What do you think of hi def?

I like it. I just wish there were more available programming.

My main purpose for owning a widescreen high-def projection TV is so that I could watch widescreen DVDs in a more theater-like way. For this purpose, it delivers in spades. Widescreen DVDs look incredible on this set (46" Mitsubishi RPTV). Pop some popcorn, turn the lights down, crank the surround sound up, and it's better than a movie theater.

HDTV looks to be about 2-3 times as sharp and detailed as a really good anamorphic DVD print. I have often A/B compared a widescreen DVD movie directly to the same movie playing on HBOhd, and the HD version is much more film-like. It's very similar to watching a 35mm film, it's that detailed. Actually, it's a little better than watching 35mm film because the color balance and vibrancy is a little better. In the theater, I've noticed that movies tend to be too dim, and to have a yellowish/brownish cast, which isn't a problem on my HDTV.

The only problem is the available programming. Right now I get HBOhd (east and west coast), SHOhd (east and west coast), and for now (until they get wise and encrypt it), a test-feed of DiscoveryHD. That's it. If I wanted to buy a different receiver, I could probably also get CBS in HD, and the HDnet sports channel in HD.

But even then, not all of the programming on those channels is shot and broadcast in HD. A lot of it is standard-def programming that's been "upconverted" to high-def. For instance, the HBOhd feed is exactly the same shows as the standard-def HBO feed, it's just that some of the movies come in as HD when you're watching the HD channel. The rest of the shows don't look any better than regular TV.