Stepping up to hi def

High definition technology has recently come to the Godwin household in the form of a new television. Since we got this great, new technology, we also decided to get a satellite so our reception will be better and we can realize the best features of our new TV. That, in itself, has been a pretty daunting task.

When we moved from Plano more than 15 years ago, we made a decision to stick with the channels we could get through our antenna. We had cable in Plano and found that, most the time, out of more than 100 channels, there was nothing we wanted to watch.

Well, after watching reality TV and courtroom TV and programs where people get up and scream at one another trying to figure out the parentage of their children, we decided it was time to make a change again.

We’re in the midst of figuring out what button does what on the satellite receiver, the remote to the TV as well as the remote to the DVD player.

We haven’t invested in the movie channels. We enjoy renting DVD movies and high definition on those movies is pretty spectacular.

One thing I noticed while watching “Breach” — you can see just about every detail down to the pores of the actors’ skin. Now, if you take into consideration that actors wear stage makeup to look good for the cameras, you may understand that it’s probably not necessary if the movie will be shown in high definition. That is the case with “Breach.”

I thought the actors turned in glowing performances. Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe were astounding in two of the lead roles. Cooper was the bad guy and Phillippe the cute, young FBI agent who did the work to catch Cooper.

My only complaint: there’s just something that makes a character less true, less mean or less macho when you can see his lipstick.