Do your pets see HDtv better than SD ?

Ive noticed way more often now that all our TV's are new HDTV's that my pets Both Dog and Cat seem to show special interest in the screen. I have never before seen them look at the screen , as if it were a actual window of another reality.. Not every day but too often ..

Any chance they see "something" in that screen that WE DO NOT ?

reply to post by hbarker


I have dogs that watch movies/tv with me whether it be HDTV or not. My big blue baby, I catch him watching tv all the time. We even leave movies on for them before we leave. They do watch our tv with HDTV a little more than the others, but I just attributed it to it being the big screen. Maybe it has something to do with the HDTV though..
I do notice some commercials and movies put off sounds I can't hear that make them react funny sometimes though..

Well I expect the screen is much larger, higher clarity wouldn't attract more attention, brighter colours might.

According to this article, the answer is "yes". It seems to have something to do with the faster "flicker rate" on HDTVs.

I had no idea.

Originally posted by subject x
According to this article, the answer is "yes". It seems to have something to do with the faster "flicker rate" on HDTVs.

I had no idea.

OH wow great information , Thanks
C/P 2nd paragraph
The fact that dogs have better flicker perception than humans is consistent with the data that suggests that they have better motion perception ability than people. It also answers a commonly asked question as to why the majority of dogs don't seem to be interested in the images on the television-even when those images are of dogs. The image on a standard television screen is updated and redrawn 60 times per second. Since this is above a human's flicker resolution ability of 55 Hz, the image appears continuous and the gradually changing images give us the illusion that it is continuous. Because dogs can resolve flickers at 75 Hz, a TV screen probably appears to be rapidly flickering to dogs. This rapid flicker will make the images appear to be less real, and thus many dogs do not direct much attention to it. Even so, it is true that some dogs ignore the apparent flickering of the television and seem to respond to dogs and other interesting images on the TV screen if they are interesting enough. However, changes in technology are beginning to change the number of dogs that watch TV. High-resolution digital screens are refreshed at a much higher rate so even for dogs there is less flicker, and we are getting more reports of pet dogs who are very interested when various nature shows containing images of animals moving.


Now I have to know why they need such high refresh rate if we cant or,, dont know we are seeing faster..

TV is not tolerated in my house. If my pets want to be entertained they are stuck
playing with me. Either that or go outside and find some new friends to play with.
I don't subject myself to it, I most certainly wouldn't do it to my furry friends.

Cruelty to animals.

I had a 17 year old lab that used to get cranky and throw tantrums if we left the house with out the TV on for her, she had done that ever since she was little.

She just liked to lay there with it on, I always thought the sound of people talking just comforted her.

Only time my dogs even acknowledge the tv if there are dogs barking on there.

Any other time,they bark at that mysterious beast that lurks in my backyard that they can only see and hear,'cause I sure can't!

Originally posted by orbitbaby
TV is not tolerated in my house. If my pets want to be entertained they are stuck
playing with me. Either that or go outside and find some new friends to play with.
I don't subject myself to it, I most certainly wouldn't do it to my furry friends.

Cruelty to animals.

edit on 10-10-2012 by orbitbaby because: (no reason given)

Are you insinuating because my dogs like to watch tv that it is somehow animal cruelty? I play with my dogs all of the time, they are extremely active. But when they're tired and just sittin in the couch with their momma, and they, on their own, watch the tv..I don't see how that's cruel? My dogs also do NOT like it at all if I don't leave a movie on for them when I leave the house. Leaving them in complete and utter silence is more cruel to me than turning on some friendly Madagascar (my dogs fav movie). You have no idea of how big of an animal nut I am, against all forms of animal cruelty. So your judgemental, unthought out post is pretty offending. Take your judgemental self else where we're there is a real animal cruelty concern. No one insinuated any form of animal cruelty on this thread, anywhere.

reply to post by benrl


That is how my dogs are, I do believe it comforts them. It drives mine wild when its too quiet. I think they feel alone when it is so quiet! So the tv just helps.

The only time any of my buddies paid attention to the TV was when Animal Planet was on. For some reason, that always caught their attention, but never for to long.

Eventually they always got bored and found a ball or dust speck to play with.

My younger dog loves Jackass and WildBoyz.

My cats watch tv all the time , does not matter old tv or new one, one cat likes to chase the images with his paws