As an initial skeptic who had to hear my husband talk for months about the awesomeness of HDTV and finally giving in recently, I can say yes, there is definitely a difference and it's much better than standard TV. I agree with Toshiro—Discovery Channel does this amazing show called "Sunrise Earth" and every morning for an hour they show (without music) nature shots of some of the most beautiful places on the planet. The detail that I can now see is amazing, where it would have been blurry on a tube set.

HD is phenomenal, but make sure you get 1080p on the biggest screen you can possibly afford. DLP is best for this strategy. Otherwise you will be disappointed when prices come down and your friends have bigger TVs. So far mine is still the biggest I know and I have had it for 3 years and it cost less than what my friends are paying because it is DLP. Samsung DLP.

Yes! Especially when watching newly shot material that is HD to begin with. A great way to see the difference is to watch the Discovery channel (who typically has an analog signal on local carriers as well as an HD) and switch between the two. The difference is absolutely distinguishable to anyone.