Christmas 2009 is a memory and as we look forward to 2010 no doubt some of you out there are watching TV on a shiny new HDTV. Lots of people got their first HDTV this holiday season, and as I a fairly recent convert to HD myself I understand the excitement. A couple years ago I didn’t get all the fuss about HD this and HD that. SD was good enough for my grandparents and it was good enough for me, darn it!

All that changed the moment I visited a friend who had a gigantic HDTV, and HD service from Comcast (this was before I was even working for Comcast! Clearly it was meant to be). That short visit changed the way I thought of TV forever. Shortly thereafter I was the proud owner of a brand new HDTV.

According to a recent independent study by Leichtman Research Group it is clear that I’m not the only HD convert. According to the study almost 50% of U.S. households will own an HDTV by the end of this year (if you don’t have yours yet, time is running out!). There are a number of reasons that HDTVs are so popular: obviously, TV looks great on them, the prices have fallen, and there much more HD content to enjoy.

That last part, about HD content, is pretty important. Standard def television looks fine on an HDTV, but you don’t get a true HD experience unless you’re watching real HD content. The Leichtman Research Group study found that only 36% of people buying an HDTV were told, at the time of purchase, about how to get HD programming for their new toy. That means that somewhere out there people are watching standard def TV on their HDTV without realizing they are missing out on all that glorious HD content.

We here at Comcast can’t stand to let that happen. During this time of giving and holiday cheer we’d like to remind you that friends don’t let friends watch SD on their HDTVs. Comcast offers over 100 HD channels and a wide range of HD choices On Demand, so why not include a Comcast gift card with that HDTV? Or maybe just a friendly reminder to check into the various HD service options that are available in their area.

The television viewing experience you improve might just be your own.