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Is standard definition dead?

Sure the majority of content right now is still standard definition, but do most people actually see it that way? Do you still have SD sources? Vote!

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Headshot of Geoffrey Morrison
Geoffrey Morrison Contributor
Geoffrey Morrison is a writer/photographer about tech and travel for CNET, The New York Times, and other web and print publications. He's also the Editor-at-Large for Wirecutter. He is the author of Budget Travel for Dummies as well as the bestselling sci-fi novels Undersea, and Undersea Atrophia. He's NIST and ISF trained, and has a degree in Audio Production from Ithaca College. He spends most of the year as a digital nomad, living and working while traveling around the world. You can follow his travels at BaldNomad.com and on his Instagram and YouTube channel.
Geoffrey Morrison

Even though most people have more DVDs than Blu-rays and there are more standard-definition (SD) channels than high-definition (HD) on all cable/satellite providers, it's highly unlikely most people send their televisions standard-definition signals.

Nearly all current DVD players, and all Blu-ray players, convert the SD from a DVD to HD. Nearly all cable/satellite boxes upconvert the SD channels to HD. Since this upconversion happens before the signal is sent to the TV, most properly hooked-up HDTVs today only ever receive HD signals.

The only readily available SD source is Nintendo's Wii.

There is a practical thought behind this esoteric question. If no SD is ever sent to a television, is the standard-def processing of a TV, and the associated SD inputs, irrelevant?

What do you think? Do you still have, and regularly use, any SD sources?

It also might be good to check that you're actually watching HD on your HDTV.