Does regular programming always look like crap on an HD TV?

May not be the TV. Some DVD players now create a sort of pseudo HD out of the regular (that is, non-HD (LD?)) format, and the result isn't very pleasant. Our tube's got some settings that help to filter out some of the digital noise. They also tend to soften edges, though.

Anytime you increase the size of an image without increasing the resolution, though, you're going to make flaws more apparent.

It was broadcast, actually. "Wow-wow Wubzie" on Noggin.

Sure. I've been dealing with increasing computer monitor sizes for ages. I haven't jumped onto the HD bandwagon yet, though.

My question is whether I'm just too unfamiliar with HD technology, and there is some way to make regular programming look good on an HD set, or if all HD sets experience this problem.

sometimes digital does the whole squaring out thing...it has to do with the reception. Do they have HD? You said it was just regular programming on an HD television? Ours looks great when all is well even when it is regular programming...HD channels are immaculate though...regular programming is as good as it was on our old TV.

Dunno. Ours (it's a little embarassing, really), is a Sony Bravia, so toward the higher end of the spectrum, and I've got no complaints, and I don't watch any Hi-Def on it. I have spent some time customizing the picture for a noise/softness compromise that I'm happy with.

I've got bigger beefs about what TiVo does to the picture quality (but, hey, no commercials, watch when you want).

no commercials is worth a lot to me.

Yeah. We got rid of TiVo when we switched to AT&T U-verse. I'm about to dump U-verse for something else, though, so we may resurrect good old TiVo.

Do you have the TiVo HD?

No, just regular TiVo, and regular cable. Got the big HDTV because our old TV was dying, we had some money at hand, and didn't see the point of getting something that would soon be obselete. Also, we had a big living room at the time, and my wife's eyesight isn't the greatest.

My husband wants to know the answer to this too-- we just had exactly the same experience with going to the in-laws house and thinking, "jeez, your fancy tv sure does make everything look really crappy!"

......Well, I just thought it; Mr C said it, loudly and repeatedly.

We have a fairly large screen JVC HD and no problems on any channel. We do have cable with HD. The HD channels are sharper and brighter than the regular channels but not so much so that you know right away whether you're seeing HD when you first walk into the room. We did have to replace our old DVD/VCR player, however because it wouldn't play well with the new TV.

I have just upgraded to Sony Bravia (engine2) with a Blu-ray 2 box.

Regular transmissions are the same; but movies have the wow factor. DVD’s are up scaled to near HD quality, and if you burn your digital pictures onto disk it acts as a superb viewer.

You have to have High-definition 1080p with at least 20000:1 Contrast Ratio.