It’s 2019. Are you still watching standard definition?

Do you still party like it’s 1999? When that song was written, that date was far in the future. Today it’s 20 years ago. The world has changed… have you changed with it? Or are you still watching stuff on your ancient tube TV? If you haven’t moved up to a flat TV, why not?

Maybe you think it’s good enough.

I won’t argue with you. Even though the focus of the last ten years has been on bringing you high definition picture and sound on very large screens, the most important thing is the content. If it’s a good show, you’ll watch it on an old tube TV and love it. If it’s not a good show, it doesn’t matter if it’s on a 100″ TV in pristine 4K.

Truth is though, there’s a lot of good content today that really relies on your ability to see a clear, widescreen picture. Even if that screen is really small like a cell phone, having a clear picture where you can easily make out what’s happening in the shadows can make a difference. Today’s content is designed for people with HDTVs and HD-quality phones. You really are missing out on the experience if you aren’t watching it as the content creator intended.

Maybe the TV’s built-in.

This is a big problem for people who spent beaucoup bucks in the mid-’00s. Maybe we’re talking about a giant rear-projection TV that’s built into the wall. Maybe it’s a small tube TV built into your RV or the cabin of your boat. No matter what the details, I think the #1 reason that people still watch standard definition TVs is that they are afraid to renovate.

While I understand this, sometimes you just have to make the hard decisions. Taking that big TV out might leave an unsightly spot, but it makes room for a flat-panel mount and potentially a nice set of shelves. Pulling that tube TV out of the RV makes more room for everything, and in an RV you’re always at a loss for room. As for your boat, this is the perfect time to make changes like this since it’s probably in drydock for the winter.

Maybe it’s the dish.

In the case of RV and marine dishes, I understand that upgrading to HD can be expensive. The HD dish could be larger and that could cause a problem on the RV. Adding HD capability to a boat might take a lot of extra wiring. None of this stuff comes for free of course and I understand that you’ve wanted to wait. However, this is the time to make a change. Today’s satellite technology is very stable and whatever you put in today is likely to last as long as your last dome did, or even longer. Go ahead, make the jump.

Need help figuring out what to do?

Here’s the part that’s absolutely free. You can get an in-depth consultation on upgrading to HD by calling us at Solid Signal at 888-233-7563. It’s your first step to a whole new world of television enjoyment. The technicians and advisors at our 100% US-based call center are ready to help right now!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.