South Park finally goes HD in season 13

Hold on to your hats, kids -- South Park is making its long awaited high-def debut in just under two months. Starting on March 11th with the season 13 premier, every successive episode of the famed cartoon will be in glorious high-definition. Furthermore, the crew has been toiling around the clock in order to re-render previous episodes in native HD (presumably for Blu-ray releases), so don't be shocked to see episodes from years past show up on Comedy Central HD a bit clearer than you remember. And here you were thinking the show was teetering on the edge of irrelevance.

[Thanks, Michael]

[spasewalkr Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:14PM]

"And here you were thinking the show was teetering on the edge of irrelevance."

who the hell thinks THAT?!

[dez Posted Jan 20th 2009 11:57PM]

... anyone that takes life seriously?

I mean, I don't. But, you kinda gotta understand that most people find the show offensive, and they're kinda scraping the bottom of a toilet these days for ideas.

[Bozster Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:15PM]

I fail to see what the purpose is releasing this in HD when animation is so simple that it's utterly pointless. I understand nice 3d, but this.. just trying to bang a few more bucks for Blu-ray version that will look no better then the regular broadcast. But I guess there are suckers who will buy this.

[DeadPlasmaCell Posted Jan 20th 2009 11:50PM]

I can understand the thinking behind that, but you really do have to see it in HD to get a grasp on how fantastic it looks. 2D animation looks awesome in HD & South Park is no exception. The difference in quality really is night & day.

[DrXym Posted Jan 21st 2009 6:49AM]

Bozster, South Park does look better in HD, as you would know if you saw the movie. The higher res means more texture in the characters there is finer detail in the edges with no combing due to de-interlacing. Easily discernable differences.

Whether this is sufficient to justify purchasing the HD version is strictly a question of how much you love the show. Personally I don't see a reason for double dipping if you own a set already in SD but there is no question of the difference in quality.

[Nickoladze Posted Jan 21st 2009 11:09PM]

I agree, I also haven't had a single reason to buy an HDTV or BR player yet, and I never will.

[ack154 Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:21PM]

This would be of course assuming that I actually had Comedy Central in HD...

Sure, I could buy the BDs for my PS3, but it's South Park. It's a crudely drawn cartoon... how much more detail do you need?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:29PM]

it looks alot better they have an episode on the 360 in hd and it looks awsome :) BRING IT ON

[dickness Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:43PM]

The only people I know who say things like South Park is teetering on the brink of irrelevancy or that it has jumped the shark are people who have not watched it in years.

I know it is not trendy to say you watch South Park, but last season was one of the best yet. Sure I don't have an Iphone so I will leave it you to tell me what is trendy.

/really does enjoy Engadget
//likes South Park too
///does not have a problem w/ Iphone would take one if someone gave it to him
////does not understand slashies, but hip people used to do it now it is teetering on brink of irrelevancy

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 21st 2009 12:59PM]

The / are a carryover from HTML usage. For example, if you want something to be bold, you put a "b" inside of brackets. When you're done being bold, you put in "/b" inside the brackets.
So if I'm being sarcastic in a post (which is hard to tell on the internet), I'll end the post with a "/sarcasm".

[ctmike78 Posted Jan 20th 2009 9:50PM]

Whoever thinks that there is no benefit to South Park in HD is a complete moron. This isn't the same as taking a 640x480 pic or whatever and blowing it up to HD size - they are re-rendering the show at HD rez. It makes a HUGE difference in animation; yes, even if the intent is to look crudely drawn. Look at the Simpsons movie... it looks AMAZING in HD, much better than a regular Simpsons broadcast.

I for one am psyched that SP is making the HD leap.

[Bozster Posted Jan 20th 2009 10:54PM]

okay sucker.. go buy it.

[erh Posted Jan 21st 2009 12:06AM]

The Simpsons movie? It looks "sharp" in HD, but the artwork lacks any detail or textures not visible in the SD version. If you want to see some decent 2D animation on Blu-Ray, buy Paprika. If you want to see amazing animation on Blu-Ray, import Beyond The Clouds on Blu-Ray. Those movies have fine details, textures, and soundtracks worthy of the full quality of Blu-Ray.

[explosivo2k2 Posted Jan 20th 2009 10:54PM]

This is awesome. South Park is still one of my favorite shows after all these years. It manages to stay relevant and hilarious each year. Sure, there are some misses, but most of the episodes are very funny.

Now I just need WOW to carry Comedy Central in HD.

[Zach S Posted Jan 20th 2009 11:09PM]

It'd be nice if Directv started showing Comedy Central in HD, as well as ESPNU in HD. They were great at adding new HD networks for a while, but have sorta slowed down. What's the hold up?

[rv65 Posted Jan 20th 2009 11:46PM]

Directv will carry Comedy Central in HD tomorrow. Directv likes to add new channels on Wednesdays for some reason.

[Galley Posted Jan 21st 2009 9:04AM]

Comedy Central HD is now live. DirecTV also added the Sportsman Channel.

[rickatnight11 Posted Jan 21st 2009 9:16AM]

I've been saying it! They should have released episodes in Flash and the problem would have been solved loooooong ago. :-P

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 21st 2009 10:40AM]

Meh I dont know if I would buy this in HD. I mean honestly how good can primary colors and basic color look in HD? I think it would just hurt my eyes. Sometimes watching the simpsons movie is kinda brutal, almost makes me sick. Even the simpsons episodes I dont think I would ever buy in HD, the upscaling is good enough for things like this. Even some movies, like 40 year old virgin, anchorman, half baked, billy madision, happy gillmore, kingpin, etc are movies I would never buy in HD, the upscaling is good enough. I have over 60 blu-ray movies and they are movies like, underworld, transformers, terminator, resident evil, pirates of the carribean, etc etc etc, movies the deserve and NEED to be on blu-ray. South park does not need to be seen in blu but thats just me

[Slappy Wag Posted Jan 21st 2009 11:52AM]

Indeedy-doo. Comedy Central in HD on DirecTV this morning. :-) Very nice. Very nice. Almost as nice as a taco that craps ice cream.

[Type A Posted Jan 21st 2009 11:58AM]

awesome news, just awesome. HD episode Good Times With Weapons from xbl has been teasing me for soooo long, ill buy the seasons on br ;)

[shark2k Posted Jan 21st 2009 3:47PM]

I can't believe nobody noticed that the Box Art says The Complete Twelfth Season yet Engadget HD is saying it is season 13. It is not. Might want to correct that Engadget. Looks really bad when you have the Box Art contradicting you.

-Shark2k

[Slappy Wag Posted Jan 21st 2009 4:47PM]

Um.. dude.. Season 13 has not started yet. Of course it is the box art for season 12. They are just getting ready to release it on DVD...

Open your mouth nice and wide, then insert your whole foot.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 21st 2009 5:30PM]

2D animation i HD is great. Looking forward to se South Park in HD.

[rv65 Posted Jan 21st 2009 9:52PM]

One of the advantages of the remastered episodes is that they will unbleep swear words if possible. Possibly uncensor parts as well.