Continuing on from my previous story:

Three years ago I upgraded the hi-fi and TV in my home, following my corresponding ‘one-month off’. This time around, I’m going to migrate carefully towards high definition video. The TV set-up is currently a Hitachi 42PD7200 and one of the first affordable sound projectors, the Yamaha YSP-1.

I’ve never been a fan of broadcast HD. Whilst there is noticeable difference between standard definition and the HD quality transmitted by Sky or the BBC, it’s not so significant to make upgrading essential. The cost of a new Sky+ box and the additional £10 per month for Sky HD channels reduces its appeal even more. (My friends in Canada would see a benefit because, like the US, their standard picture quality is abysmal.)

Besides, since I believe that the internet will become the primary conduit for everything, surely this is the route I should take? Gradually abandoning broadcast subscription services for the internet.

The first step is therefore going to be an Apple TV. I’m beginning to despise the collections of DVDs that I have in my house, taking up room, glaring at me. What better excuse to start ripping these to disk? As a bonus I get to watch DVDs on my iPhone when I’m travelling. Plus Apple have recently launched film rentals and purchases in the UK, although rentals are limited to 720p rather than the better 1080p/i format (Apple TV cannot decode this) and purchase of HD content from iTunes is not yet possible.

I’ll let you know how this goes.