HdNews
Latest
Baltimore, MD gets local HD news courtesy of FOX 45
Welcome to the 21st century, Baltimore! Thanks to WBFF (FOX 45), you too can finally watch your local anchors in stunning high-definition. As it stands, less than one-third of the homes in the area have HD-capable TV sets, but the station is banking on that changing in the future as more individuals slowly see the light. Comically enough, special consultants were even called in to arrange "softer, more forgiving lighting" on the set -- those wrinkles and fine lines sure do stand out more in high-def, we hear. It's also noted that newscasts entirely in HD are still a couple months away, and rival stations WBAL and WJZ could take this transformation as all the encouragement they need to follow suit. So, Baltimore residents -- how's new news?[Thanks, Rob]
Columbus, Georgia's WLTZ debuts HD newscasts
After hopping back in the local news game in November 2007 after a 14 year absence, WLTZ is out to show it means business. The Columbus, Georgia NBC affiliate has just announced that it will be delivering its local HD newscasts in high-definition from here on out, and according to Drew Rhodes, WLTZ general manager, the move "lends [the station] a lot of marketing credibility." In the Peach State, the only other broadcast networks with HD news are located in Atlanta, making this the first in the Chattahoochee Valley. Three HD news stations in all of Georgia -- what's up with that?
Comcast now airing Houston's MyNetworkTV affiliate (My20) in HD
Nothing too exciting about this one -- unless you're a fan of My20, that is. Houston, Texas residents can now find their local MyNetworkTV affiliate in glorious high-definition on Comcast. Aside from airing Astros games, a variety of movies and a good bit of original programming, the channel also becomes yet another available in HD from the local cable carrier. For those who haven't noticed it pop up in the EPG, it can be found on slot 304 right now.[Thanks, Carlos]
KESQ brings HD news to Palm Springs, California
If there was any doubt that ABC affiliate KESQ is Coachella Valley's HD leader (was there any doubt? We're not sure), let it be erased, as it kicked off HD newscasts April 20. Asserting itself as the only HD news station in the Palm Springs, California market, we're hard pressed to see why you'd watch anything else. KPSP, KMIR and KDFX, the gauntlet has been thrown down, it's your move.
New York's The CW 11 (WPIX) takes newscasts to HD
Just over three months after Albany's CBS affiliate took its news to high-def, New York's The CW 11 is joining the parade. As of Sunday, the station is now broadcasting its news in HD, though there's been no big announcement made from WPIX itself. Hey WNYW and WWOR -- feel like hopping on the bandwagon, or is SD treating you two okay?[Thanks, Uchendu]
Kansas City's KSHB-TV takes local news high-def
As the nationwide commitment to HD news continues to blossom this week, Kansas City's own NBC affiliate (KSHB-TV) has too made the switch. As you'd expect, every single newscast from the station's studios will be aired in high-def, from the 5AM - 7AM Action News Today to the Action News at 10PM broadcast. Those interested in seeing what the talking heads have to say in glorious HD can tune via OTA (41.1), Time Warner Cable (1441), Everest (630), Sunflower (202), Comcast (232) or U-verse (1041). Any others around the country going to get in while the getting's good?[Thanks, Sean]
Raleigh's ABC11 Eyewitness News goes HD... eight years too late
Seeing a couple of news stations make the leap to HD within one week was pretty cute at first, but this is becoming downright scary. The Triangle's own ABC11 has become the fifth network within the past seven days to transition its local newscasts to high-def. Comically enough, the station is diving in extraordinarily late, as cross-town rival WRAL-TV has been airing its news in HD since 2000 -- yeah, eight years ago. Raleigh residents won't hesitate to boast of having the nation's first HD news station, and at this point, we're wondering if ABC11 can pry the critical eyes of residents away from the station they've been viewing for so long. But hey, we won't kvetch about added competition.
Virginia's WDBJ7 hops on HD news bandwagon
Let's keep the trend alive, shall we? Following in the footsteps of Salt Lake City's 2NEWS, Detroit's WJBK and Denver's CBS4, Virginia's own WDBJ7 has also made the transition to air its local newscasts in high-definition. The CBS affiliate serves the Roanoke-Lynchburg area, and suffice to say quite a bit of work went on behind the scenes to pull it all together. Thankfully, the network journaled the process for us in pictures, so be sure to hit the read link for a gallery of off-camera shots.[Thanks, Dariusz]
Denver gets high-def news from CBS4, six new HD channels from Comcast
The Mile High City isn't about to be shown up by nearby Salt Lake City or faraway Detroit, as it becomes the third city in the past week to flip on an HD news channel. As of now, residents of Denver, Colorado can catch their local news in high-definition on CBS4, and in case that wasn't enough, Comcast users can look forward to six more networks in glorious HD. Yep, subscribers in the area can finally tune into TLC HD (677), Disney HD (679), ABC Family HD (680), Food HD (681), HGTV HD (682) and Science HD (683). Stay classy, Denver -- we'll be seeing you in five months or so.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - CBS4 begins HD newscastsRead - Comcast adds six HD channels in Denver
Detroit's FOX affiliate falls in line, flips news to HD
Early last year, Cleveland became the first city to boast of having a trifecta of HD news channels. Now, however, the Motor City is making sure it keeps up. Reportedly, Detroit's own WJBK / FOX 2 just started serving up newscasts in high-def, but it's not like residents weren't already getting their HD news fix from either WXYZ / ABC 7 or WDIV / NBC 4. Still, there's nothing like a little competition to keep everyone honest, so feel free to take your pick now that the playing field is all leveled up.[Thanks, Jeremy]
Salt Lake City's 2NEWS makes the switch to HD
Just weeks after Comcast users in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah area were gifted with five new HD channels, residents of SLC now have one more reason to flip on the evening news. This past Saturday, the city's 2NEWS (KUTV, a local CBS affiliate) made the leap to high-definition, as its 5:30PM newscast was shown for the first time in HD. Additionally, HD cameras were used to capture clips from the Salt Lake City Marathon, and an all new HD-ready control room is being used to make the magic happen. Another news channels gets with the times -- can't complain with that.
Charleston, WV NBC affiliate looking to broadcast news in HD
As local news stations slowly make the move to HD around the country, we're taken to a rather surprising locale to find what could be the next to take the high-def plunge. WSAZ-TV, the NBC affiliate in Charleston, West Virginia, is reportedly "planning a transition to broadcast its local news in high-definition," but a bit of consolidation has to go down first. The studio staffs in Huntington and Charleston will purportedly be merged into one, whereby the "Charleston studio will be controlled from Huntington." Unfortunately, eight Charleston-based employees will be losing their jobs in the process, and while we know the transition is imminent, a definitive timetable has yet to be established.
South Florida's NBC 6 takes local news high-def
No sooner than Comcast announced that it would be upgrading its infrastructure in sunny South Florida, along comes word that WTVJ (NBC 6) has finally made the leap to HD newscasts. Believe it not, the switch -- which happened without much warning yesterday -- makes it the first in the Miami / Ft. Lauderdale area to broadcast local news in high-definition. It's shaping up be an excellent Spring to sit inside down there, isn't it?[Thanks, Josh]
Tulsa's NBC affiliate (KJRH) becomes first in Oklahoma with HD news
For those that call Tulsa, Oklahoma home and are sick and / or tired of tuning into SD newscasts each night, you finally have a better option. Effectively immediately, residents in the Tulsa area can now point their antenna to the region's NBC affiliate (KJRH Channel 2) and receive news in high-definition. Best of all, the station will be broadcasting all of its news -- 28 hours worth per week -- in HD, and if you really want to know how lucky you are, the next closest station(s) to Tulsa to do the same are in Dallas, Texas. Enjoy, Tulsans.
Fox News Central Texas debuts tonight, HD coming soon
Shortly after hearing that Central Texas would be getting a helping of new HD channels later this month, we've now learned that KWKT-TV (a local FOX affiliate) will begin airing its own newscast tonight. Debuting on the same day as the 2008 State of the Union address, Fox News Central Texas will get its first show underway this evening at 9:30PM local time, but will move to 9:00PM going forward. Tonight's show will mark the station's first foray into local news since it began broadcasting in 1988, and while it won't yet be shown in high-definition, the entire newsroom is already HD-capable. So, what's the holdup, you ask? Just a digital switcher, which is "presently on order."
Albany, New York CBS affiliate (WRGB) begins broadcasting news in HD
Nary a month after TWC subscribers in New York's capital city received a welcome helping of new HD options, along comes word that its local CBS affiliate (WRGB) has flipped the switch on news in high-definition. As of last week, Channel 6 is now airing newscasts in high-def, but reportedly, it may not have the edge in the area for long. Rene LaSpina, general manager at WTEN (ABC affiliate) Channel 10, was quoted as saying that it was "definitely going to do it," and also noted that "everybody in the country has plans to [go high-def]." Shame those "plans" haven't materialized in but a few cities across the nation, eh?
KGW NewsChannel 8 first newscast in Portland to go HD
The good news just keeps on coming for HD junkies in Oregon, and now you can finally sit down after a long, hard day cramped up at the office and enjoy your news in high-definition. After five months of acquiring / installing new equipment, KGW NewsChannel 8 is broadcasting live in HD; furthermore, it will be utilizing an HD sky-cam to show "live, detailed pictures of the weather in Portland." As the first news station in the area to go HD, it's also getting a leg up by promising HD video from its Sky8 aerial camera. Now, if only Greg Oden would get healthy, all really would be well, eh?
PBS' The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer going HD
It wasn't that long ago that there wasn't any nightly national news broadcast in HD. Then along came NBC Nightly News, then CNN HD, and now PBS' The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Starting Monday December 17th, the show will be in presented in HD, and SD viewers will see the full frame, letter-boxed. We wish every HD broadcast would go this route, which we feel would motivate everyone to upgrade to HD. The show airs everyday at 7pm in an upgraded studio located in Washington DC, and plans to have 24 hours of the upcoming political conventions coverage in HD.
CNN HD is ready whenever DirecTV is
CNN HD launched today, but there's no one to notice, since the only carriage agreement in place is with DirecTV and since their newest bird DirecTV 10 won't be operational till later this month, they aren't ready for them. HD news is the latest rage, and CNN HD will be the first national 24 hour news channel presented in HD. And like other HD news, it will be a mix of SD and HD. Our favorite quote is, "We're not going to stretch our video." when asked how they would deal with 4:3 shots from their library clips and the newsgathering. The worst news is that they haven't upgraded their studio in Atlanta yet, so shows like The Situation Room with anchor Wolf Blitzernot won't be in HD. They are working to make it all HD by upgrading studios and the newsgathering cameras, but as we've learned, these things take time. The other thing that takes time are carriage agreements, which they say are also in progress. We've stopped trying to make sense of these negotiations, especially when you consider that Time Warner Cable and CNN HD are owned by the same company, yet CNN HD will debut on DirecTV. [Via DBSTalk]
What it takes to produce an HD newscast
We've all spent plenty of money on our HD gear and who wants to watch SD on their brand new HDTV? And if you think your wallet is hurting after buying your gear, that's nothing compared to what it costs to produce HD content -- not to mention the amount of work. We recently had the opportunity to tour a local ABC affiliate who's just spent the money to produce five hours of HDTV news per day in the Tampa Bay area (the other bay-area). The amount of time and money required is unbelievable and every single piece was considerably more than even the most expensive component in our HD setup. So, please follow us along as our new friend Jack Winter, the Director of Broadcast Operations and Engineering from WFTS ABC 28, shows us what it takes to produce HDTV.
