I’ve had HDTV for about a year now and can say that it is one of the most amazing products technology has brought us, but also one of the most frustrating.

It’s true that an HD picture is great, and at times, breathtaking, but this is also the most frustrating part.  In a nutshell…once you see a true HD program, you never want to watch anything in standard definition again.  Ever.

Discovery HD Theater (DHDT) is a great example of what is great about HDTV and what is frustrating about it.  Basically it has it’s own programming and is not just an HD broadcast of what’s on standard definition Discovery Channel, unlike most HD channels.  I love the Discovery Channel and many programs on it, and would love to see some of them in HD, but for some reason, not a lot of their shows are shot in HD, or if they are, aren’t shown on DHDT. 

Planet Earth is a special series that is broadcast on both Discovery and DHDT and it’s fantastic.  In the most recent episode they showed a great series of shots of angel falls, and they were absolutely breathtaking in HD.

Discovery Channel shows “Dirty Jobs” and “Deadliest Catch” should be broadcast in HD if they can be.  “American Chopper” is broadcast in HD…does it need to be?  The main difference between the shows is that “American Chopper” is mostly shot in a controlled environment whereas the other two are shot in various and, in the case of “Deadliest Catch”, harsh environments and it might not be possible to shoot in HD all the time.