What's new

No HD on NBC (1 Viewer)

Richard Kim

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2001
Messages
4,385
Ever since they started covering the war last week, NBC is no longer showing any more HD content. Shows like The Tonight Show and Law and Order are broadcast in SD on the HD channel. Does anyone else have this problem, or am I the only one? I've got an HD box from Time Warner Cable.
 

Lew Crippen

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 19, 2002
Messages
12,060
I got Law and Order in HD last nigh (Dallas OTA)t. There have been some unexpected SD telecasts when what was supposed to have been a new episode was a repeat instead (this seems to have been caused by some preemption earlier in the evening).

Don’t watch Leno, so I can’t comment.
 

Donnie Seals

Agent
Joined
Jul 20, 2002
Messages
45
I JUST got my HD decoder and was all prepared to give a visual demonstration to my roommate with The Tonight Show, when I saw...that. It definitely wasn't HD. I guess they have shut it down or tuned it out for now.
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
I'm curious as to what "technical reasons" could possibly be at play here. Probably a money issue.
 

Scott Merryfield

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 16, 1998
Messages
18,865
Location
Mich. & S. Carolina
Real Name
Scott Merryfield
I'm curious as to what "technical reasons" could possibly be at play here.
I believe NBC stated that they would be unable to interrupt HD broadcasts with breaking news on the Iraqi conflict. However, that makes little sense, since CBS was able to do this without any problems during their NCAA Tournament HD broadcasts last weekend.
 

Phil L

Supporting Actor
Joined
Dec 27, 1998
Messages
782
What Scott said.

Also, I'd assume NBC might use the extra sat band-with for embedded reports but that's just a theory.
 

Michael St. Clair

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 3, 1999
Messages
6,001
They haven't developed/bought/depoyed enough technology to simultaneously do 'ticker' updates on the screen with both high-def and standard-def. So until things stop crawling across the screen, you get standard-def.
 

Marc_Sulinski

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 15, 2001
Messages
585
NBC seems to be the least advanced out of the big 3 networks in terms of HD. Did they even have any HD shows until ER this season? I still don't know why The West Wing is not in HD, as it is already in widescreen.

In my area (Raleigh, NC), NBC has the most dropouts of any of the HD stations (FOX included). Does anyone else experience this, too?
 

Roberto Carlo

Second Unit
Joined
Apr 14, 2002
Messages
445
They haven't developed/bought/depoyed enough technology to simultaneously do 'ticker' updates on the screen with both high-def and standard-def. So until things stop crawling across the screen, you get standard-def.
I may be missing something here, and I'm definitely risking coming off as a wee bit shallow, but it seems to me that virtually everyone who can watch NBC in HDTV, whether by cable or OTA, can also watch the NTSC broadcast. Why can't they allow people who prefer to get the tickers watch the NTSC broadcast and allow those of us who invested in HDTV to watch HDTV? CBS and ABC seem capable of this. Am I missing something?
 

Adam Lenhardt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2001
Messages
26,972
Location
Albany, NY
I don't think they want to risk anyone accusing them of not living up to their public service requirement. Otherwise I don't see why they would have the amount of coverage they do; regular programming gets better ratings.
 

BruceSpielbauer

Second Unit
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
275
The exact reason for this is not at all clear, and is being debated by many on several of these forums. NBC did make an announcement. It stated that during this phase of the war, all HDTV was being temporarily halted. The announcement is very vague.

The most common theories:

1.) Tickers cannot be done in 16 X 9 mode, or are more difficult to do in 16 X 9 mode.
2.) The network is concerned that any sudden need to interrupt or "break in" on a program would be missed by a local channel (those who have been viewing HDTV for awhile will attest that local channels miss the switchover from standard def to high def, and vice-versa, often. Even such well-publicized shows as the Oscars were missed by many locals. Mine was 2 1/2 minutes late hitting the switch, for example. Some locals forgot until they received angry phone calls).
3.) The satellite / bandwidth theory. There are those who believe it is because all of those embedded reporters are taking up additonal satellite bandwidth space, and theat NBC wants this clear for their incoming transmissions.
4.) Some combinations of the above theories.

I am not so spoiled as to misplace my priorities. Americans are engaged in a perilous mission, and the news regarding that that is of great importance. I support their efforts, and I want every one of them to come home safely.

However, this does not change the following observation... the other mainstream networks have not suspended HDTV broadcasts (CBS, ABC) during this crisis. Is it because of their equipment? Their satellite allotment? Their confidence in the local stations' abilities to handle the switchover when a bulletin is necessary? Their ability to superimpose a news ticker on the bottom of a 16 X 9 image? NBC will not give up information, so the rumors tend to to proliferate. Who knows?

Interstingly, reportedly, there are also a few locals that have also been doing no HDTV during this period, even though their network providers are sending them an HDTV signal. Some have even publicly announced this, and the reasons given have been summed up above. This would seem to support the "tickers" theory, or the "fear of falling asleep during a bulletin" theory.

Hope this helps,

-Bruce in Chi-Town
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,823
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top