Local CBS HDTV not Widescreen (1 Viewer)

[Rob Ritch]

I just had digital cable with HDTV installed (Comcast No. VA)and was excited about watching the 2 hour CSI in HD tonight. I was really suprised to see that it was not widescreen. What gives. I noticed that alot of the HD content for the locals is 4:3 aspect ratio. Is CSI HD supposed to be widescreen or 4:3? ESPN-HD, INHD, PBSHD, and Fox-HD are almost entirely widescreen. ABC, NBC, and CBS are not. I am pretty sure that the local cbs is broadcasting the 4:3 since there is a station logo to the left of the image at the outer edge of the set. Can someone explain what is going on, and do I have a problem with my set. BTW the cable box appears to be an SA3100HD. Thanks in advance for the help

 

[Tim K]

First, I cannot comment on CSI b/c I don't get CBS-HD in my area.

There is alot of confusion over the networks' "HD Channels". That is really a misnomer. Stations in your local area have licenses to broadcast on 1 analog frequency and a couple of digital frequencies. The standard definition broadcast that you have had for most of your life is an analog feed. The Digital feed is simply that, a digital feed. Some programming broadcast over the digital feed will be HD material. Most will not. It will simply be a digital feed of standard def programming. Local news, daytime TV, etc. It will all be 4:3. To see an HD broadcast you basically have to watch one of the big 3 (ABC, NBC or CBS) in primetime. Most of the networks now do their PT lineups in HDTV. HBO-HD does alot of movies upconverted to HD (not filmed with HD cameras). PBS runs alot of HD demo material on their Digital channel. INHD has demos and some movies as well. ESPN broadcasts about 3 things a WEEK in HD. Playmakers, 1 college Football game, and Sunday night NFL football. Other than that all ESPN material is their standard 4:3 programming stretched out to fill the widescreen.

If you want to know what is and isn't showing in HD, checkout titantv.com.

Also, Fox doesn't have HD broadcasts yet. The closest they come to HD is on some sporting events (like today's 4pm NFL game with green bay-tampa bay). Those are broadcast in what Fox calls "enhanced widescreen". It is a widescreen picture broadcast in 480p (better resolution than the usual 480i broadcast).

 

[Don_Berg]

All true HD programs are 16:9 widescreen. Sunday night on the east coast a lot of stations didn't have CSI in HD due to the earlier football games going over. Check on Monday night for CSI:Miami for comparison. Also some local affiliates often "forget" to switch to the HD feed, you might have to call them up and remind them! Only the primetime network programs (dramas and comedies) on CBS,ABC,NBC and some on WB are in HD - during the day the local and syndicated programs are still 4:3 SD, as are commercial breaks. You also have to make sure you are selecting the HD channel numbers (usually in the 700 range) not the analog channels - they are different.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

In addition to Don and Tim's explanations, are you sure that Comcast is broadcasting your local CBS affiliate in HD? CBS has not signed an agreement with Comcast yet, so any local affiliate that is owned by CBS is not being carried digitally by Comcast. Only independently-owned CBS stations' DTV signals are being carried by Comcast.

In the Detroit area, for example, Comcast broadcasts the DTV signals for ABC, NBC, Fox and PBS. However, CBS is not yet being carried. I still must use my OTA tuner to pick up that network.

 

[adamKI]

WUSA-TV (CBS in DC) is owned by Gannett - so no contract issues there (also, I'm pretty sure I've watched CBS on comcast HD at my friend's place in Reston, VA).

I think Don is correct - since football ran into the HD broadcast, some stations had to upconvert the aditional, delayed standard broadcast of CSI that followed the games. I suppose CBS didn't have the bandwidth to rebraodcast an HD feed later.

Out west, we got CSI in HD last night. Don't worry, I get screwed today when you're home watching Monday Night Football, and I'm still at work. It all even's out!

 

[Patrick Sun]

CSI on the east coast was in 16x9 HDTV for me.

Sometimes it really is just the local affiliate forgetting to flip the switch at the station to get the 16x9 HD feed on the air.