Screenshots from the DVD version of The Fellowship of the Ring at 480p compared to a 1080i HDTV broadcast of the same film show a staggering and dramatic difference.

Mousing over any of the photos on that page will show you the HD feed. Clicking any of them will show you the full-size blowups. Aragorn’s beard in the HD version of shot 11 is so crisp and clear that it pretty much looks like a photograph.