HDTV sets smaller than traditional sets!

I’ve got a secret – and it’s a BIG one.

The highly touted High Definition televisions are actually smaller than the traditional sets of the same size. A 50” HD set provides a mere 1063 square inches of viewing space, while the traditional set of the same size has 1200 square inches.

How is this possible? It all comes back to basic geometry (your high school teacher didn’t tell a lie when he told you it was useful in the real world).

All televisions sets are measured at a diagonal to give the size. The traditional sets were closer to square than the wider screens of the HD sets. This means that the diagonal of the smaller HD sets is actually longer – giving the HD sets a higher square inch label by manufacturers.

What does this mean? It means that for a substantially higher price, HD sets deliver 11% less viewing space than traditional sets. This gives television the distinction of being the only household technology that is actually going up in price (compared to technologies like microwave).

The HD technology does actually produce a better quality picture – but it isn’t of much value unless you are an avid sports fan or movie buff. For the average viewer, there is just not much programming available and the analogue broadcasts will look no different on a HD set than it did on the old traditional set.