I have two HD TVs, was an early adopter and got a good deal on one a few years ago. Recently bought a Sony 65” SXRD (their version of DLP) for a home theater set up with the main purpose of watching sports in my basement. Love it, wouldn’t change it. Yes, cost up front is high, but I’m kind of a techie, so it happens.

What’s funny is my wife (non-techie) never really noticed “a big difference” in HD and non-HD broadcasts until we were watching Center Ice one night. The Wild-Avs were in regular definition in the 4:3 box on the big TV. When I switched it to a Broons game on NESN my wife came out of her set, “THAT’S HD?!? Wow!”

I’ve watched a lot of sports in HD, and nothing notices the change like hockey. It’s like having a seat on top of the glass.

Posted by Tim from Columbus, OH on 05/06/08 at 12:29 PM ET

Hockey in HD is amazing!!! You have to watch it. It is unlike any standard broadcast you have ever seen. It is a vast improvement over regular definition and significantly enhances your viewing pleasure. I have friends who arent hockey fans, but can watch a game in HD. This is a must try for everyone!

Posted by Jared from New York on 05/06/08 at 12:35 PM ET

I believe that hockey in HD is amazing. But I just can’t wrap my brain around spending over $1,000 for a television set. Even though I can afford it and I watch a lot of TV, it just strikes me as ludicrous to spend that kind of money.

Posted by alice on 05/06/08 at 12:37 PM ET

Similar to Tim, I have two HD TVs and right before Flyers/Caps game 7, my DLP lamp stopped working. Thank god I had the backup one and was able to watch it on that. My wife used to joke about me and my insistence on watching stuff in HD, until she watched something in HD and then ended up watching it again in non-HD. She’s now a convert! Once you go HD to watch anything, you won’t go back.

Posted by philduba from New Jersey on 05/06/08 at 12:41 PM ET

I watch a lot of hockey in SD via Center Ice, and truly look forward to the games on Verses, NBC, or Comcast Sportsnet that are broadcast in HD. Sure I can follow the puck in SD, but I can better follow the play in HD with the wider view. Alice, you no longer need to spend $1,000 for a good HDTV. There are name brands for half of that, depending on the size TV. Of course, HD service is not cheap from many providers, so that’s definitely a consideration. But, if you already have digital cable or satellite, a few extra bucks a month is definitely worth it!

Posted by penguinsfan on 05/06/08 at 12:44 PM ET

This year I finally upgraded to HD.

I got a Magnavox 36” HD 1080 set (not a flat panel, the beast is HUGE, but I had the space for it) for about $650.00.

My wife consented to upgrading one of our DishNetwork receivers to the HD.  The good thing about that is with the Dish, the only way to get the NHL channel is with high-def, Thanks, Gary. Ass.

Anyway, the HD in all sports is amazing.  And with Dish, since you can watch most of the Center Ice games in either SD or HD, you can flip back and forth and easily see that the picture quality difference is really amazing.

It is alot of money, not only in acquiring a set, but also paying the “upgrade” to your service provider.  But if you are a sports junkie, IMO, it is worth the cost.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 05/06/08 at 12:47 PM ET

Once you go HD to watch anything, you won’t go back.

This is almost what I’m afraid of.  Do I really want to get to the point where standard reception is unwatchable?

Probably that’s been my stumbling block; HD-ignorance has allowed me to keep my SD-bliss.

Posted by Earl Sleek from Los Angeles, CA on 05/06/08 at 01:07 PM ET

If you watch even a few games a week, it is definitely worth the money to upgrade to HD.  If you have trouble selling the upgrade to your other half, remind them that all shows, not just hockey, will look much better since most TV shows are in HD now as well.  Alas with DirecTV who I have used for HD from the beginning, the monthly bill is now $72 so it’s not cheap.  My wife is crazy enough to prefer MSG in SD to other channels in HD when the Sabres are playing since she loves their announcers.  I have to almost agree with her when the Avalanche are playing, even in HD their telecasts are hard to take since I hate their announcers so much.

Posted by Mike in Idaho on 05/06/08 at 01:08 PM ET

Go for it Earl, you will not be disappointed.  But don’t be like a buddy of mine.

He bought a HDTV and for about six months he kept telling me what a great picture he had. 

I stopped by his home one day and looked at the pic, looked at his cable box and PLUGGED IN a few cables that were dangling.

His eyes lit up, he had been watching an SD stretched picture on his HDTV. When he saw true HD, well, let’s just say he is on the wrong end of some jokes.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/06/08 at 01:12 PM ET

You people with satellite really get hosed.  I have two HDTV’s and each time I got one all I had to do was take my old cable box to Cablevision’s walk in center and trade it in for a HD box.  Went home and hooked it up an voila.  My bill never changed.

Posted by RemyM on 05/06/08 at 01:18 PM ET

“Probably that’s been my stumbling block; HD-ignorance has allowed me to keep my SD-bliss. “

HD definitely spoils you so if you’re not ready to pay for it, then don’t give it a try.

I’ll watch an average show just because it’s in HD rather than subject myself to a better show in SD. So if it’s a choice between Montreal-Boston in SD vs Tampa Bay-Florida in HD...it makes for a gut wrenching decision.

How sad is that?

Posted by Shane from Saskatoon on 05/06/08 at 01:20 PM ET

I actually think cables are the hidden cost. I upgraded mine from Comcast’s stnadard component cables to a monster one for my first TV then to a monster DVI. The difference was amazing on each step. My latest one has HDMI and it is even clearer. Like someone else said, the difference in just regular shows in awesome, and don’t forget about the movie channels either.

Posted by philduba from New Jersey on 05/06/08 at 01:22 PM ET

I moved to HD last year when the Sabres made the playoffs and they announced all playoff games would be available in HD.

A couple of points:
1) Everything benefits from HD.  I know it sounds crazy but there are a lot of shows (CSI, Chuck, etc...) that really look outstanding in HD and benefit greatly from it.  That being said, nothing benefits more than sports.  Seeing sports in HD is really an experience.  If you haven’t yet I suggest going to catch and NFL or MLB game at a friend’s house in HD to really get the full effect.  On top of all of that, no sport benefits more from HD than hockey.  There is an endless list factors from being able to see the puck, the large white sheet of ice, slow-mo replays that you can decipher what is going on, etc… Hockey enjoys great benefits from HD.

2) Standard def is tough to go back to, but I don’t mind it.  If you buy an LCD tv standard definition looks decidedly worse on it than it does on a comparable Plasma screen.  This is due to native resolutions and whatnot, and you can read more about it on Google if you’re interested.  The main point is that yes, standard def looks pretty bad on an LCD tv.  If you’re the type of person that bothers (I’m not) then you might reconsider.

3) There are size “sweet spots” depending on whether you get 720p or 1080p.  To put it quickly, you can’t see a whole lot of difference between 720p and 1080p on a 42” screen.  The pixels are just too small to have much effect.  You need a large screen (some say 52” and up) to enjoy 1080p.  Also, there is NO (repeat: NONE) 1080p programming available in the U.S. right now.  1080p is reserved strictly for Blu-Ray DVDs.  With all of that in mind you can get a sweet looking 37” 720p Vizio TV from wal-mart for less than $800.  Anyone who tries to upsell you some $1500 TV is full of shit.  It’s NOT as expensive as the sales people would have you believe.

Final Point) Get an HD tv.  You will be happier with it I promise.  The wife can watch Grey’s Anatomy in HD and validate your purchase.

Posted by Ben from Buffalo, NY on 05/06/08 at 01:24 PM ET

When I made the switch to Directv from Comcast, the HDMI cable was included with the HD-DVR and with the plain HD receiver for the other set.

The simple reason for the switch was the lack of HD on CI with Comast plus the added benefit of NHL games on HDNET during the regular season.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/06/08 at 01:26 PM ET

Oh cables!  Another good point.

You do NOT (triple underlined and double bolded) NOT need friggin expensive monster cables.  Best Buy has crap-ass brand cables for 1/4th the cost of the Monster cables and they look JUST AS GOOD.  Cables are not costly assuming you don’t buy into the Monster cable marketing hype.

Posted by Ben from Buffalo, NY on 05/06/08 at 01:27 PM ET

Ben, I used one of those cables you refer to for my PS2 component hookup and it sucked. When I upgraded to a more expensive one, the picture was waaay better. In my case also, I needed longer length cables and not many manufacturers other than monster had 12’+ length cables at the time (2005). Another thing on cost, I bought one of my TVs as an open box one. It was a display used and it ended up taking almost $500 off the price just because it had been taken out of the box. Just something else to keep in mind.

Posted by philduba from New Jersey on 05/06/08 at 01:35 PM ET

If you can get the cables at somewhere other than Futureshop or Best Buy, you’ll pay a fraction of the price.  There’s a website that sells the same cables for a fraction of the price, but it’s URL escapes my mind right now.

My only problem is the cost of the HD-PVR.  It’s $700 from Shaw cable here in Vancouver… fortunately the hubby just had an interview with them so we’ll get a major discount if he gets on with them .

Posted by Karina on 05/06/08 at 01:43 PM ET

Better Cables is a good spot on the web to purchase from.
Yes, they are a KK affiliate but just pointing them out.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/06/08 at 01:47 PM ET

For analog cables (RCA, component, etc) the expensive cables do make a difference. For digital (DVI or HDMI) they’re not going to make an ounce of difference. I never buy cables at BestBuy or another local store, as even the cheap brands are overpriced. I buy from PCH Cables online (no affiliation), and get fantastic HDMI cables for under $10. Philduba, they even have one 100’ feet in length.

Posted by penguinsfan on 05/06/08 at 01:48 PM ET

Anyone who spends more then $15 on a HDMI cable is getting ripped off!

Posted by RemyM on 05/06/08 at 01:51 PM ET

penguinsfan, thanks for that site. with those prices, i think i may be able to convince the wife the garage theater is a good idea, !

Posted by philduba from New Jersey on 05/06/08 at 01:57 PM ET

Alanna,

You don’t need to subscribe to an HD service to catch Hockey Night in Canada in HD. In Toronto, you can catch the digital signal over the air using a simple UHF antenna. I’m pretty sure CBC is broadcasting their digital signal over the air in Vancouver and Montreal as well.

Posted by bcrt on 05/06/08 at 02:03 PM ET

“"I don’t have HD, but don’t care to."” . . . I was in this camp until my wife, who works in the TV business, bought us a HD setup. My lord. Life was so horrible before HD.

Posted by PredNeck from Hicktown on 05/06/08 at 02:39 PM ET

I’m sure HD is fantastic, but there is no way I can justify the cost.  Besides, I’m usually doing something else during the game to keep myself from going berserk, so I turn up the volume and wait until there is a replay to pay attention.

It’s better for my heart to keep some level of detachment. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/06/08 at 04:14 PM ET

Two quick thoughts:

1) For cables, try ordering from Monoprice.com, they’re a quick and affordable alternative to getting ripped off in a store.

2) The expense of HD is worth it, if you consider the utility you’ll get out of it; for most people, the TV is the most-used appliance in the house.  I like not having to squint to read the ticker at the bottom of the screen, or being able to watch what’s on from the kitchen and not miss a lick of detail.

Posted by The Forechecker from Tennessee on 05/06/08 at 04:56 PM ET

I was an HD doubter till I saw my first HD hockey game at a friend’s house.  Everyone else who has said it is dead on.  Nothing benefits from an HD broadcast like a hockey game.  It’s night and day.  It’s not just hockey, everything looks so much better.  I was watching cooking shows just because they were in HD for the first three months.  Even my standard definition DVDs looked noticeably better.

Forechecker is right about monoprice.  I bought a 3” HDMI cable from them for less than 5 bucks and my picture is great.  The cost in the cable bill is the real pain in the butt.

Posted by Django on 05/06/08 at 07:26 PM ET

I never gave much thought to HD.  I figured it was a minor improvement that only techies or sports addicts would appreciate.  I am neither (except for loving hockey) so why pay for it.  A year ago we needed to buy a new tv and my husband got HD.  Hockey on HD?  Wow.  Just incomparable.  It’s like that saying when someone finally gets new eye glasses, “You can actually see each and every leaf on the tree.” Every movement is crisp and the puck is always visible.  Forget ever needing to make the puck glow; we just needed HD.

Earl Sleek, I can’t wait until you get HD (one day anyway).  You will love it and the BoC will love it too!  You have a great blog.  I read it daily and it always makes me smile.  Keep up the good work.

Posted by jeannebeanie from OC on 05/06/08 at 10:06 PM ET

Until it becomes a necessity, my other bills need tending to first.  I love hockey, but I can follow the play and the puck just fine with my standard def (I didn’t know that term until just now).

Posted by desdemona from Toronto on 05/07/08 at 12:16 AM ET

I’m seeing a lot of people that either don’t want to spend the money or can deal with SD.  That’s not what this is about.  I can deal with SD, but I enjoy watching HD and seeing all the little pieces or shots or faces that would get missed in SD.  I upgraded a few years back to a 32” rear projection HD box and last year upgraded again to a 42” plasma.  I will never go back to SD.  I have SD TV and I think one way the league can improve quickly and easily is to get on pace with all the other leagues and put ALL games in HD all the time.  This enhances the game so much that all the non-fans who say they can never follow the puck will finally be able to follow the puck.

Posted by Scott from Bay Area, CA on 05/07/08 at 03:07 AM ET

I recently purchased a HD ready 1080p TV.  I just couldn’t justify paying to upgrade the service for a few hockey games.  It looks like DishNetwork has added quite a few other channels to their HD lineup.  What is the average upgrade amount in the Detroit area?  Are all HD providers about the same price/line-up offering (Comcast, DishNetwork, Direct TV)?

Posted by millsz from Brownstown, MI on 05/07/08 at 05:40 AM ET