You are so right about the 50 percent have no HD services, or after spending 3K on a TV, won't spend the extra $$ to get HD.
I don't know how many people I have helped alter the Dish install, where they left in in 480P and walked off after the install. Or never hooked the OTA antenna up.
I went to a neighbors little get together and everyone was huddled around his new plazma watching football, going this is HD. I said, nope, it's not, he called me over to the corner and said don't say anything, when everyone leaves, come back and fix it.
He was watching a local channel broadcast on Dish no HD locals, reciever was also set to 480 and Best Buy hooked up an OTA antenna to his TV, but not the Dish receiver.
After a few changes, and some training on where to get HD and the OTA HD locals, he got to experience what he paid for. But a bunch of people with 3K TV's have never seen HD on them.