Exactly!, And you might also want to let them know that HD is mandated to happen to all broadcast programming in the near future. The original deadline was missed, but it's in the works. However anything that wasn't shot in HD isn't going to be HD, so any old network sitcoms, or old movies won't magically turn into HD .

They have a choice, stick with the old TV set until the full transition to HD happens, or enjoy a nice flat screen now with great results from DVD's and the HD programs that are increasingly becoming availiabel

teknobeam1
This is also what I now tell my customers...

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Federal mandate is to go DIGITAL not HD.

They can meet the requirement by transmitting a standard definition 4:3 digital signal that is not going to look much better when scaled by the TV. Hopefully most will go full HD but I think it will take a while after the deadline before even 50% of everything produced is one of the HD resolutions in 16:9.

The big networks will continue to expand HD in their primetime programming but, in my opinion, the local news channels in many areas will not be HD for a long time.

George P.

george, do you have a way to A/B the digital, NON HD broadcast against the analog braodcast? I do this all the time for customers and the DIGITAL NON HD channel looks at least 5 times better. On our cable system we have the networks in the low channels (analog) and the digital feed in the HD channels which is only digital 4:3 with black side bars uless its broadcast in HD showing the same program. Very east to use the recall button to go back and forth. The difference is night and day.

This can also be done with an analog channel and an OTA channel broadcasting digital (not HD).

Trust me that digital of the same source is way better than analog. My clients don't watch the analog channels for the networks.

To the original poster, if you didn't like the picture, why'd you sell it to them? Isn't there anything else with a better SD picture you can sell them? I've seen SD on lots of Sony's and its watchable.

I didn't sell the TV, but I was the one sent to install it.

correct me if i'm wrong but you can have digital without hd but you cant have hd without digital..........

have a customer in chicago that has hd, they have channel 11 all 3 ways from terestrial antenna

analog unwatchable, digital is good, and hd is great all 3 show same program at once

not wrong

Easy answer for this problem...

Programming so the HD channels so they are the ONLY channels received.....

Tell client "I thought you knew that HD sets only pick up HD channels".

Then run with the money......lol

EJ,

Yes, we can do A/B comparison of analog/digital SD channels. We don't see as drastic a change as you. We are very close to the broadcast location so I think we get a good analog signal. The digital version is maybe 30% better but not 5x.

George P.

Interesting. I must have really bad analog. Thanks.

I'm not to far from george, and I second the small difference part....

in fact many times (especially commercials) the dot crawl is so bad on the digital channels that it becomes dramaticaly worse than the analog stations...

You should have warned the customer up-front!!