I saw Siegfried live at the Met a couple of weeks ago, having seen Die Walkurie last season on HD at a movie theater.

I found both engaging, and while obviously seeing it live is preferable, the HD can be as engrossing.

In a way its comparing apples and oranges, but that said HD is netter than no HD. It is just a matter of time before we will
have these operas streaming on pads.

I saw a couple of others last season, and may or may not catch the final Ring opera next week on HD, although the principal
singer is aparently sick and an understudy is doing his part. What's surreal about the HD is that people aplaud.

The upside is this is going to expose a new audience to opera, and will keep it alive for years to come. The downside I would fear is that it is going to hurt local opera companies around the country. I think fans will spend their dollars seeing the Met rather than some local company not doing it as well.