There's no doubt that when high definition television finally delivers University of Hawai'i sports on pay per view it will provide the sharpest, most vivid viewing experience yet.

Less clear is what it will mean for attendance at UH events.

Even at prices expected to be above the $380 to $430 charged last year on O'ahu for the 21-event package, the enhanced resolution and sound quality will make it an attractive choice for fans, likely as soon as this season. An announcement is expected shortly, possibly this week.

And therein is the challenge for UH and TV partners Oceanic Time Warner Cable and KFVE/KHNL: Make it appealing enough to be profitable but not so transcendent as to drain fans from the stands.

To some degree the whole PPV concept has been a balancing act since its inception in 2002. Some years the balance has been better than others. In the early going, especially, the ease and relative bargain of PPV all but begged people to stay in front of their TVs instead of making the drive to Aloha Stadium or the Stan Sheriff Center. And some did.

In more recent seasons an equilibrium has been achieved, allowing UH and its partners to cash in by tapping people who might not attend games without battering the box office.

Now comes the HD challenge. A few years ago, when HD was still a down-the-road concept for PPV, an Oceanic employee peered into the future and predicted, "people aren't going to want to leave their living rooms if we do this right."

Even last year some people involved in PPV privately conceded a concern about what an introduction of HD might do in what was seen as a rebuilding season after the Sugar Bowl. "Part of this partnership is trying to (keep) people in the stands, too," a party to the deal acknowledged.

But with HD sales climbing and an exploding number of events — including OC-16s fine high school coverage — in HD, there can be no foot dragging. More than 80,000 of Oceanic's 420,000 subscribers now have HD. "It has now become the expectation," acknowledges UH athletic director Jim Donovan.

So much so, Donovan maintains, that the initial awe of HD has worn off and isn't likely to adversely impact UH attendance. "The NBA and NFL haven't seen a massive increase in ratings for their broadcasts or (dramatic) drops in their attendance," Donovan said.

But UH is neither of those and draws its fans from a smaller population base. In this economy, with local fans searching for options, getting the price right is going to be the bottom line. That much is already digitally clear.