50% of HDTV Owners Don't Use HD

Ant writes "Broadband Reports and Techdirt posted The Technology Liberation Front's article that said apparently half of all High Definition Television (HDTV) owners don't actually use the HD capabilities of their set, and nearly a quarter think they are watching high definition video when they actually haven't set it up correctly. Set-top box maker, Scientific Atlanta's survey, noted that HDTV sets will be in approximately 16 million homes across the country by the end of the year."

Comments

HD for dummies

[sethwoodworth]

My parents are convinced that they are watching HD in their very rural home town. But then again these are the people who were equally convinced that letterbox cuts off the top and bottom of the picture.

Re:HD for dummies

[iamjoltman]

What he says is true, but note he says more of the negative is shown, not necessarily more of the movie. When some movies are filmed, they are intended to be widescreen, but they do in fact shoot 4:3 and then trim it to widescreen for release. So, while technically there is more image in the negative, the fact remains that the widescreen version is what the director wants you to see.
When a movie shot like this gets released on DVD as fullscreen, they actually show you the whole negative (tho I don't know if that's how it's always done, some may be left and right cropped) but sometimes you'll see things you aren't supposed to, like boom mics and such, because in the proper format, widescreen, they aren't seen. This is when a full screen release is referred to as Open Matte rather than Pan and Scan.

Not set up properly

[ReformedExCon]

This is one of those areas where OEMs and service providers are incredibly stupid.

The high definition should be enabled by default. The broadcasts should be in high definition by default.

It's not the customers' fault that they don't use these features, it's the technology and content providers' fault for not making those features seamless.

I've always felt the goal of technology was to become as unintrusive as possible. Making things that "just work" without fiddling or even minimal setup is one way to make technology invisible.

Re:Not set up properly

[doublem]

I've always felt the goal of technology was to become as unintrusive as possible. Making things that "just work" without fiddling or even minimal setup is one way to make technology invisible.

MAC users, bleh

Re:Not set up properly

[bigman2003]

As a middle-aged geek (37) and programmer, I just have too much stuff in my head to pay attention to EVERYTHING that I come across.

My wife is in charge of switching all of the clocks in the house and car during daylight savings changes. "Is this the one where you hold the button for 5 seconds, or do I have to hit it twice real fast?" that's my question. Honestly, if it were up to me, I would just wait 6 months until the clock was right again- or I would just unplug it at exactly midnight.

The REAL geek solution is to have clocks that synchonize themselves. (Computers/cell phones)

On the other hand, my cable TV system is just too damn complicated. I've got a Moxie system (don't know who makes it...don't care it's a cable box and DVR in High-Def). It works well, but there are a lot of things that take too long to do. Not that it was designed poorly, but it just does A LOT of stuff. I let my daughter take care of that. She cares enough about it to actually make it work, so does my wife.

I'm the idiot who has to give up the remote control, because I fuck it up each time. There are so damn many buttons, that I can never find things like 'info' or 'back'. So I end up watching a lot of fashion, and decorating shows, or whatever my wife or daughter want to watch.

Oh well...if I really cared enough, I could figure this stuff out. But I spend my whole work day figuring technical stuff out, and by the time I come home I don't want to do it anymore.

And no, I NEVER read the manual, or any on-screen instructions. Not because I feel I am too smart, or just above such things. Just because I really don't care if I get to use every feature...

On the other hand though- I've got a fairly complex camera, and I know how to use every feature of that. I've memorized just about every menu. Because I want to use it. I've made my choices on what I find important, and what I'm willing to ignore. You have to do that in today's world when we are surrounded by so much tech.

So I can understand people who just don't want to learn new things. It isn't always stupidity...maybe they just have other stuff going on in their head.

Where?

[KyrBe]

"16 million homes across the country by the end of the year"

Which country? Mongolia... Peru... Turkmenistan?

Let me guess

[ClippySay]

/ Your newly generated marketing word is: \
|                 HDTV.                   |
\ Want more?                              /
        \     ____
         \   / __ \
          \  O|  |O|
             ||  | |
             ||  | |
             ||    |
              |___/

Re:No Surprise

[pjeremyh]

Yea, I once read that 50% of Americans are below average intelligence.

I don't doubt it..

[deep44]

I pushed my father (who likes watching television) to purchase an HDTV a couple years ago. He simply wanted a "big screen", but after reviewing the numerous benefits of high-def over and over again (at gunpoint), he finally gave in. I took care of ordering Comcast's HD service for him as well- so in my mind, he's living life in the fast lane for once!

Fast forward two years- I find out he's shopping for a DVR. He's sold on one that will let him record directly to DVDs, but in standard definition. I asked him why the hell he would want to waste a perfectly good DVD on crap like that, and he told me it's because his VCR is starting to flake out.

I say, "VCR? What VCR? (I run downstairs to find 50+ VCR tapes of recorded standard-def movies with commercials, meaning he taped them off network television) What the fu- ahh, nevermind. Yeah, get the DVR with a DVD burner. I'll grab you a 500-pack of blanks for Christmas."

Some folks just don't care enough to change how they enjoy life.. even when their asshole childen, like me, threaten them. Well... that means it's time to play hardball.

Re:I believe it

[alnapp]

Never mix Parents and Tech
Unless you never want to leave "home" again ;-)

Re:See how wide it is? That's the HDTV working

[Daverd]

They look like pure sex. They have COX

I don't even know where to begin making a joke about this.

Re:I believe it

[pomo monster]

With you 100%. I peel the labels off everything I buy. Grandma's body was found facedown by the medicine cabinet.

Re:I believe it

[TerminalInsanity]

If he didn't want to pay for it, he shouldn't have poked it.

Re:I believe it

[Anonymous Coward]

You misspelled local hardware store.