I've been a fan of the NFL Network for a long time. I actually dropped my cable provider four years ago so that I could sign up for DirecTV's satellite programming, just so I could have access to the NFL Network. I thought, for the last four years, that I had been enjoying the NFL Network programming as much as I possibly could. I found out this season that I was wrong.

You see, back in December, our family bought a new High Definition television set. Believe it or not, I've been the one who has been hesitant to want to get High Definition. The rest of the family has been asking (or should I say begging), for about a year now. I've always felt like it was the Emperor's New Clothes. TV couldn't possibly be that much better so as to make it worth the added expense especially when we were talking about buying an HD television as well as upgrading our service provider to one with the best HD programming choices.

The first NFL Network game I watched in HD was the Cowboys playing at the Panthers. The NFL Network put a stranglehold on a handful of regular season games and is only available through satellite providers. From the opening kickoff until Kassay's last Field Goal, I was riveted. I don't think I've seen football players get hit that hard since I played High School ball. Now, I know that it's the same game, with the same players, and the same level of intensity. Watching it in High Definition is something that is almost hard to explain and even I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. The NFL Network looks better in HD than it does in Standard Definition. I found myself staring at the background most of the time in awe of the intense clarity. Each blade of grass was sharper. The holes in the jerseys of the players were more noticeable and the fans in the stands were easier to see. It was so clear that I could actually see clear reflections in the helmets as if I were standing on the field with the players. My first HD experience was intense and better then expected.

Coming off of my Cowboys-Panthers experience, I thought I'd test out the rest of the HD dial. I wasn't disappointed. Whether it was Music channels like CMT and VH1 or movie channels like Starz and Cinemax, I've got to say that each and every one of them looked better in High Definition. The whole family agreed. My wife keeps raving about the difference that she sees in the Food Network and Home and Garden Television, and my teenage boy says the same thing about the Sci-Fi channel. Now, I may be imagining things, but I'm pretty sure that even I saw the three year-old smile that much bigger and brighter while she was watching the Cartoon Network in HD. No matter what channel you may be watching, it all looks better in High Definition.