What's missing on HD Television?

[TroyG]

Game Shows-That's What. Also missing: Non-fictional & Other Reality Shows. Why on earth The Big 4 won't broadcast these shows in HD? That really sucks. "Duel"-Hosted by Mike Greenberg, one-half of ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" is one of those shows. Can't they do something right for a change?

 

[retrothoughts]

Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! both transmit in HD.

 

[ansky212]

I'll bet "no HD" saves them a lot of money.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

CBS also broadcasts some NFL games in SD.

 

[TroyG]

Well, to be so frank, FOX-TV Carries "American Idol"-an extremely popular talentshow is the only Non-Fictional show to be broadcast in High-Def. "AI' spawned the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and more recently, Jordan Sparks. I think there is a mandate for all TV's to go high-def in 2009.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I think there is a mandate for all TV's to go high-def in 2009.

Um, no. The mandate is DIGITAL transmission, which doesn't always mean HD. Many stations will stay with standard definition in the digital format for the foreseeable future.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

I think there is a mandate for all TV's to go high-def in 2009.

Um, no. The mandate is DIGITAL transmission, which doesn't always mean HD. Many stations will stay with standard definition in the digital format for the foreseeable future.

Currently (at least in my area) CBS and NBC are HD (High Definition: 1080). ABC and Fox are in ED (Enhanced Definition: 720). PBS is HD during prime-time; SD at other times to allow up to three additional channels.
The religious and infomercial stations run with four or five channels in SD.

 

[llokey]

Currently (at least in my area) CBS and NBC are HD (High Definition: 1080). ABC and Fox are in ED (Enhanced Definition: 720). PBS is HD during prime-time; SD at other times to allow up to three additional channels. The religious and infomercial stations run with four or five channels in SD.

Many if not most people would question your statement about 720 not being true HD - ABC and FOX transmit in 720p which is HD. 480p is normally considered to be EDTV. 480i would be SD.

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

My answer would have to be LOCAL PROGRAMMING. I mean with at least two (And on many stations THREE) subchannels per allocation, is there ANY reason (Besides co$t) there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of local programming beyond the looping of the news?

TV stations have been looking for stuff to put in LIVE video format on their websites for years now, yet when it comes down to a source to put it on locally, they needn't look any further than THEIR DIGITAL SUBCHANNELS.

On Fantasy TV America, I run a "company" on there who's local TV stations each have their own digital subchannel that's formatted like a combination of KNBC's News Raw, WTVF's NewsChannel 5+ and (In a way) like the ABC News Now channel that's on cable and satellite (Those of you who are also on Fantasy TV America know what I'm talking about). My question is why aren't there very many channels like these IRL?

Could it be that broadcaster just haven't "seen the light" yet?

At the rate the TV industry is going these days, I can't wait till the analog shutdown datte comes. I say that because MAYBE THEN the industry will FINALLY get it when they see the sudden mass drop in viewership across the board.

Then again, maybe not....

Just my $.02 worth

Cheers

 

[w9wi]

My answer would have to be LOCAL PROGRAMMING. I mean with at least two (And on many stations THREE) subchannels per allocation, is there ANY reason (Besides co$t) there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of local programming beyond the looping of the news?

Cost is probably it... Each subchannel generates its own E/I (children's educational/instructional) programming requirements. That's what sunk "The Tube": when Sinclair learned they were going to have to buy more E/I material for a channel that wasn't bringing in any revenue, they pulled the plug.

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

My answer would have to be LOCAL PROGRAMMING. I mean with at least two (And on many stations THREE) subchannels per allocation, is there ANY reason (Besides co$t) there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of local programming beyond the looping of the news?

Cost is probably it... Each subchannel generates its own E/I (children's educational/instructional) programming requirements. That's what sunk "The Tube": when Sinclair learned they were going to have to buy more E/I material for a channel that wasn't bringing in any revenue, they pulled the plug.

Obviously with the consolid....errr....HOMOGENIZATION of the entire TV industry, broadcasters have FORGOTTEN that TV stations could EASILY meet these requirements LOCALLY back in the day with reruns of Bugs Bunny. I remember watching those when I was a kid.

Ohh wait, that's too violent, isn't it? Well, to that end I ask if the half the crap they have on TODAY is any better? My answer would have to be by and large A BIG FAT NO.

But I guess all this was before the word PROFITS entered their vocabulary.

Just my blunt opinion....

Cheers & Happy New Year

 

[chuckydoll]

"Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" are in HD. If your local station doesn't air them in HD it may be due to the cable company, DirecTV or Dish not carrying that station in HD.

CBS airs most (but not all) NFL games in HD. Fox airs most (but not all) NFL games in HD. Starting with the 2008 season all NFL telecasts should be in HD.

 

[Skynet74]

HD technology is spreading very slowly. In my opinion, much to slowly. Many of us have nice new HD television sets and it seems as if the technology in our homes exceeds the technology of television stations. It's really strange. You would expect it to be the other way around.

 

[EricStein]

My answer would have to be LOCAL PROGRAMMING. I mean with at least two (And on many stations THREE) subchannels per allocation, is there ANY reason (Besides co$t) there doesn't seem to be very much in the way of local programming beyond the looping of the news?

Cost is probably it... Each subchannel generates its own E/I (children's educational/instructional) programming requirements. That's what sunk "The Tube": when Sinclair learned they were going to have to buy more E/I material for a channel that wasn't bringing in any revenue, they pulled the plug.

The Tube provided its affiliates with E/I programming (so does NBC Weather Plus, RTN, and the upcoming .2Network), so there was no need for station owners to bulk up on programming. Sinclair didn't like the fact that they had to install an EAS receiver on each of its subchannels. That's right, equipment costs. This is from a station group that owns a transmitter manufacturer. What brought The Tube down was mismanagement (see the class action lawsuits against the company regarding the inflation of its stock price).

The downside with the subchannel technology is that there is not enough bandwidth to allow two HD streams on the channel. Take for example, WKRC in Cincinnati, which runs CBS on its primary channel and The CW on is subchannel. The only way Cincinnati viewers will be able to see The CW in HD is to get cable (or point their antenna toward Dayton and try to receive WBDT). Plus, subchannels are not "must carry" on cable systems and satellite, so it will take viewer demand to get it on (at least) the digital tier of a local cable system.