Why it's OK to have HD channels that show hardly any HD

[kstile]

Last night I watched first half of The Andromeda Strain remake on A&E HD. I think this is a perfect example why it doesn't matter, at least to me, that these new HD channels have so little HD: when they have new, original programming, I want and fully expect it to be in HD. I didn't even have A&E HD in my Favorites list b/c I hadn't watched anything on it since it was launched, but since the only thing I watch on that channel is in HD, it *is* an HD channel to me.

Same thing goes for USA (Monk, Psych, etc.), TNT (Closer, Saving Grace, etc.), Sci Fi (BSG, SAA), and more. I'll admit it's frustrating in some other cases (Disney, Cartoon Network) where the new stuff and old movies isn't in HD either (i.e., no excuses!), but if new programming is the only thing in HD on a given channel, then I'd say it is a full-fledged HD channel (HD-lite issues aside .

Finally, even though I was fast forwarding through them, it was stunning how terrible and stretched the ads were throughout the show. How can people not notice stretch-o-vision when they see it? :-\

 

[Max Wright]

Finally, even though I was fast forwarding through them, it was stunning how terrible and stretched the ads were throughout the show. How can people not notice stretch-o-vision when they see it? :-\

I'm wondering when the companies that advertise with each of these stations will start complaining? Nothing worse than seeing a makeup commercial where the well-paid model looks like Stretch Armstrong.

After all, a company wouldn't want their commercial shown with no audio, or in black and white. Why are they letting them get away with showing it in a wrong format.

 

[KAB]

I'm wondering when the companies that advertise with each of these stations will start complaining? Nothing worse than seeing a makeup commercial where the well-paid model looks like Stretch Armstrong.

After all, a company wouldn't want their commercial shown with no audio, or in black and white. Why are they letting them get away with showing it in a wrong format.

My nephew is a media buyer for a Chicago Ad agency and is aware of it. In most cases the ones that are stretched were produced SD. Agency production budgets from many clients have been slow to catch up to HD.

 

[slicked25]

You mean to tell me that Closer and Saving Grace isn't in HD? My God, they have advertised about 10,000 times during the NBA Playoffs on TNT even as pop-up adds too during the games which is extremely annoying but never knew that they wern't going to be in HD. I know what you're saying and football season can't get here fast enough but these SD programs on an HD channel makes no since at all.

 

[riffjim4069]

Why it's OK to have HD channels that show hardly any HD...

...what's even worse is to have these misrepresented HD channels (aka DishHD-Lite) show no HD whatsoever. Dish Network offered a whopping zero (0) HD channels when I finally left in early March. Yep, they went from being first to their now being the worst HD provider in a matter of short while...Cable, DirecTV and FiOS are all much better options for your HD dollars in my opinion. Yikes!

 

[tomcrown1]

You mean to tell me that Closer and Saving Grace isn't in HD? My God, they have advertised about 10,000 times during the NBA Playoffs on TNT even as pop-up adds too during the games which is extremely annoying but never knew that they wern't going to be in HD. I know what you're saying and football season can't get here fast enough but these SD programs on an HD channel makes no since at all.

the Closer and Saving Grace is in HD--His point is that all new shows should be in HD if it is not then they can not call themself an HD channel.

 

[maxmoto]

Why don't we call up all providers and tell they to stop broadcasting until they are nothing but HD. There is no law that says any broadcaster has to broadcast in HD. They only have to be digital, and they don't even have to do that until feb. The stations that are saying they are HD more than likely will have shows in HD.

 

[Peter Parker]

Why don't we call up all providers and tell they to stop broadcasting until they are nothing but HD. There is no law that says any broadcaster has to broadcast in HD. They only have to be digital, and they don't even have to do that until feb. The stations that are saying they are HD more than likely will have shows in HD.

That law is for OTA not cable. That particular date has no relevance to when cable cahhanne;s go HD>

 

[mike123abc]

I was watching andromeda strain last night. I thought it was interesting that the movie was in HD but the commercials were stretched. I of course DVRed it and jumped over them.

 

[Cantonsurroundsound]

That is why VOOM HD was so great, they were true HD with zero commercials!

Most of the lame HD channels on dish are converted and are barely the same as an SD channel or sometimes worse. Look at the world fishing channel, it is not as clear as the outdoor channel; I think some hick is filming with a handy-cam and that weak quality is what we see up converted and sold to us by Dish as HD!

 

[gadgtfreek]

The same complaints went on last year when D* added all their channels, the hd content was close to zero. The channels have to be added first, then content will be added over time. I remember a few years ago when some major network shows werent hd, now most are. You have to give them time. As far as Voom goes thats a lame comparison, it may have hd full time hd but it had NO content. I still like the sd stuff on hd feeds because it at least looks better.

 

[skippytym99]

The content of the programming is as result of what dish is provided by the brawdcasters.

 

[maxmoto]

That law is for OTA not cable. That particular date has no relevance to when cable cahhanne;s go HD>

I know this. So cable providers and satellite providers don't ever have to offer this stuff (OK maybe someday). Just be glad that E* is even offering any HD programming.

 

[Max Wright]

My nephew is a media buyer for a Chicago Ad agency and is aware of it. In most cases the ones that are stretched were produced SD. Agency production budgets from many clients have been slow to catch up to HD.

Doesn't he still want the ones that are produced in SD to be shown in non-stretch version? Conversely, doesn't he want the ones that were produced in HD to be run in HD, if available.

 

[ctjr]

What's worse, IMO, is the channels that USED to show a lot of HD, but now (since their HD and SD schedules became the same) show all kinds of stretched content. Food Network comes to mind. IIRC, some of the stuff I am now seeing in stretch-o-vision was originally broadcast in HD. WTF is up with THAT?

BEYOND annoying...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Ill agree that the HGTV and Food merger of SD and HD is not what I hoped. Everything on both generally looks like ****.

 

[KAB]

Doesn't he still want the ones that are produced in SD to be shown in non-stretch version? Conversely, doesn't he want the ones that were produced in HD to be run in HD, if available.

Hey, I can't speak for him, nor do I know why the channels do what they do. Just passing along info.

 

[Tom_P]

Charlie just give us what many people asked for HD National Channels... You want more HD content there you go, even though we are giving you the same programing of the SD version only stretched.

And yes, I do missed several of the VOOM Channels, specially Rush. Last night and this morning I was watching the DVR recordings because I'm waiting for a replacement for my Vip-622(HDMI problems), and I love Moutain Biking, Rush was the only channel covering that Sport. You can all state the lack of new programming, but them between USA, TBS and some others I have my share of re-runs...

 

[drummerguy]

Last night I watched first half of The Andromeda Strain remake on A&E HD. I think this is a perfect example why it doesn't matter, at least to me, that these new HD channels have so little HD: when they have new, original programming, I want and fully expect it to be in HD. I didn't even have A&E HD in my Favorites list b/c I hadn't watched anything on it since it was launched, but since the only thing I watch on that channel is in HD, it *is* an HD channel to me.

Same thing goes for USA (Monk, Psych, etc.), TNT (Closer, Saving Grace, etc.), Sci Fi (BSG, SAA), and more. I'll admit it's frustrating in some other cases (Disney, Cartoon Network) where the new stuff and old movies isn't in HD either (i.e., no excuses!), but if new programming is the only thing in HD on a given channel, then I'd say it is a full-fledged HD channel (HD-lite issues aside .

Finally, even though I was fast forwarding through them, it was stunning how terrible and stretched the ads were throughout the show. How can people not notice stretch-o-vision when they see it? :-\

I think this is well-said, and I agree. Getting more HD content on these channels is going to take time, and it's important to get the HD versions of these channels in front of as many eyeballs as possible to convince the programmers to invest more money in HD programming (whether it's new content or creating new HD transfers of old content). Most of these new HD channels aren't even 6 months old yet; we need to give them some time. And I think that if more people opt for HD-only packages, programmers will see that the demand for HD is higher than they might think.

I've noticed that Disney is showing a little more HD content -- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is in HD now (my daughter loves it), as is some of the short programs like Lou & Lou's Safety Patrol. So they're getting better.

But I think we need to accept that some programming will never be shown in HD, like old episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC Family, which was shot on crappy old video tape. Obviously that's a popular program for them since they play it ad nauseum, but the source material is so bad that it's just not worth transferring it to HD. But at least they don't stretch it, so it's watchable.

 

[kstile]

I've noticed that Disney is showing a little more HD content -- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is in HD now (my daughter loves it), as is some of the short programs like Lou & Lou's Safety Patrol. So they're getting better.

Where can I find a guide that tells us which programs on these new HD channels are actually in HD? Assuming that I will only watch an HD channel if the show is in HD, how can I know ahead of time? Dish's guide isn't (and probably never will be) that granular, so maybe there's something online? And I don't want to have to go to Disney.com (and aetv.com and scifi.com and usanetwork.com and tnt.tv etc.) to find out...