Shift to Low-Def TV by Older Guys ?

[Fisherdude]

Very interesting discussion. I'm on the verge of making the leap, but I'm going to wait a bit before I buy.

The one thing that appears to be missing from most posts describing what the poster likes/dislikes about a particular type of set is the set size and viewing distance.

A 19" CRT set will just look fabulous from 6'. If you sit 2 feet away from a 36" CRT set, it will look like you're watching TV through venetian blinds.

If you're watching a 42" HD set at 15' distance, you probably couldn't tell the difference between 480p, 720p, or 1080p.

Sitting 5' away from a 60" HD set displaying a standard non-HD picture, it will look very bad.

So, it's all dependent on the details of the viewing situation.

I do agree, though, that far too many sets are adjusted "over the top", with the brightness, sharpness, and color intensity wayyyy too high. I was over at a friend's house to watch a golf tournament on his new HD tv. The fairways were such a shocking neon mint green that you could barely stand to look at it. You couldn't even see a ball sitting on the grass the bloom and fuzzines was so bad.

The anchors on the evening news aren't supposed to look like they just spent two hours frying in a tanning booth.