One in five doesn't see difference between HD and standard def video

A recent survey by Leichtman Research Group shows that 18 percent of HDTV owners don't see the difference between standard-def and HD video:

A recent survey by the Leichtman Research Group (LRG) shows that 18 percent of HDTV owners think they're watching high-definition shows, when in fact they're viewing standard definition programming. The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1302 U.S. households. This is LRG's sixth annual study on the topic.

Given the general consumer confusion surrounding HDTV-all those mind-numbing specs like 1080p and HDMI aren't easy to grasp-it's no surprise that many buyers are still clueless. Standard content that's stretched to fill the entire screen may look funny, but at least the picture's big. Problem is, buyers may start to wonder why they abandoned their tube TV for a pricey set with a worse picture.

The halfhearted roll-out of HD service by cable providers isn't helping either. Optional high-definition service often includes only a dozen or so highly compressed HD channels, which look pretty crappy and don't do justice to HD's potential.

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One in five doesn't see difference between HD and standard def video