British people, you want to know why the UK never get the latest technology first? Here is yet another example of more FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Distrust) from what I called ‘Tiny TV’ people in Britain.
Most HD-ready models start at 26″ (66cm). But the more wall space you can devote to a plasma screen, the more likely it is that you will see drops of sweat on footballers’ faces or every last shard of glass during an explosion on 24.
In order to sit back and watch a big plasma screen without damaging my eyes, I would have to knock down two walls and put my sofa in my neighbour’s flat.
But as well as all that, I actually think my TV’s picture, with a digital satellite box hooked up to it, looks fine as it is.
Perhaps I need to see standard and high definition sets side-by-side to appreciate the difference – but I feel no great need to change.
26″? No wonder why the author of this BBC article doesn’t think HDTV is up to its hype. He should have try at least a 40″ TV before writing that article. But then ‘Tiny TV’ people never feel there is a need for TV bigger than 14″ anyway. And if they have their ways, black & white picture and mono sound are just fine too.
You also don’t have to sit way back for large TV. There is a well known formula to work out the viewing distance for a particular TV size for HDTV (See this and this). Not to mention the whole reason of going higher resolution is not to cause eye strain from trying to make out details from the pictures that are fuzzy in the first place. I don’t see people complaining the viewing distance of a movie when they sit in the middle of the cinema!
Lost in Colonisation 