Right now, from a variety of different sources, one High Definition TV, one High Definition DVD player, and three component video cables are winging their way to me. Somewhere between now and next week, I should have a fully High Definition gaming environment to bask in. I'm excited...but I'm not quite sure why.
I've been in to Comet and sat through their HD demo, and sure, it is purdy, but so was my first experience of DVD or Sky Digital. Within a matter of days, that became the norm and the excitement wore off. This time, I've paid considerably more money for the privilege. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dimissing the concept of the HD revolution waiting in the wings, I'm quite certain that it is the next big thing in the world of audio-visual entertainment. I just hope that the bang is worth the buck required this time around.
As most import gamers will probably agree, there's a strange thrill to getting something at the earliest possible opportunity, even if you have to pay a little to get it. The stumbling block with HD is that to fully embrace it, a complete equipment overhaul is required. The smallest, cheapest HDTV will set you back at least ?500, even more if you actually go into a shop to buy it rather than scouring the Internet for bargains. The HD revolution is coming, no doubt about it. But when doing it justice is going to cost ?1000 at least, and require a fair degree of research into what to buy, it seems optimistic to expect it within the next year, if not the next two.
I've been in to Comet and sat through their HD demo, and sure, it is purdy, but so was my first experience of DVD or Sky Digital. Within a matter of days, that became the norm and the excitement wore off. This time, I've paid considerably more money for the privilege. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dimissing the concept of the HD revolution waiting in the wings, I'm quite certain that it is the next big thing in the world of audio-visual entertainment. I just hope that the bang is worth the buck required this time around.
As most import gamers will probably agree, there's a strange thrill to getting something at the earliest possible opportunity, even if you have to pay a little to get it. The stumbling block with HD is that to fully embrace it, a complete equipment overhaul is required. The smallest, cheapest HDTV will set you back at least ?500, even more if you actually go into a shop to buy it rather than scouring the Internet for bargains. The HD revolution is coming, no doubt about it. But when doing it justice is going to cost ?1000 at least, and require a fair degree of research into what to buy, it seems optimistic to expect it within the next year, if not the next two.