Poor eyesight 'makes HDTV a waste of money'

Poor eyesight 'makes HDTV a waste of money'

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:45 AM on 15th January 2009

It's a revolutionary technology that enhances television images so effectively viewers can pick up the tiniest detail in stunning clarity.

But many consumers are wasting hundreds of pounds on high-definition equipment because their eyes are not sharp enough to pick up the superior resolution and colour, experts say.

In fact, it is argued, they may as well be viewing a conventional screen.


If your vision is poor, you will gain little benefit from watching high-definition TV

More than eight million HD-ready TV sets were sold last year, as stations such as Sky and the BBC increasingly broadcast programmes using the format. Meanwhile, millions will watch football or other sport on similar screens in pubs and clubs.

The technology is also available on computers, cinema screens and even mobile phones.

But as many as a third of adults and children either need glasses, contact lenses or a stronger existing prescription to experience the benefits, according to a study by Vision Express.

The optician chain found 60 per cent of Britons have not had an eye test in the past year, rising to 79 per cent in Scotland. Two-thirds of people who do undergo a test require a new or changed prescription.

Phillip Hyde, dispensing optician and head of professional services at Vision Express, said: 'Even a marginally short-sighted person sitting on a sofa watching an HD broadcast may not see the full benefits in enhanced image quality.

'A small change in prescription can potentially make a big change in the quality of the picture that you see.

'If you're investing in HDTV, you ought to have your eyes checked to make sure you get the full benefit.'

The study also found around five per cent of adults have gone ten years without an eye test while one in ten adults aged 18-24 have never had their eyes tested in their lives.

And recent NHS figures show only one in four children under the age of 15 were tested last year.

Bryan Magrath, Vision Express's chief executive, said: 'Most of us spend more on hair care in a week than we do on eye care in years.

'We're living in a high-definition age and we should do all that we can to make sure that our eyesight matches up.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1116683/Poor-eyesight-makes-HDTV-waste-money.html