Most important question is, is the picture filling the entire screen? No "black bars" on the sides or top and bottom during normal programming (during commercials is OK- commercials are often filmed in standard definition, and don't always fill up an HD screen)?

If no, I'll go into that with you, but I'll assume yes.


So, the best way to see HD, is to watch a football game. Honestly. There are so many different camera angles, with tons of little details (like helmet decals, the crowd, the texture of the grass) you can only really see in HD.

Turn to a football game, and see if it looks HD. Do you have a standard def TV in another room you could use for comparison? Sometimes the difference is hard to see by itself, but incredibly obvious in side-by-side.


If the picture fills the screen, but it's still showing standard def, I'd suggest calling your cable company, actually. You're definitely not the only one to have problems like this, and it's likely an easy fix. Sometimes it's just changing a setting on the TV, sometimes a setting on the cable box (you do have a cable box, correct?).