Our five favorite HDTV shows
Earlier this week, we asked what shows you would like to see in HDTV. Here's another question: what are your favorite shows in HD and why? Help us win over the analog TV folks by telling us which HD shows you watch and what folks are missing by not watching these in HD!
We'll start you out by working our way up the list of five. We kept our picks to the major networks, but the field is wide open for you.
5: NFL Football is our number five pick, but to clarify: we prefer it on CBS over the other networks simply because CBS has a 1080i feed. It's a matter of personal preference and debate (720p vs. 1080i), but we love the vibrant colors of the uniforms. You can actually count the beads of sweat on the sideline players; sure you can do that on analog, too, but here's a hint: they have more than the three beads you can see in analog. Oh, and the field isn't a giant green carpet; it's made of tiny blades of grass! For the record: this pick has nothing to do with the cheerleaders. Ok, maybe a little.
4: Reba comes in at number four. Yes, Reba! Hey, it's an entertaining and clean comedy with quirky characters for starters. A weekly family show in high-def should be on everyone's calendar, and this WB show fits the bill. Not every HD show needs to be an action-packed, special effects filled program to take advantage of razor-sharp, widescreen clarity!
3: NASCAR Racing is our third pick. There's nothing like actually attending a race to feel the noise and smell the exhaust, but watching it in HD is a close second. The high-def broadcasts actually let you read the gazillions of sponsors on the driver's cars and uniforms, for one thing. If you look really close at the tracks, you can even see all of the little cracks and imperfections that give drivers fits! The in-car cameras add to the experience, but they're not in HD which only causes you to appreciate the high-def picture all the more.
2: "24" gets our second spot on the HD list. Heck, the show is so good, it should be near the top of any TV show list, but the HD feed makes it even better. All of the action is vivid and the dark scenes just suck you in on a high-contrast digital set. The views of mutiple characters at the same time across the screen don't get all squashed on a widescreen high-def set either.
1: CSI earns the coveted "top spot" on our list for several reasons. It's one of the few HD shows that take full advantage of the 16:9 aspect ratio by showings us tons of wide-angle scenery. Speaking of the scenery, the Las Vegas strip just jumps off of an HD screen with more colors than you could imagine. The computer-generated zooms of the evidence look so sharp, you would think that you're viewing them through a high-powered microscope.