Think of it this way. If a friend holds a book open and shows it to you from 100 yards away, all you see is a gray blob. If you were to move closer, you could read words. If you stayed in the same spot and the book were enlarged, you could read words. If you're staying in the same spot, though, and the book is going to stay the same size. . .does the book even need words? You get the same amount of visual benefit whether the item in question is, in fact, a book, or an actual blob of gray ooze.
Screens are the same. If you have a television screen that you view from a distance, you're able to benefit from a smaller amount of information, so the screen doesn't need as much detail. The closer you go, the more information the screen needs to display in order to prevent you from seeing the pixels, instead of the picture. At a certain size and distance, SD looks exactly the same as HD. You can increase the level of detail (the resolution) in the picture as high as you want, but, without binoculars, it won't look any different.
So. Your comment:
...is actually half right, and half wrong. If you make your screen bigger, then yup, you probably need a higher resolution. If you move it further away, though, then you need a LOWER resolution. At 100 yards, you would need a truly enormous screen even to need SD resolutions. It's all a matter of how big, and how close. Another experiment you could do would be to switch back and forth between HD and SD stations again, and move closer and closer to your TV until the HD looks noticeably better. Now look at the screen, and get a feel for how much of your field of vision it fills. In order to see the same benefit from your usual viewing spot, you would need a tv big enough to occupy the same amount of space in your visual field at that distance.
Does that make sense?
Screens are the same. If you have a television screen that you view from a distance, you're able to benefit from a smaller amount of information, so the screen doesn't need as much detail. The closer you go, the more information the screen needs to display in order to prevent you from seeing the pixels, instead of the picture. At a certain size and distance, SD looks exactly the same as HD. You can increase the level of detail (the resolution) in the picture as high as you want, but, without binoculars, it won't look any different.
So. Your comment:
"This HD crap is pretty much just good if you want a home theater system that you can watch from 100 yards off. Bigger is better, and this is all designed for the bigger."
...is actually half right, and half wrong. If you make your screen bigger, then yup, you probably need a higher resolution. If you move it further away, though, then you need a LOWER resolution. At 100 yards, you would need a truly enormous screen even to need SD resolutions. It's all a matter of how big, and how close. Another experiment you could do would be to switch back and forth between HD and SD stations again, and move closer and closer to your TV until the HD looks noticeably better. Now look at the screen, and get a feel for how much of your field of vision it fills. In order to see the same benefit from your usual viewing spot, you would need a tv big enough to occupy the same amount of space in your visual field at that distance.
Does that make sense?
HD. What's the deal?
20/12/2010 06:27:40 PM
- 1369 Views
I used to work at a cable company. A few things:
20/12/2010 06:53:15 PM
- 868 Views
Re: I used to work at a cable company. A few things:
20/12/2010 07:42:11 PM
- 963 Views
Re: Filling the entire screen
20/12/2010 09:59:35 PM
- 854 Views
If the picture isn't filling the screen, then it's not HD
21/12/2010 04:06:27 AM
- 927 Views
Time for a new eye glasses exam *NM*
20/12/2010 08:01:29 PM
- 428 Views
Re: Time for a new eye glasses exam
20/12/2010 08:22:21 PM
- 863 Views
Well damn...
20/12/2010 09:33:58 PM
- 754 Views
I'm glad you like it better, but everything I've read says that's incorrect.
21/12/2010 07:06:26 PM
- 712 Views
If you have to ask....
20/12/2010 09:36:01 PM
- 856 Views
I can see the wrinkles and nose hairs much more clearly. I am not necessarily keen on HD. TMI. *NM*
21/12/2010 12:43:59 AM
- 394 Views
Re: I can see the wrinkles and nose hairs much more clearly. I am not necessarily keen on HD. TMI.
21/12/2010 11:10:29 AM
- 693 Views
The deal is... you've gone crazy!
21/12/2010 04:45:33 AM
- 1140 Views
The only Blu-Ray I've seen is those in the stores comparing that to DVD.
21/12/2010 04:48:04 AM
- 848 Views
No one seems to have asked you this yet.
21/12/2010 05:56:55 PM
- 945 Views
Since everyone else seems to think you're weird or offbase...
21/12/2010 11:35:42 PM
- 817 Views
There's nothing wrong with not caring, only with not being able to tell.
22/12/2010 02:31:24 PM
- 708 Views
I'm with you, dude.
22/12/2010 07:12:24 AM
- 690 Views
Blu-ray looks fantastic on the right set, but I wouldn't go crazy over subscription media. *NM*
22/12/2010 02:20:16 PM
- 413 Views
Have you let your horse at the special mushroom patch again?
22/12/2010 02:40:21 PM
- 822 Views
Re: Have you let your horse at the special mushroom patch again?
22/12/2010 03:23:52 PM
- 812 Views
Well. . .sort of.
22/12/2010 04:26:47 PM
- 814 Views
Damn!
22/12/2010 03:16:39 PM
- 712 Views
If you really want to see the difference, watch HD only for 1 month then switch back! Like wine...
23/12/2010 11:34:13 PM
- 687 Views
Something's wrong witg your settings, or you have a perception problem....
26/12/2010 08:36:07 PM
- 896 Views
So... My conclusions from this discussion.
28/12/2010 03:03:13 PM
- 782 Views
I've seen people with the exact same problem as you before
30/12/2010 12:25:00 AM
- 706 Views
So I'm an idiot for not believing in the all mighty power of the HDTV?
30/12/2010 12:31:44 AM
- 793 Views
No...
30/12/2010 02:05:18 PM
- 736 Views
I fail to see how calling him names contributes to this discussion. *NM*
03/01/2011 11:11:35 AM
- 403 Views
Re: I fail to see how calling him names contributes to this discussion.
04/01/2011 10:27:43 AM
- 745 Views
Re: I fail to see how calling him names contributes to this discussion.
06/01/2011 08:28:25 AM
- 771 Views