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Original poster

To wonder if anyone else 'can't see' HD?

141 replies

CrohnicallyAspie · 28/12/2015 21:49

A family member got a new 4k TV at Christmas and it sparked a discussion about whether there's a discernible difference between standard/HD/4k.

Almost all the female members of the family (3/4) say they 'can't see' any difference, but the men (5) can.

I am the odd one out, I'm female but find HD much clearer.

So I was intrigued as to whether there is a genuine division by male/female, or if it's coincidence and another family might find all the women can see it but not the men, or if it's because the women in my family don't really care about TV so aren't observing that closely?

And if there really is a male/female divide, why can I see it? Anything to do with the fact that I'm autistic?

OP posts:
madmotherof2 · 28/12/2015 22:18

Haha I can never see the difference!

INeedACheeseSlicer · 28/12/2015 22:20

I can't see it at all. I have had frustrated male relatives flicking back and forth between HD and non HD, and exclaiming "There! You must be able to see it! But you can see it's much clearer at least!" I really can't Confused.
And my eyesight is much better than FIL's at least, and no worse than the others' eyesight, so it can't be that.
I think it is a bit emperor's new clothes. I am female, btw.

MamehaSan · 28/12/2015 22:21

Female here and I can definitely see the difference. I hate watching anything that's not HD.

What sized tv were you watching? It's very, very obvious on larger tvs (and despite what the marketing people will say, a 40" telly counts as large in my book!) It's not quite so obvious on smaller tvs though, I accept.

MamaLazarou · 28/12/2015 22:23

Neither DH nor I can tell the difference! We were discussing this just yesterday.

CakeMakesEverythingBetter · 28/12/2015 22:23

I'm female and can definitely see the difference. I was a bit underwhelmed by 4K though (recently replaced our dead plasma with one). Not as much of a jump in quality as there is between SD and HD imo.

cece · 28/12/2015 22:23

Looks exactly the same to me Hmm

stealtheatingtunnocks · 28/12/2015 22:25

Great thread.

Though DH was just justifying his ridiculous tv.

Can't see the difference myself same, crappy programmes, innit?

howtorebuild · 28/12/2015 22:25

Woman, I can see a small improvement.

NorksAreMessy · 28/12/2015 22:27

I am the same with stereos.
What DH pays £££££££££ for makes absolutely NO difference to my ears at all. As he gets older, he spends more money on stereo and says he can tell the difference. I can't
Perhaps my ears are getting old quicker than his?
Law of diminishing returns, I reckon

Raxacoricofallapatorius · 28/12/2015 22:27

I was watching a BIG TV and didn't know i was watching HD for the first time so no emperor's new clothes here. It was very, very different. I was most unnerved.

Potatoface2 · 28/12/2015 22:28

did you watch eastenders this evening....i did....therefore you saw the same programme as me....i watched it on my phone on iplayer....i saw exactly the same as you did...if you watched it on 4k/hd/whatever....its still the same programme, no different, i cant personally see the hype...but then i dont watch much tv!

Pyjamaface · 28/12/2015 22:30

I can see the difference but, imo, it's such a small difference it's not worth getting all worked up about

Junosmum · 28/12/2015 22:30

Female and can see the difference, and I don't like it. I find it affects the 'texture' and feel of some shows. I won't watch HD channels by choice, despite us having a 4K TV. It annoys DH no end.

Salene · 28/12/2015 22:31

There is 4K stuff on you tube. It's awesome. No way no one can see the different if so then they need a white stick

Junosmum · 28/12/2015 22:31

That he bought this fancy-schmancy TV and I hate it!

TotalConfucius · 28/12/2015 22:31

I can't tell the difference between the 42 inch Hd blah blah TV thing we have now, versus the 22 inch fatback telly we rented in our first dingy flat 30 years ago. I'm one of them philistine people. I don't hear the difference between my iPad music and a bang & olufsen set up either.
Only once have I ever noticed something weird and that was on my sister's huge 3D tv when the skin pores on an Eastenders actor's face made me feel quite nauseous.

TheMasterMurderedMargarita · 28/12/2015 22:31

I don't see it until I flick to the same channel non-HD and then when I flick it back I see it (to see how much difference it made Wink). Don't find it obvious tbh.

PacificDogwod · 28/12/2015 22:32

I (female) can see the difference but I really don't give a chuff Grin

I suppose I don't watch any sport. Ever….

MrSlant · 28/12/2015 22:32

I can see the difference just don't see the need IYSWIM? Ex-H was enthusiastic about all singing all dancing tv gubbins but for me as long as the story can be conveyed I do the rest in my head, there's no need for the ultra crisp and clear picture. Once I can hear and see the story that is enough for me. Sometimes with HD I get so distracted by the skin of the actors I completely forget to follow the story!

ghostspirit · 28/12/2015 22:33

i cant see the difference... if everyone cant tell the difference then it cant be that great.

heavenlypink · 28/12/2015 22:33

Don't know about HD but apparently my son (long sighted and an astigmatism) doesn't really see 3D Confused

PegsPigs · 28/12/2015 22:38

DH's friend was raving about his HD TV (a few years ago) when DH discovered the required cable wasn't plugged in so it was just TV TV Grin

So maybe it's a 'supposed to tell the difference' thing sometimes. I can tell non HD now but couldn't when we first swapped.

TheCarpenter · 28/12/2015 22:38

I've just upgraded one of our gaming consoles and I'm blown away. I'm female.

PlummyBrummy · 28/12/2015 22:39

I can see it (female) and I absolutely hate it. As a pp said, it's hyper real; you can see how they've lit the set which ruins the pretence you need to go along with a drama. It constantly makes me feel like the actors are in the room with me and not in a good way. I prefer a bit of distance between me and the story but I suppose it's one of those things that we'll have to get used to. Sad

bobbilyknob · 28/12/2015 22:39

Nope, I can't see it. At PIL's house there's always a big faff to find the HD channel, led by the males of the family. Apparently it's worth missing a fair chunk of the show for them!