When Will All Local Stations Be TOTALLY HD?

[Jack 1000]

I know that with the advent of cable/dish technology having all channels like that as HD would be a humongous task that would be hard to predict.  But what about locals like 4, 6, 10, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 58?

I really hate sidebars on my HD channels because a station does not offer certain content in HD.  I'd almost rather watch my non-HD in stretch mode, rather than see sidebars.

I can make amends for sidebars on most commercials that aren't HD.  But all other programing on HD channels should be in HD!  I give kudos to NBC channel 4 for their all HD newscasts.  How far away are Milwaukians from having other stations in all HD content?

I'm almost like, if your a local HD station, showing a 1982 movie or something, at least stretch the picture so that I don't have to look at sidebars for a big screen TV if you aren't doing the movie in HD.

Do you think by next year all HD stations at least in our Milwaukee area will have true HD content on all their programing?  Do you know how frustrating it is to set your DVR for an HD station that you think what you are going to record is going to be in HD, and than when you play it back?  SIDEBARS!

Jack

[John L]

Don't worry it will happen, it just takes time.

Remember back when it took 15 years to go completely Color TV?  I am talking from 1956 to 1971.

Give em some time..... 20 years from now it will all be 100% HD and on all channels including WVCY-DT, TV30!

-John L.
:blush:

[tencom]

Don't worry it will happen, it just takes time.

Remember back when it took 15 years to go completely Color TV?  I am talking from 1956 to 1971.

Give em some time..... 20 years from now it will all be 100% HD and on all channels including WVCY-DT, TV30!

-John L.
:blush:

Sorry but the time frame for almost total color conversion was about two years, by 1968, virtually all television programming was in color except for older reruns and and black and white movies. I remember that era quite wel. You can say color telecasting began about 1954 mostly by NBC and many of their affillates however color television did not take-off until the mid 60s but once it caught on it gained popularity quite fast. And I believe in spite of inflation the cost of conversion to HD is about the same as it was in  the mid-1960s, for the conversion to color. I just believe that television stations today are more bottom-line orientated then they were 40 years ago perhaps, why they have more competition now then 40 years ago. Then the local television stations were the only source for programming which isn't true today.

[ddeerrff]

How are you guys defining "HD" in this case?  WTMJ is at 1080i, 16:9, certainly HD.  WISN is 720p, looks like 4:3 with sidebars.  I thought 720p was still considered HD - or is it the 4:3 that is bugging people?

[LoadStar]

How are you guys defining "HD" in this case?  WTMJ is at 1080i, 16:9, certainly HD.  WISN is 720p, looks like 4:3 with sidebars.  I thought 720p was still considered HD - or is it the 4:3 that is bugging people?

Yes, they broadcast in 720p of 1080i, but the source material they are broadcasting is most definitely not that resolution - it's just upconverted before broadcasting.

It's the difference between an upconverting DVD player, and Blu-Ray player. Both of these can output 720p or 1080i, but only one of these is truly HD.

[murdoc]

I'm almost like, if your a local HD station, showing a 1982 movie or something, at least stretch the picture so that I don't have to look at sidebars for a big screen TV if you aren't doing the movie in HD.

Leave the aspect ratio alone!  If you want to stretch your picture on your tv watch the non-HD version of that channel or have your cable/satellite box set to fill mode.  I can't stand stretch-o-vision.  Don't make others suffer when there is an easy solution to your problem. :mad:

[ddeerrff]

Yes, they broadcast in 720p of 1080i, but the source material they are broadcasting is most definitely not that resolution - it's just upconverted before broadcasting.

OK,  but what gives it away?  To my eyes anyway, both WITI and WISN and others are crisp and sharp - just not 16:9.

[foxeng]

While not being in the Milwaukee market, I can say in my own stations case (a FOX affiliate and a part of the same company that owns WITI), in the fall, of all of our syndicated programming, only 2 shows will be available to us in HD, Seinfeld and a new doctor talk show. All of our other syndicated judge shows and cooking shows (Martha and Rachel Ray) are not offered in HD nor 16:9 SD.

You can't broadcast what isn't offered.

[LoadStar]

OK,  but what gives it away?  To my eyes anyway, both WITI and WISN and others are crisp and sharp - just not 16:9.

You need better eyes and/or a better TV.

Seriously, as a demonstration, if you flip between WTMJ and the other newscasts, the difference should be immediately obvious. (Make sure you're looking at the anchors, not one of the field pieces - those are still upconverted standard-def on WTMJ.)

The upconverters that the other stations are using are good... but they're no substitute for actual HD content.

[beeper]

Don't worry it will happen, it just takes time.

Remember back when it took 15 years to go completely Color TV?  I am talking from 1956 to 1971.

Give em some time..... 20 years from now it will all be 100% HD and on all channels including WVCY-DT, TV30!

-John L.
:blush:

Not if anyone wants to view reruns or old movies that were originally SD content.

There will be SD content broadcast, as long as sponsors pay for advertising.
Now 40 years later, and you still see black and white.