Even though 56 percent of U.S. households have high-def, more than 80 percent of television viewing is still done in standard definition, according to a report this week by Nielsen.

We at Digits were surprised by this number and wondered why people with HD TVs would watch so much non-HD programming. Nielsen explains that most people with HD TVs also have non-HD televisions in the house, and a full third of programming is viewed on those standard sets. (This is where your Digits blogger differs from these other HD viewers: She has just one television.)

Even on HD sets, though, about 20 percent of programs are viewed through non-HD feeds.

Children’s programming is the least likely to be watched in high-def, Nielsen says. Part of the reason for this could be that the TVs in kids’ rooms are often these secondary, non-HD sets.

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The new pricing structure is being described as a test to determine whether a lower price point will increase sales. According to the FT, at least a few networks have agreed to a lower download price for their content, though it’s not clear which ones those are.

Meanwhile, Apple (AAPL) continues to work on ginning up interest in the monthly iTunes subscription TV service MediaMemo first reported last November–though without much success. People familiar with the offering say network talks appear to have stalled, at least for the time being.

So what if you’re someone who wants to watch the big game in HD, but without skimping on the basic luxuries like food and clothing? Well, we’ve found some options for you.

For one, the government postponed the date when broadcasters switch to digital TV signals to June 12 from February. That means that we’ll likely see TV manufacturers and retailers continue to discount new flat panel TVs to lure those of us who haven’t yet upgraded from the bulky old-school tubes.

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