching up on old movies I haven't seen yet that are on one of the HD channels.

The worst is when other areas on the same provider get a channel in HD but you don't. Or when some kids' channel that shows nothing but cartoons gets upgraded and one that has HD shows doesn't.

As far as theaters go, I only bother with IMAX movies since you just can't do that at home. Or movies where a large group would go together (even though I'd rather just have the large group over on opening night to watch at home, but that's not offered.)

I can't believe some people with HD sets that don't at least get an HD OTA (over the air) antenna. Or even worse, the ones that watch the regular channel and think they are watching HD because it says "HD" in the corner and then complain that HD looks the same or worse.

Answer 22

well i have three hdtvs but only one home theater it hasn't effected  me much i think they are still the same only i have a xbox 360 and the games in hd are awesome. i do find my self playing more xbox 360 because the graphic are just unbelievable and surround sound is awesome it feels like ur really in the game .  I haven't seen a movie in hd but i kno the graphics are great so i might think in getting more hd movie instead of those standard definition. so yeh it has kind of changed me but not that much on tv show i still watch the same show and i also like how they have put some shows from sd to hd .  HD rocks.    

Answer 23

I got a Sony HDTV several years ago (CRT type) and it didn't change my viewing habits much, mostly because of a lack of HD programming.

When I remodeled my home 2 years ago, I got a Sony 42" LCD HDTV. With so much more programming available, I also broke down and got a Yamaha surround sound receiver (5.1), and Klipsch Quintet surrounds with a Klipsch KSW-12 subwoofer.

Now, any time I watch TV programming, I always look for the HDTV version of the channel I want to watch. I also have DVR with the cable company and regularly search the HD channels for HD content (mostly movies, but I like live concerts, too).

I especially like the way sports programming comes across in HD. Not only the clearer pictures, but the wider aspect ratio makes viewing sporting events - particularly NFL football - so much more enjoyable.

I think the expanding variety of HDTV content has changed my viewing habits forever. And, I can't wait for all programming that I currently have to watch in standard definition to become available in an HD format.

Answer 24

The introduction of HD has not affected my life at all, nor changed the technology used in my home.  As I am rarely home, due to such a busy life, I haven't had cable or satellite in my home in over 7 years.  And I have no desire to get either anytime in the future.  What I do watch for TV, I prefer over-the-air.  In this case, there's no point for me to upgrade to an HD TV as the picture would likely be worse than an analog TV as there is a degree of interference already in the picture.

No, I do not utilize anything HD in my home, nor do I have any desire to at this point.

Answer 25

Shadow the hedgehog, boy are you way off.  HD looks and sounds spectacular, way more than regular standard broadcast.  

You get way higher picture resolution, sharper, cleaner picture and dolby digital 5.1

If you think they are are the same, you obviously have not seen HD content hooked up correctly.

I have three Home Theater systems hooked up in my house and each one is hooked up to multichannel recievers and amplifiers and higher end speakers.

I watch nothing that isnt in HD.  I not only have several HD-DVD players, but a few Bluray players and HD satellite in all my rooms.

Two fo my three systems rival the local cineplex in both picture and sound and my third system though used mostly for music can easily be switched to HD for guests.

My HD satellite is hooked up to HD DVR so watching on my schedule and without commercials is a dream come true.

Answer 26

It hasn't. I am not prepared to go and spend thousands of dollars to get a HDTV and box just to sit there and complain about the quality of actual programming on TV. Sure it would be nice to see some sports in HD, even a few other shows, but even with the amount of TV that I do watch, there isn't enough available of any quality (as in writing and acting) to bother. And face it, prices are always highest when the new products first come on the market. Until the makers bring those prices down..I can't be bothered. I have wired my stereo to provide a theater like sound when watching movies, but can't be bothered with regular shows or even sports. So..market the HD stuff as much as you want.. I for one will not be suckered into spending that kind of money just for television...I don't really care if Hannah Montana is in HD, I don't watch that kind of show anyway.

Answer 27

I hate television its become a 1000 channels of repeats and adult entertainment.  

Television isn't for a family anymore. Its either for sports addicts, repeat movies-holics, or little kids who like cartoons.

HD just caters to the have's, people who can cough up thousands of dollars in 'home entertainment' equipment. I don't do credit cards anymore and think there is more important things in life to see and do than stare at the TV set.

Answer 28

I believe the push for HD has changed the way of everything. From computer, DVD, and television entertainment. In years past people had to spend $60 at the local theater to get the true feel of a motion picture. Now, with HD so widely available it is more cost effective to purchase a wide screen HD tv, Blue Ray player, and surround sound! Add a multi-media system to the mix and you have a fairly long term cost fix with better sound and picture quality.

The only thing next is to have fiber optic cabling through every home. This will allow for faster HD streaming and increase bandwidth. At some point in the next 10 years everything will be digitally streamed.

At some point movie theaters will need to step up. It doesn't make since for the public to pay the high rates at a movie theater when they could stay home and watch a movie in better sound and picture quality.  

Answer 29

This is probably gonna be a bit long and soap-boxish...

I'm in my early 30s and am probably atypical of most people in that I hardly watch TV or movies (I average about maybe a movie a month, and probably an hour or two of glimpses of news and the odd documentary on tv per week).

I'm an IT professional and a voracious reader, and I can't stand / don't trust pretty 10-second "sound bite"-style "news", or have the patience to sit through yet another mindless 2 hour Hollywood offering which doesn't interest me. I have no problems viewing media in a player window on my computer as opposed to most people who fuss about having fullscreen view of whatever. HD has just about no impact on the way I "experience entertainment", except that I may be forced to upgrade my tv because I use it to hook up videogame consoles to, and they've also gone (for the most part) the mindless eyecandy-over-content route.

If I need to know about something, there's always Wikipedia and Youtube (let alone Google), so it's not like I'm stuck when it comes to small talk at the cooler. Saves me a load of time that would otherwise be wasted watching the latest forgettable tv series or movies just to keep up with the gossip.

To keep it simple, HD means as much to me as a spade means to a barber, i.e. nothing. So it's a technical improvement over previous displays, so what? Big whoop, good for you. I have better things to do with my time than sit in front of the idiot box.

Answer 30

I haven't bought an HD television, so nothing has really changed for me.

I think HD video looks great, and HD televisions are reasonably priced now. The main reason I haven't bought an HD television is lack of content. That is the only thing holding me back from upgrading. No matter how good the video quality is, it's still only as good as the content available.

Cable television where I live is expensive--at least $50 per month. Even then, content is riddled with commercials. I'm not about to pay for programming with commercials. I can watch commercials over the air if I want for free.

The other major problem with cable is I have to buy an expensive package that mostly contains channels I won't watch. Why should I pay for 100 channels when I will only watch 10 of them?

Satellite services suffer from the same problems, and I can't justify spending money on a new television just to watch over-the-air programming.

I have no plans to upgrade to an HD television until quality, reasonably-priced content is made available. Otherwise, buying a fancy new HD television would be like buying a new Ferrari with only muddy, unpaved roads available on which to drive it.

Answer 31

I don't experience entertainment differently when it's presented in higher graphical quality. The vast majority of customers don't have HD systems because they're unnecessarily expensive and a $100 TV gets the same programs as a $3500 one, even if it's only two feet across. Also: The majority of customers who have HD sets don't actually watch HD broadcasts, and they don't know it. There were some surveys conducted to this effect. Anyone who pays $10000+ to have the 'theater experience' in their own homes is a fool; do you really think that you're saving money? It costs maybe $10 for a theater ticket, and you'd have to watch 1000 movies (taking 1800 hours in the process) to make up that cost.

And, frankly, I stopped watching television 5 years ago because I realized that it was just a tool to ship advertisements to customers. Now with HD, I can have people sell me stuff in higher graphical quality. So?