I am absolutely an HD snob.
I'm sorry. I can't help it. But I am. I simply cannot watch standard definition television anymore.

Just under two years ago, I purchased my first HDTV. It was a Samsung LCD flat-screen, similar to this model here. Shortly after purchasing the television, I hooked up my Sony Receiver to it. To top it off, I upgraded my sat box to make it HD capable. So with 5.1 surround sound and HD programming, I was living the high life.

Over the last year, I have upgraded my receiver, purchased a few more HD channels, and finally upgraded my tv to this one. It's 46 inches of pure bliss. It has 1080P capability, as well as a short refresh time (so moving objects don't blur that much). It's simply an outstanding piece of hardware. Thank you, Korea! Samsung has tried a great deal the last few years to improve their products so they are on the level of Sony. I think Samsung has actually surpassed Sony in terms of quality.

Anyway, back to my story. This past weekend, dad and I watched DirecTV's NFL Superfan. Not only do you get every NFL game playing that day, but you also get every game in High Definition, plus a channel called Red Zone HD. On this channel, it switches between games depending on which team is in the Red Zone. It's a frenzied way to watch football, but it's great how the channel switches back and forth for you. Finally, there is the NFL game mix, that has 8 games on the screen at once (sadly, all SD).

The point of all my ranting is that watching a game in High Definition is unparalleled. The clarity of picture is top notch. You have an excellent view of the game. For instance, I was watching most of the Vikings/Lions game yesterday. (What am I, stupid? I actually watched Lions football?!) It was quite enjoyable to see such a clear picture. It's almost 3-D in a way. I felt like Jon Kitna and Charles Johnson were actually in my living room. The game itself was a mess. The Vikings and Lions had,10 turnovers between them. But it was still a blast to have the option to watch all the games at once. By the way, do you realize that the Lions and Texans are both 2-0? The NFL allows this?

A game or two normally aren't broadcast in HD every Sunday, though. CBS, for example, is the one major network that doesn't send AND HD truck to all of its football games. Fox (I think some of their signals may be upconverted-SD, actually), ABC, and NBC know enough to make everythiNG HD. But CBS still the lone holdout. Why they'd do this, I don't know. They must be really cheap. This meant that yesterdays Browns/Bengals game was still in Standard Def.

You might not have thought so, but this was one hell of a game. Cleveland won the shootout with Cincy (There's a phrase you don't hear too often) 51-45. But what should have been an exciting game to watch was tempered by the fact that the broadcast was SD. Now, to the non-converted, you may think 'Big Deal'.

It really was a big deal. The picture of the game just looked awful. It had a brownish tint to it, and this wasn't a result of the Browns' jerseys. The viewing angle was much narrower, and the players were terribly out-of-focus. It was absolute crap and I don't know how I managed to watch football all those years with SD. Shame on CBS for ruining what was an otherwise great game with a shitty picture. I just cannot watch SD anymore, not that I've been exposed to the HD bug.

Thankfully, the Redskins game tonight will be broadcast in HD. I can't wait to see the veins on Joe Gibbs' face pop out of his forehead when Jason Campbell throws the inevitable interception against a superb Philly defense.