I have been reading a bit about HD-TV and I have found a few interesting and possibly controversial viewpoints, I thought I'd share...

The origional Star Wars trilogy with its "airfix" space craft and plastic Death Star were brilliant films, all time classics. The new trilogy with all the high tech computer gadgetry you could ever imagine, is rubbish.

Television and film, as it was (and to some extent still is) is a medium that was designed for entertainment. The quailty of a good film is in the story and not in the realisation of that film.

Old classics like the origional King Kong are still brilliant films despite the rather obvious puppet Kong. In just the same way Punch and Judy, or Thunderbirds continue to be entertaining. Will film makers with all the pressure that comes with making a film that cost US$1billion to produce in High-Definition, Surround Sound still have time to consider just how good the story is?

Is the truth of High Definition that we will actually lose out on really good films and TV? Are we really becoming the plastic generation?

However there is a still more controversial view; High Definition Television is far and above (in terms of detail reproduced) the old 400 or so scan line reproduction of old TV.

So much so that your eyes cannot process all the information at once, and so your brain acts as it does it real life, it prioritises everything, it looks for changes and movement in pictures and updates these components in your vision first. Your brain in effect cannot destinguish between HD TV and real life, this is why (apparently) it is so amazing to watch.

The controversy being that your television is simply showing you, giving you everything. It does not invite or ask for interpretation or any imagination what-so-ever, where an old King Kong movie stretched your imagination a little (maybe a lot), newer High-Res films require no such consideration.

Will you continue you watch TV with an open mind, or will you simply absorb what you are shown as you eyes see it? Can your brain distinguish what your eyes cannot?

Whereas TV news used to be a daily half hour show, a relatively simple update that let you fill in the gaps, it was generally never much more than a summary and never much for you to worry about. Nowadays however 24 hour "rolling news" doesn't give you any room for contemplation, or consideration. The news broadcasters live, breath and make the news 24 hours a day 365 days a year, they must know everything, how can you not take what is reported as "fact"?

The old news format used to say; "This is generally what is going on, if you like you can see a few grainy pictures, its not great, but you get the idea, now go away and make your own mind up". With High Definition 24 hour news they really will be bringing the world into your living room. They are saying "Listen up, this is what is what is happening, this is the truth, no doubt, look you can even see it for real as if you need proof".

Just how accuratly will the High Definition "real world" they decide to show us represent what is going on outside? Will we debate the big issues of the day even less because the "issues" are simply handed to us on a shiny, high tech, high res silver screen?

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