Think yourself a sharper TV picture
WANT to experience the benefits of super-sharp high-definition TV without buying a new set? Simply tell yourself that you are watching HD and put up a few posters. That's the implication of a Dutch study into how expectations affect viewers' perceptions (Computers in Entertainment, vol 7, article 40).
Two groups of 30 people watched the same video clip, individually, on the same television. Half were told to expect a better experience thanks to HD technology, an impression backed up by posters, flyers and an extra-thick cable connected to the screen. The other half were told to expect a normal DVD signal.
In questionnaires afterwards, the group told to expect HD reported that they had witnessed significantly sharper, more detailed images.
WANT to experience the benefits of super-sharp high-definition TV without buying a new set? Simply tell yourself that you are watching HD and put up a few posters. That's the implication of a Dutch study into how expectations affect viewers' perceptions (Computers in Entertainment, vol 7, article 40).
Two groups of 30 people watched the same video clip, individually, on the same television. Half were told to expect a better experience thanks to HD technology, an impression backed up by posters, flyers and an extra-thick cable connected to the screen. The other half were told to expect a normal DVD signal.
In questionnaires afterwards, the group told to expect HD reported that they had witnessed significantly sharper, more detailed images.
