Three in ten Canadians say they have HDTV, but only 13% have a set-top box capable of delivering high definition signals. (http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=93294&issue=12092008)

“This research shows that cable service providers, television manufacturers and service and equipment distributors need to focus more effort on educating subscribers about the features and benefits of HDTV” said John Piercy, President of CTAM Canada.

Hmmm... Funny how CTAM says its the subscriber who needs educating. If it wasn't for Canadian cable companies scrambling their QAM signals to force you to buy their boxes and associated lucrative subscription and PPV services then any properly equipped HDTV would be able to receive an HD signal. And there's always OTA...

People incorrectly equate a widescreen aspect ratio with high definition. Bell ExpressVu (I think, might have been Rogers) did well with their TV ad explaining that widescreen wasn't HD.

Even worse are the people who buy top of the line 16:9 LCD/plasmas and feed it with an SD signal simply because they don't know better.

True there are a lot of people out there that don't know about the need for
any HD box and service. But my experience lately has been that most people
know now that they do need special equipment, BUT bock at the price that they have to pay in order to recieve the HD service and after a short trial period turn back in thier HD boxes and cut back to regular digital service. They just cant stomach writing out one of the HD providers a cheque near or in excess of $100.00 dollars a month typicially required to enjoy the HD service, Especially the over 60 crowd & young Familys just starting out. A lot are now adding BD to enjoy HD movies but are still watching SD TV on their HD TV's strictly because of the cost.

They just cant stomach writing out rogers or bell a cheque near or in excess of $100.00 dollars a month typicially required to enjoy the HD serviceIf the economy continues to go in the sour direction this will be happening more and more, coinciding with the digital OTA conversion in the U.S. in February and in Canada in 2011 in which the home antenna option becomes increasingly attractive for Canadians in border TV station areas. I think the business models of the Cable TV and Satellite TV companies are going to come under the highest strain they've ever faced.

It is indeed a confusing time for consumers.

They need to offer HD only packages where the user isn't required to subscribe to the SD channel to get the HD verson. Not sure why that rule is in place.

They need to offer HD only packages where the user isn't required to subscribe to the SD channel to get the HD verson. Not sure why that rule is in place.
+1

97% of my TV viewing is in HD, so it ticks me off that I'm paying for a ton of channels I don't watch. A fully customizable a-la-carte ordering system would be amazing too, though I know there are restrictions on this (which is BS).

I just paid my $78.58 Bell bill. Only $10 of that is for the HD service. :rolleyes:

I would happily pay less for an HD only service. I could do without 300 channels i don't watch. :)

THIS IS one of the reasons I have been putting off an HDTV purchase even with prices so low right now.

For the things i'll need to enjoy a handfull of tv My bill is going to go up 30ish per month.

SCREW THAT!

But you only live once. Once you see how much better HD is (especially for sports) you will never want to watch SD programming again.

I'm glad to be a little ahead of the curve.

I get my HDTVs to watch HD contents...getting set up for OTA is so logical as almost all digital channels received are HD (running HD content 24/7 is another story. The good thing is any weeknight @ prime time, almost all contents are in HD)

The funny this is - even on the HDTV info program with the couple of handymen on PBS, they barely brushed with what a HDTV with ATSC tuner can actually do - i.e. it can get perfect quality HD content along with EPG and 'correct' channel numbers. Recent stats showed >1 in 5 household have HDTV in the US and I wonder how many are using the built-in HD tuner for OTA or QAM.

Canadians are less fortunate as QAM are scrambled; also OTA is not easily available in abundance unless you're within an hour from GTA. I would have easily kept my basic cable subscription if the BASIC channels (including the HD equivalent) were in clear QAM. I am glad I got 'pushed over' to become an OTA guy.

They just cant stomach writing out one of the HD providers a cheque near or in excess of $100.00 dollars a month typicially required to enjoy the HD service

I just got HD service from Bell and my bill went up exactly .... $0.00. It was $50 when I was watching SD and it's still $50. Mind you I only get the networks in HD, but there's not a lot of HD programming I'd want to watch on the cable channels anyhow. If I really wanted the cable HD channels I think it would add $10-15 per month, so still not a lot.

But if you want Discovery HD (for example) you have to buy whatever package has Discovery SD. If you want all the specialty HD channels you'll pay $100 for the 200 SD channels you're not watching.

I think most people buy a 42"+ TV because they want a big screen, not an HD screen.

StarChoice is still pretty reasonable for "Digital Basics" ( $20 IIRC) and that gets you all of the major networks in HD. You can add the Sports HD package for $1.99 and that gives you SpeedHD,TSNHD and SNETHD. You can't add anything else, though. I'd be all over this if I could get my wife to give up HGTV.

But if you want Discovery HD (for example) you have to buy whatever package has Discovery SD. If you want all the specialty HD channels you'll pay $100 for the 200 SD channels you're not watching.

I'm already getting Discovery and the other main SD channels in my $50 package, so I would just have to pay for the additional HD versions of them. For 4 HD themes it's $10 and for 5 it's $15, so $65.00/month would get me all of the networks and main cable HD channels.

I was getting shafted by Cogeco. $10 per month for the box, $5 per month for the 'HD Access Fee' and then I hardly got any HD channels at all. One of the ones I did get was in French and most of the primtime network shows that were actually available in HD suck anyway. After 12 months with it the only show I enjoyed watching in HD was American Idol and that was mainly for the 5.1 DD sound. I found most of my viewing time was movies either on DVD or BR. Sent the box back, cancelled the service and went back to my old standard digital box. Don't miss the HD service one bit. It would have to be a free addon for me to go back to it now.
Sports would be nice in HD again, but I'm only really interested in Football (Soccer) anyway so there is never much of that available in HD anyway.

I think most people buy a 42"+ TV because they want a big screen, not an HD screen.
Very true. Can you buy a non hdtv in a screen size of 40" plus? They aren't interested in HD, they just needed a new tv. HD programming is unnecessary. Similar logic in the assumption that regular dvd is good enough, you don't need blu-ray.

For myself, the difference between non hd and hd is huge and worth the extra cost, but you can't convince someone who isn't interested.

This is also one reason why LCD has become popular because I can say I have a "flat/wide screen TV" ....with no HD, bad contrast, crappy refresh, blurry/pixellated picture that can only be watched straight on....and I paid under $1K.
Get a Panasonic/Pioneer plasma with real HD feed and you will never go back.

I have had at least 2 people at work, who since September purchased HD TV’s and also a HD pvr. Both commented how they were not really that impressed. After talking to them I found out that in one case the individual had hooked up his pvr with a composite cable, unaware that he needed component or a HDMI cable. In the other case, the dealer sold him an HDMI cable his set was properly wired, however he was watching SD channels not the HD channels. He was unaware that he had to go to a different channel on his bell receiver to view HD. Part of the problem is how the local stations are promoting their programming. I was watching the CTV supper hour news the other day and a promo for CSI came on. They stated available in HD. I think people are seeing these promos and assuming if they stay on the current SD channel they will be viewing an HD signal when the show airs. The viewer does not realize they have to switch to the HD channel to get the proper signal. I think the local broadcaster is not educating the public. That may actually be intentional on their part. If you don’t broadcast in HD keeping the public ignorant is to your advantage.

$50??? You have to tell me how you did that? Do you own your boxes? I had one SD box and on HD box and that was $20 per month alone. My monthly with Bell was $79 on a 2 year contract.