Where I live, in Los Angeles, we’ve had HDTV for some time, and I could barely contain my excitement when it became available.

To begin with, I wasn’t convinced. Then I bought a Panasonic plasma TV for a Visa-busting $3,000 (about £1,700) and the difference in resolution was staggering. Watching HDTV is like watching a DVD, or going to the movies. NBC’s high-definition coverage of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics was breathtaking, and more and more networks are now spending money on beautifully shot dramas with fancy special effects and movie-style soundtracks.

HDTV is an upgrade to digital TV and basically makes the picture look twice as clear. HDTV broadcasts also allow audio to be transmitted in cinema-style surround sound, which involves splitting the soundtrack into different stereo channels.

The biggest problem I discovered was that virtually no programming existed in the new format. As a result, I began to avoid shows that were not shot for HDTV. In other words, I became a pixel snob.

A similar frustration will arise here. Sky, which begins broadcasts in early 2006, will initially offer the service on only a handful of channels, including a sports channel. The BBC, which starts trials in mid-2006, will simulcast peak BBC1 programming and has plans to show the World Cup in HD.

Two years after signing up, with all the big American networks now on board, I’d say HD is worth it, but for UK residents watching non-HD digital programming on smaller sets (on which it’s harder to notice the better clarity), it’s difficult to see how the cost would be worth it for now. Prices will fall over the next few years. Waiting is the sensible option.