Digital TV Crash Course
Every once in a while I take my own advice. I know it sounds scary, but I did this again yesterday. After writing up the PBS HDTV programming post, I decided to watch some HDTV on PBS. Scanning through the listings, I noticed that Robert X. Cringely's "Digital TV: A Cringely Crash Course" was on my local PBS station in 1080i.
The 30-minute program is well worth a view if you're new to DTV or curious about some of the basic terms used to describe DTV and HDTV. Bob does a fantastic job at presenting the basics in this DTV primer. Here's the kicker, and another reason I usually don't listen to my own advice: the program wasn't broadcast in high-def!
Ten minutes into the show, I contacted Bob via e-mail just because I found the situation comical. He was kind enough to respond quickly with the following:
"You must be watching an EDTV version because we certainly shot that show in HD. We used one of the first Sony HD camcorders ($140,000!) for the location stuff including atop the Golden Gate Bridge and the interstitials were shot using HD studio cameras on a sound stage in Baltimore."
There's two takeaways here: first, I'm calling out the PBS stations that advertise the programming in HD. Please make sure you broadcast the right version! I know I've seen full 1080i on my local PBS station, so you have the capability.
Second: I've never spoken to anyone that can use the word "interstitials" in a sentence. Thanks Bob!
