Ever wonder how much better HDTV and HD DVD are than DVD? The difference can range from subtle to amazing, depending on the material. But one thing's for sure, once you go HD, you never want to go back!

Since a picture is usually worth a thousand words, I was forwarded a link that I thought everyone might be interested in. The Serenity Screenshot Comparison shows the difference between DVD, Broadcast HDTV, and HD DVD on 26 different scenes from the movie "Serenity."

It's not very intuitive, but you can click on the letters across the top of the page to select a different scene, and click on the text next to the checkmarks to choose which source you want to see.

The comparison really does range from subtle to amazing, depending on which scene you're looking at. Those of us accustomed to the benefits of HD will be able to pick out the differences in nearly every shot, but the greatest differences are in the following scenes:

• E
  
• I
  
• J
• R
  

The difference between broadcast HDTV and HD DVD is much harder to see, but it is there. (HD DVD is a step up in quality) If the site's author had included shots from satellite or cable HDTV, the differences would be more noticeable, due to the extra compression and resolution reduction those companies place on their HD signals.

Thanks to reader Ron H. for sending us this link!