I don't own an HD television. I don't consider it a "priority purchase." Everyone raves at how excellent HD is, with Blu-Ray movies, etc - and I think to myself, "Was the picture that poor before that people just absolutely have to have it?" I think no.

I recall this same sentiment when DVD's became mainstream, which really wasn't that long ago. I wondered what the fuss was about. As much as VHS quality was sometimes grainy, I really didn't care as long as I could see it clearly enough, and could hear it fine, I was happy. The quality is not that important to me.

However, I embraced DVD's because of the convenience. Rewinding VHS tapes would be a thing of the past. DVD's were more durable and the quality never fades after many viewings. These, and much more, were obvious benefits to switching to DVD.

What are the benefits to switching to HD and Blu-Ray? Other than some minor viewing features, such as being able to access the main menu while viewing a Blu-Ray movie, I don't see any "killer features" of HD and Blu-Ray. Not enough, at least, to make me run out and get equipped with all the latest hardware.

I'm accostomed to a poor quality viewing experience - I use Hulu and Netflix streaming all the time. The quality of such internet streaming is comparable to VHS, at best. But as I mentioned, I care for the convenience, not the quality. Internet streaming is very convenient.

HD is just a "wow" factor. Once your eyes become adjusted, it looks the same as anything else. And then in five years there will be another picture-quality enhancement that looks "even better than HD, so go out and buy a new $1,000+ TV set, and re-purchase all of your Blu-Ray and DVD movies!"

Um, no. Thanks, though.