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Must See HDTV (August 6th - 12th)
This week continues to be all about the London 2012 Olympics, with most shows diving out of the way of NBC's ratings juggernaut. We do have a few premiers and several season finales though, so give the schedule a close look to make sure you don't miss a favorite's wrap-up. Also on deck is a healthy slate of preseason football, while we've got most of the national broadcasts listed, you'll want to keep an eye out for your local team. Also worth noting? A slew of flicks hitting Blu-ray this week including personal favorites Clue and Adventures in Babysitting. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Olympics For a second week in a row, it's all about the Olympics, in one way or another. Either you're watching and keeping up with early starting schedules from London or you're not watching, and your favorite summer shows are on hiatus. No matter which side you're on, things wrap up this weekend with the Closing Ceremony, although not soon enough for NBC to try to slipstream two sitcom premieres off of the Games' popularity with Go On and Animal Practice. (All Week, NBC & NBCOlympics.com) Shark Week Discovery's Shark Week kicks off its 25th year Sunday night with two specials,including Air Jaws Apocalypse and Impossible Shot. This time around the big hook is internet integration since it's hosted by "internet celebrity" Philip DeFranco, has tie-ins with Discovery's iPad app for second screen info, and encourages voting on the Facebook / Twitter page to determine what the robotic Sharkzilla will crush next. Whatever, as long as they bring the sharks, we'll always be there. (August 12th, Discovery, 9PM) Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell Produced by Chris Rock, this comedy series has been pushed as hard by FC as NBC is pushing its new premieres for the week, but with Chris Rock as a producer and the network's track record (Louie, Wilfred -- we'll forget Brand X and the Charlie Sheen show) we actually might check it out. Six episodes long, its run begins this week broadcasting Bell's commentary and sketch comedy -- check out a quick behind the scenes look embedded after the break.
Must See HDTV (October 24th - 30th)
This week baseball's World Series continues, after splitting the first four games evenly it all comes down to a best of three between the Rangers and Cardinals. Of course, that's not all coming to our TVs this week, as several new series premiere, along with some Halloween-themed programming. The biggest surprise however is the 90s-throwback feel of this week's roundup, find out why in the highlights below, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy When the first flick debuted in 1993, it brought Michael Crichton's book to life with an unprecedented new level of special effects. Of course, that meant the Jurassic Park trilogy's strength was never its story, which regressed further in subsequent films. Still, you can celebrate some of the best in '90s cinema this week with the new triple pack that includes the movies and all new behind the scenes information. You can also get your dinosaur fix every week with Terra Nova, but we wouldn't recommend it. (October 26th, $48.99 on Amazon) Beavis & Butt-head Mike Judge's animated duo make their return to the small screen after a 14 year layoff Thursday night, and for better or worse, it doesn't appear that much has changed. Of course, the internet has opened up a whole new source of bad music videos for the pair to display and dissect, but since they're on the internet, its much more likely that you've already seen them. We'd rather have Daria or Aeon Flux back instead, but we'll check this out for nostalgia's sake. (October 27th, MTV, 10PM) Grimm The other new fairytale based TV show makes its debut on NBC this week, with a very Supernatural / Fringe type of take on the old stories. This time around the Grimm brothers are homicide detectives that chase down all those supposedly mythical creatures in the very real world of Portland, Oregon. We'll see if it's worth watching as it takes on Fringe in the same time slot Friday night -- check after the break for a preview. (October 28th, NBC, 9PM)
Must See HDTV (August 29th - September 4th)
We're still in a holding pattern waiting for the NFL regular season to start and fall TV shows to premiere but luckily college football is here to save the day. It's not alone though, check out our highlighted picks of the week right here, followed after the break by our weekly listings of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. College Football While the pros -- a distinction that is getting fuzzier and fuzzier *cough* Miami *cough* -- get ready for their season to start college football teams will be getting back to it this weekend. UNLV and Wisconsin have the first high profile matchup of the year on ESPN (and ESPN 3D) Thursday night while Oregon and LSU play Saturday in a game that could have National Championship implications right away. We'll include some of the high profile national matchups on our schedule, but you can click here to find out where every nationally broadcast game will be on throughout the season -- we know how tough tracking Middle Tennessee can be. The Hour BBC America will air the third of six episodes of this drama on Wednesday night as it takes us behind the scenes of a 1950s TV news show featuring The Wire's Dominic West. While it's a period piece with plenty of sex, sexism and whiskey if you're looking for a Mad Men clone you'll likely be disappointed. The short story arc doesn't build Don Draper-like lead characters, but the Suez Crisis, spies and a suspicious death form a strong enough backdrop for us to sink our teeth into. If you're a fan of British TV we'd rate this one below the excellent Luther, but well above Law & Order: UK -- check out a trailer after the break. (August 31, BBC America, 10 PM) Madden NFL 12 It's that time of year again, when Madden comes out and we resort to couch based battles of supremacy for bragging rights and more. As usual, not that much has changed from year to year, but there are updates including a new collision system that promises to improve tackling, custom playbooks and new camera angles cribbed from NFL Films archives. After generally positive reviews -- it snagged a 3.5-star rating from our friends at Joystiq -- we won't stop you from laying down $60 one more time for EA's annual refresh. ($59.99, August 30)
Zeon display filter ameliorates backlight bleed, improves LCD contrast and viewing angles
Is your LCD TV not fulfilling your primordial need for contrast, more contrast? If so, you could do worse than to check out these so-called polarizer plates from Zeon, which promise up to ten times better contrast ratios than current LCD tech. The Japanese company's latest wares are compatible with IPS panels (yay!) and it even has a version for OLEDs on tap, though we hardly think weak contrast is the problem with OLED displays right now. Still, the expansion of viewing angles is always welcome, so let's hope the projected mass production by the middle of this year materializes, so that we can all be talking about awesome new displays come CES 2011. Onwards and upwards. [Warning: source link requires paid subscription.]
HDTV Listings for March 26, 2007
What we're watching: We'll be keeping an eye on the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, but we'll also watch the season (and possibly series) finale of What About Brian? on ABC.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 16, 2006
What we're watching: March Madness has begun and it's one of the best displays of high-definition television there is. Tune in for tip-offs tonight at 8 p.m. on CBS in 1080i where you'll see games from Greensboro, Jacksonville, Salt Lake City and San Diego. Since we're so early in the tourney, here's your chance to not only catch the first round in high-def, but to make your Final Four predictions in our comments!Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 15, 2006
What we're watching: Tonight is sort of up in the air; there's nothing really grabbing our interest. We could really go out on a limb and catch "Tour de Gorge: World Meatball Eating Championship" at 8 p.m. on INHD in 1080i, but that's a bit extreme. "American Idol" loses one of the dozen tonight at 9 p.m. on Fox in 720p, but we're growing weary of the seemingly never ending competition. Several other shows like "Criminal Minds", "CSI: NY", "Lost", and "Law & Order" are repeats. Maybe it's time to pop a DVD into the upconverter?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 14, 2006
What we're watching: Was is just us or did "The Unit" kick some major terrorist tookas last week in the pilot episode? Actually, TVSquad isn't impressed just yet, so let's all give it another chance; tune in to CBS at 9 p.m. to see these characters exude confidence in 1080i. Just so we don't play faves with the government-action-suspense-thrillers, you can watch the other thriller tonight at 8 p.m. We don't mean NCIS (which is actually a good show as well), we're talking about tonight's Stevie Wonder theme on "American Idol" in 720p on Fox. While we're still voting for "The Unit", we can spare a few minutes to vote for some of the Idol talent too.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 13, 2006
What we're watching: She'll always be Elaine Bennis Benes to us, but tonight Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as the old new character on "The New Adventures of the Old Christine". The CBS premiere fires up at 8:30 p.m. with a new follow-up episode at 9:30 p.m. in 1080i. Actually, the premiere has to be stellar for us to catch ep number two, since it conflicts with "24" on Fox at 9 p.m. in 720p. You really don't expect us to record "24", do you?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 12, 2006
What we're watching: Yo buddy. Whatsamatta you? You been missin' "The Sopranos", ain't ya? Whaddya mean, what's "The Sopranos"? Don't gimme that dumb look or I might have to tell Big Tony you just said that. You just do yourself a favor and sit yourself down at 9 p.m. tonight, you know what I'm sayin'? That's right, the show is back in 1080i on HBO-HD and you don't want to miss the sixth season, got it? You miss this one and you'll wake up the bottom of the Hudson, see? If you think you can record the show and watch it later, don't. We're on to that DVR thing and we know if you watch the show live, so make sure you do wiseguy. Any questions? Nah, we thought not.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 10, 2006
What we're watching: It's Friday night movie night with at least two good choices. "Saving Private Ryan" fires off at 8 p.m. on TNT-HD in 1080i. For those that missed "Caddyshack" in 1080i a week ago, you all get a second chance tonight at 10:15 on HDNet Movies. Last but not leaked least is "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" also in 1080i on Showtime-HD at 7:30 p.m. Take your pick!Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 9, 2006
What we're watching: It's a bizarre twist on CSI tonight as there's a dose of reality television in the mix. Tune in at 9 p.m. on CBS as the crew tracks down a rapist who posed as a fireman to sadly put out his own sexual fire unlawfully. Here's the twist in 1080i: the CSI crew is followed by a reality TV crew for a completely different perspective on the show. Are we really running out of reality show ideas and now incorporating them into exceptionally good programming?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 8, 2006
What we're watching: Let the early symptoms of the disease known as "March Madness" begin! ESPN-HD has a Big East Basketball doubleheader in 720p starting at 7 p.m. tonight. First up: Rutgers vs. Seton Hall at Madison Round Garden. Tip number two is Louisville vs. Pittsburgh at 9 p.m. Don't forget, the winner of every conference makes it to the big dance starting soon. Personally, NCAA Basketball was one of the first (if not the first) high-definition programs I've ever seen. Sniff, sniff. I need a tissue after that tidbit of nostalgia.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 7, 2006
What we're watching: What a country! You can go from being the President of the United States to an Allstate front man to a U.S. Special Forces commander all in a single acting career. We're talking about Dennis Haysbert, who would actually get our vote if he really did run for President; what a decision-maker! Haysbert kicks off the premiere of "The Unit" tonight on CBS in 1080i at 9 p.m. This looks like another high-action thriller series but has the twist of also encompassing the wives of the Special Forces personnel. We'll call it "24 Desperate Housewives" for now. We're also intrigued by tonight's ep of "House" airing in 720p on Fox at the same time. If we interpreted the previews right, a dead woman must be cured of something so that her organs can be used to save someone needing an immediate transplant. Looks like we'll have to record one of the two shows, but which will it be?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 6, 2006
What we're watching: We hate picking the same show every Monday, but let's get real: when you have back-to-back eps of "24" on Fox, how can you pass that up? The first episode must not be that violent for two reasons. First off, it's on at 8 p.m. and some of the kids haven't hit the sack yet. Second, the episode takes place between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., so there must be some time off for dinner, right? Seriously, when do these characters ever eat or hit the bathroom?If you haven't been sucked in to "24" on Monday nights, we'll offer up her Halle-ness at 9 p.m. in "Catwoman" on HBO-HD in 1080i, more for the visual effects than the plot. Regardless of what you watch in the early evening, we have to recommend "Return to Flight HD: The Inside Story" at either 8 p.m. or 11 p.m. on Discovery-HD. Walter Cronkite hosts this 1080i look at the Space Shuttle Discovery and STS-114.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 5, 2006
What we're watching: If you were looking forward to the Oscars in high-def, we hate to disappoint you. Either Jon Stewart or the li'l gold guy didn't want their wrinkles to show in HD. ABC has an hour of Oscar countdown programming in 720p starting at 7 p.m., but once the big show starts, it's back to SDTV for Oscar. INHD2 will be covering the Red Carpet in 1080i at 5:30 p.m., so you can tune in early for more of Hollywood in HD. Most of the networks have repeats up against the Oscars, so give "Spanglish" an early consideration on HBO-HD. The 1080i movie starring Adam Sandler kicks off at 6:45 p.m. Another alternative if you're really in an HD hardship is "Bad Boys II" on Fox at 7:30 p.m. in 720p starring Martin Lawrence and Will Smith.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 4, 2006
What we're watching: Personally, I was peeved to see "A Beautiful Mind" win Best Picture of "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring", but then after watching it, I can see why it took the Oscar. You can see it too, since it's on tonight at 8 p.m. in 720p on ABC. If it doesn't grab you, how about a key ACC basketball matchup between North Carolina and Duke at 9 p.m. on ESPN-HD in 720p? If a scary thriller is more yo' thing, CBS has your back with "Panic Room" in 1080i at 8. Looking through the listings, this is one of those nights where there's some high-def for everyone. Enjoy!Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 3, 2006
What we're watching: NBC finally dug out from the Olympic blizzard and realized that while "Las Vegas" is a good show, it can't compete with the likes of "24" on Monday nights. Tonight Ed, Mike, Danny and those lovely Vegas ladies begin their Friday night run; hopefully the gamble pays off because I really missed watching them once "24" started up. Catch the 1080i show tonight at 9 on NBC.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 2, 2006
What we're watching: Every once in while do you get the urge to watch a marginal program just because it looks good in high-def? Until everything is available in 1080p, we still will too, and tonight is one of those nights. Was "The Chronicles of Riddick" a 2004 box-office smash? No. Was it another comic-book-y sci-fi wanna be? Yes. Do we expect it to look good in 1080i tonight at 7 p.m. on HBO-HD? You betcha, and that's why we'll be watching Vin Diesel tonight.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
HDTV Listings for March 1, 2006
What we're watching: It's rare to see a comedy classic in 1080i, so we're taking the opportunity tonight. HDNet is broadcasting 1980's "Caddyshack" at 8:15 p.m., so we're grabbing our golf clubs and heading to the HDTV. In case you missed it last week, TNT-HD is repeating "Armageddon" in 1080i at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Wow, what are the odds of a giant asteroid hitting the Earth twice in one night?Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
