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HDTV viewers find images of famine, disease and war 'disturbingly amazing'

An independent media watchdog has found that HDTV viewers may find images of a graphic nature, such as famine, war and disease ‘disturbingly amazing’.  Conducting research on hundreds of non-HDTV and HDTV viewers, the watchdog found that while the majority of non-HDTV viewers felt disgusted by the images and were likely to turn over, most HDTV viewers found that the ‘crystal clear 1080pi resolution’ and  'twenty-first century picture quality’ kept them glued to the on-screen misery.  As one HD viewer said, 'with HDTV, you’re not just watching a starving village, you’re experiencing a starving village.’

It’s already known that the ‘out-of-this-world' quality of HDTV can make viewers marvel at broadcasts of nature programes and sporting events.  But until now it’s not been known how HDTV viewers would respond to potentially traumatic images.

A  participant in the research, Mr Gareth Hessan, was surprised by his own response to footage of an African war-zone.

'I’m usually sickened by this kind of stuff.  But when watching on HDTV, I have to say it’s a totally different viewing experience.  The first time I saw a band of Rwandan militia on HDTV I couldn’t stop staring at the light bouncing off their machetes as they hacked them around.  I tried, but I just can’t look away – the rich colours and incredible depth of field makes turning off unbearable.'

The watchdog will recommend that from now on news anchors warn HDTV viewers that they may find these types of images disturbingly amazing prior to broadcast.  A spokesman said:

“It’s important that the media act responsibly and ensure that HD viewers are made aware that they may be upset by how breathtaking they will find footage of smallpox epidemics, cluster-bombings and genocidal mayhem.”





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