He's got an eye for your new plasma set, dog researchers say. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Chew on this: man’s best friend is tuning in.
A number of TV stations are now programming for dogs, the BBC reports, thanks to the prevalence of high resolution flat-screen TVs that can better engage a dog’s eye.
Older CRT screens displayed 60 frames per second (fps) -- good enough for the human eye, which can see 55 fps or so, still too blurry for the average dog’s sharper vision. Dogs can discern flickers at 75 fps, the BBC said, meaning older TVs were clearly not real to them and therefore not worth your dog’s precious attention.
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Modern, HD sets however? Those are good enough to get Rover to sit up and take notice.
“Recently, changes in technology are beginning to increase the number of dogs that watch television,” the BBC’s Stanley Coren reported. “The increased availability of high-resolution digital screens that are refreshed at a much higher rate means that the images are less likely to appear to be flickering to the canine eye.
“We are getting more reports of dogs who are very interested in various nature shows that contain images of animals moving,” he added.
Filling that void is DOGTV, a 24/7 channel for canines that launched last year. The channel features programming designed with the help of pet experts to “meet specific attributes of a dog’s sense of vision and hearing and supports their natural behavior patterns,” the channel’s web site claims.
The subscription only channel doesn’t feature “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” of course; shows carry titles like “Stimulation” and “Exposure” and are designed with the help of modern science, the site claims.
No word if the Kardashian pets plan a spin-off show.
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