I never thought I’d be a snob. I’ve always prided myself on accepting others; and never thumbing my nose at anything. But alas, after watching a primetime television show in (*gasp*) standard definition yesterday, I’ve realized that I’ve become a snob. An HD snob, that is.
This isn’t anything new. I have watched HD content 99% of the time for the past few years, only reverting to SD if the HD channel was experiencing technical issues, or if I was watching online. But I just didn’t realize the level at which my snobbiness had reached until I really put it to the test.
After some convincing from a few colleagues, I picked up the first three seasons of the AMC series Mad Men on Blu-ray a few months ago. I watched every episode of the set-in-the-‘60s drama in their full, high-definition glory. The women’s outfits and flawless makeup were reproduced with beautiful, crystal clear colour and detail. The men’s black suits melted into the screen’s bezel. And the painful and intrigued looks on Don Draper’s visage as he faced his demons and presented his creative advertising ideas came across with so much conviction, in large part because I could see every pore of his face, every crinkle of his eye, every bead of sweat running down his temples.
The fourth season of the show debuted last night on AMC; a network that my provider, Rogers Cable, only offers in standard-definition. I’m told that the program is available in high-definition On Demand the day after it airs. But I was so excited to watch this highly-anticipated first episode that I figured “I’ll just catch the SD version. How bad could it be?”
The answer? Bad enough that I almost turned it off and opted to wait until today. I started watching with the tiny image in the centre of my 55″ screen, pesky black bars all around it. Ugh, this is horrible. Then, out of desperation, I decided to make one of the biggest mistakes that an average customer does: blow the image up to fill the screen. The result? A grainy, low-resolution image that looked almost like I was watching the program through a spy camera 1,000 miles away. Not to mention that the cinched waists of the women became wrapped around what appeared to be much larger bodies. No thanks. Back to the tiny image, it is.
Here comes a close-up on Draper’s face. All I see is a blur that I presume is supposed to be his skin, but looks more like really bad paintbrush strokes. Somehow, Betty Draper doesn’t look as stunning in standard-def; without really seeing that she never has a single hair out of place, I can’t appreciate the perfection that is supposed to embody her character. Joan Holloway’s always bright and form-fitting-yet-professional, frocks simply don’t have the same “pop” like they do in HD. The swirling smoke as the boys converse in the office while cranking butts is virtually unnoticeable; in HD, I could almost smell the nicotine through the TV screen.
Then there’s the scene-by-scene issue. I feel like my pinhole spy cam has zoomed right in on the subjects, and I’m missing integral parts of what’s going on in the background because I’m not getting the full 16:9 aspect ratio. For example, in a scene in the restaurant when Don meet the reporter for Advertising Age, I’m sure there’s so much more to that venue that I just can’t see. In the scene when they walk through the office, I feel like so much detail that really helps to set the scene was just left by the wayside, unviewable but the dastardly 4:3 picture. I wanted to walk up to the screen and scroll the image from side-to-side so I could see the whole picture!
What does this mean? First, I’m going to catch Mad Men On Demand at some point this week in order to get the full effect. I’ll admit that with some programming; game shows, for instance; watching in HD won’t be so critical. In some cases, I’ve even watched primetime programs online, submitting to the dodgy quality simply because 1) it’s the only option available to me, or 2) I’m viewing it on such a small screen (17″) that the quality issues aren’t as apparent as they are on a large screen TV. But in most cases, and especially with such intense shows like Mad Men, or some of my other favourites, being able to see the program like the director and creator intended isn’t just about getting a clearer image; it can really effect the way a scene, a character, a story line, is viewed, both literally and figuratively.
For those who haven’t yet jumped on the HD bandwagon, or claim that the differences aren’t noticeable or important enough to warrant upgrading, I assure you that this isn’t the case; even if you just spend your days watching reruns of Law & Order and catching reality shows like American Idol. Think of it like a Big Mac versus a prime rib steak. The Big Mac will suffice, and in fact it’s quite good. But you probably feel like something’s missing as you’re eating it, and chances are you won’t feel too great once you’re done.
The latest and greatest flat panel TVs, and even some older ones, afford stunning picture quality. We often use the analogy of the “steak without the sizzle.” In my eyes, watching SD on a screen that can support so much more is like not opting for the steak at all. All I’m saying is that it would be a shame to enjoy a night out at a high-end restaurant and only order the burger. Call me a snob if you like. But I take my TV medium-rare, and no, I don’t want fries with that.
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