What's All the Hype About?
It seems like lately everywhere you go there are advertisements for HDTV. These advertisements are so ubiquitous you would think that everyone in the world has to have one, if they don't already own one. (Of course there are people in the world who don't even have electricity or running water but that is beside the point.) Here in the blessed USA, we are on the quest for the perfect picture! And if we have the money, chances are the HDTV comes next. So what is all the hype about? Is HDTV really as great as everyone makes it out to be? Do we really need the "perfect picture"? I asked that very same question.
A Small Compromise
A little over six years ago my husband and I decided to buy our first house. We looked at dozens of homes and as we walked through each one my husband's main concern was whether or not the family room could accommodate a big screen TV. Why do men have such strange priorites? This is a question all women have I presume. We didn't have a big screen TV yet, but this was one of the things I had to agree to getting before we bought a new home. I figured it was a small compromise in the big scheme of things. We finally found the perfect home which had a family room that would work well for a big screen. We moved in and we went shopping.
My husband found a nice big 55" TV, so big my toddler's eyes were wide open when it was delivered and she exclaimed "Big TV!" Yes it was. Then my husband dropped a bomb when he told me "I hope you know this TV is only going to last us a couple of years. We are going to have to get a new one when HDTV comes out." What!? How could he spend a couple thousand dollars on a television that would only last us a couple of years! I figured with our house payment as high as it was he would realize in a couple of years we couldn't afford one anyway so I wasn't going to worry about it. Maybe he would even forget about it.
The New and Improved HDTV
Two years went by, he hadn't forgotten. One day he announced that it was time to buy a new TV. They now had HDTV channels available in our area and the price was getting better. Was $2500 really a good price? He was sure of it. Since I didn't argue earlier I figured there was nothing I could do. I didn't even go with him to the store. I didn't think we needed a new TV. I liked our old TV just fine. It still worked. What was the point? He assured me that an HDTV was going to be worth the money then he said, "by the way, I hope you know I need to by an HDTV receiver." What is an HDTV receiver and why did we need it and how much more would it cost me? $99. Well, that wasn't too bad. Then he added that we would eventually need a HDTV DVR. He was willing to wait for those things though. Was this supposed to be a compromise?
A few days later the new and improved "big HDTV" arrived. It took him a while to hook it up. It seemed overwhelmingly complicated. So much so that I don't know how anyone would figure it out if they weren't a gadget geek like my husband. Nevertheless, after a couple of hours hubby had his remote in hand and was ready for the grand "unveiling" of his newest toy. Alright, let's see if this thing is really worth all this time and money.
The Unveiling
The family stood enthralled. Even the dog was curious what the excitement was all about. The TV came on and the family stood in complete awe. Wow! I could see the blades of grass, the texture of fabric and most importantly, pimples on skin! It reminded me of when I got contact lenses in high-school. The world was amazingly sharp and I realized that everyone else in my school had pimples too!
So I guess I have to admit that my husband was right. Our new HDTV was worth every penny. In summary: HDTV- $2500, HDTV receiver- $99, time to set up- 2 hours, the ability to see that actors and actress have flawed skin- priceless!
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