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The Price is Right... in HD, of course
Truth be told, The Price is Right has indeed been airing in high-definition for the past couple of weeks just as we heard it would, but we figured it prudent to affirm that yes, the famed game show is indeed now in high-definition. As far as we know, CBS will continue broadcasting the daytime mainstay in high-def after its stint on Friday nights is up, so be sure and set that HD DVR for all you folks holding it down with the 8 to 5 whenever.[Thanks, Jerry H.]
HDNet premieres short comedy series 'The All-for-Nots' March 9
The All-for-Nots kick off a 24-city tour of America March 9, when their show premieres on HDNet at 7:45 p.m. A comedy series made up of 7-10 minute episodes, this fictional documentary -- sounds a lot like a Flight of the Conchords / The Office mash-up to us -- will serve as a lead in to the channel's Sunday Night Concert Series. EngadgetHD friend Mark Cuban thinks viewers will tune in via cellphone and Youtube networks where the episodes will be posted by its studio (Vuguru, notably founded by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company), and catch up on the shorts in HD and 5.1 surround sound on the weekend. After quarterlife set a record for being yanked after one episode, we're not overly optimistic, but out of the ratings obsessed culture of network TV, maybe The AFN has a shot.
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.
Reality TV pushing HD off as long as possible
With nearly every scripted primetime show on television airing in HD nowadays, it's downright baffling that hits such as Survivor and The Amazing Race are still showing up in pixelated standard-definition. There's no doubt these shows are raking in millions from advertisers, but producers are still refusing to make the HD leap. Reportedly, Mark Burnett (executive producer of Survivor) was quoted as saying that "HD would be a nice addition to [the show], but [it] already has a high visual quality." We've also heard a battery of excuses surrounding the risk of expensive HD cameras being damaged in the wild, but it's easy to see the real reason behind the holdout is dollars and cents. Until viewers start turning their eyes to alternatives that are in high-definition, these giants are apt to keep on cranking out new seasons with the least total upfront cost. Needless to say, it's been a hot minute since anyone 'round these parts have tuned into any reality show not broadcast in 720p / 1080i, but we're definitely hoping to revert our attention back whenever the bigwigs in charge get with the program.[Thanks, Will P.]
DVRs increase TV consumption, and Nielsen ought to know
History repeats itself, indeed. Old-timers will remember the outcry among movie studios that felt VHS would mean death to Hollywood (that didn't happen). And not too long ago, the TV industry felt that the DVR would be its own Black Plague. But Nielsen, the company that watches what you watch, reports that viewing has actually increased with DVR uptake. This report confirms earlier studies showing the same trend. According to Nielsen, the DVR has shifted primetime content viewing to beyond the traditional primetime slot and allowed viewing of programs that would have gone unseen without DVRs. Go figure -- as access to content is made more convenient, consumption goes up! Here's to hoping that the TV industry takes the lesson to heart and focuses more on producing of programs we want to watch than on controlling how we watch it.
The WGA strike is over, when are our favorite TV shows returning?
That's right, the dark period is over. The Writer's Guild has ended its strike, and now we can look forward to some of our favorite shows to watch on our HDTVs coming back sooner, later, or not at all. Thanks to our friends over at TV Squad, we've found a pretty comprehensive list at TV Guide, but here's a few of the ones we're looking forward to: Sooner (March/April/May): House, Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl, The Office, ER, all the CSI's, One Tree Hill, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville Later (Fall '08 - 2009): 24, Chuck, Heroes, Life, Pushing Daisies Not at all: Big Shots, Bionic Woman, Journeyman, Life is Wild [Via TV Squad]
The Price is Right going HD?
We'll be straight with you -- we're taking this with a sizable bucket of salt at the moment, but we've received word that CBS is gearing up to deliver what's undoubtedly one of America's most recognizable game shows in stunning high-definition. We already knew that the network was planning to air a series of The Price is Right episodes on Friday nights here soon, but apparently, the half dozen primetime shows will actually be broadcast in 1080i. Reportedly, you can watch contestants come on down in HD starting at 8:00PM on February 22nd, but don't expect to see the show make the leap to high-def in its daytime slot until sometime in March.[Image courtesy of Yahoo, thanks anonymous tipster]
Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites debuts tonight, still not in HD
Tonight is the season premiere of the 16th edition of Survivor on CBS, and yet again, its not ready for HDTV. We've gone so far as getting in-car NASCAR cameras in HD, but reality shows continue to lag behind. According to an interview with host Jeff Probst, CBS brass are still concerned about the cost, and that he's not in a big hurry to see himself in HD. C'mon CBS, if ESPN can put cameras in anything with wheels, surely you can trot a production crew out to the South Pacific or where ever, and bring some waterproof HD makeup for Jeff.
San Francisco's CBS affiliate (KPIX) flips newscasts to HD
Hard though it may be to believe, San Francisco's own CBS affiliate still wasn't beaming out its newscasts in high-definition earlier this week. Thankfully for those looking for one more reason to tune in, KPIX-TV has finally gone live with HD news and can be seen in high-def on channels 5.1 (OTA locally / DirecTV / DISH) and 705 (Comcast). Go on, Bay Area, bust out the party hats -- CBS 5 is now bringing you 30 hours per week of local HD programming. Check out the full release after the jump.[Thanks, Akilah]
Super Bowl XLII sets viewership record, commercials still more popular
You could almost see this one coming -- a Super Bowl with one team attempting to do what no other team in league history has done? Yeah, that'll draw folks in. A game decided in the final minutes of the fourth quarter helps too, and according to research doled out by Nielsen, Sunday's tilt between the Giants and Patriots was indeed the most watched Super Bowl ever. Reportedly, some 97.5 million viewers tuned in on average, with 105.7 million fixing their eyes on the game between 9:30PM and 10:00PM EST. More interesting, however, was TiVo's research data, which showed that more folks (in its sample, at least) were interested in watching / rewinding commercials than actually pausing to gaze into Brady's eyes. Oh, and for those curious, E-Trade's "Baby" spot snatched the number one rank this year in term's of ad popularity (sorry, Toshiba). Hit up the read links below for oodles more data about the game.[Image courtesy of Getty Images / WNBC]Read - Nielsen's research dataRead - TiVo's research data
Poll: Who's not watching Super Bowl XLII?
Believe it or not, there actually are a few upstanding citizens around the globe who couldn't care less about tomorrow's so-called "big game." Granted, if you live in America, you're likely in the minority there, but we digress. For those of you adamant about not watching Super Bowl XLII tomorrow (and anxious to never hear it spoke of again), why not tell us how you'll be getting your HD fix on Sunday evening? %Poll-8930%
The Weather Channel's first HD series sets viewer records
The Weather Channel's aptly named When Weather Changed History drew the most viewers of any launch ever on the network when it debuted January 6. The first HD produced series on The Weather Channel, increased viewers by about 27% with its debut episode, focusing on the Challenger shuttle explosion. Airing every Sunday at 9 p.m., HD footage is giving people a reason to stay on TWC to watch for other reasons than seeing some poor guy with a mic getting almost blown away in a hurricane.
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."
HBO on Broadband shown on video, arrives to Wisconsin customer
For HBO subscribers, HBO on Broadband sounds like a pretty sweet deal on paper. Unfortunately, the service is currently restricted to Time Warner cable and broadband subscribers in Wisconsin, but that hasn't stopped a video from surfacing showing off the service's capabilities. A clip over at Multichannel News shows it being demonstrated on an LCD TV, and while there's nothing really out of the ordinary -- it's an online viewing portal for peeping HBO programming, pretty simple -- it's still something to keep you satisfied 'til it rolls into your town. Speaking of which, we've found that discs are already arriving at homes of certain Wisconsin residents, and although a pair of Macs are used to advertise the service on the packet, there's a complete lack of OS X support on the discs themselves. Reportedly, the service worked "just fine" in Parallels, but this doesn't seem to be good news for those working sans any flavor of Windows. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Ken C.]
Dan Rather Reports on Politics rolls to Florida on HDNet
If we had to surmise, we'd say that the primary in Florida will be one of the most closely watched for whatever reason, but hey, call it a hunch. As expected, Dan Rather Reports on Politics will also be headed down to Miller Auditorium at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida to provide a two-hour live broadcast to analyze the outcome of the primary. Notably, Rather will be joined by "veteran campaign strategists" Republican Mike Murphy and Democrat Donald Fowler, and if insanity breaks out again over hanging chads and the like, we're sure it'll be quite the time. Tune in next Tuesday at 8:00PM EST on HDNet, and cross your fingers for controversy.
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?
"HBO on Broadband" to offer free downloads, live feed
Being an HBO subscriber is about to get a lot more appealing, as the Time Warner-owned pay channel giant is set to roll out a new service that allows subscribers to both download select content as well as view live feeds, all on their PCs. "HBO on Broadband," as the feature is called, will give HBO on Demand customers on Time Warner's Roadrunner network access to both the live east coast feed as well as numerous TV episodes and Hollywood films, although downloads expire after 12 weeks or less, and you can't natively transfer any of this video swag to a portable device. Mac support is also conspicuously absent here, but seeing how the offer is confined to Time Warner cable and broadband subscribers only in Wisconsin for now, anyway, it's quite possible that an OS X client (and 64-bit Windows one) will become available as more regions get switched on. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Judith]
Real Time with Bill Maher goes HD on HBO
Granted, the 2008 premier of Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO wasn't one of his best performances, but it certainly looked better than shows prior. For those who didn't tune in, you'll likely be interested in knowing that it aired in 1080i for the first time. Now, if only we could get those writers back, everything would be lovely, eh?
NFL Network allows Patriots vs. Giants Simulcast on NBC & CBS
Don't have NFL Network? You'll still be able to see the New England Patriots chase perfection as the league has apparently caved, allowing CBS and NBC to simulcast its feed Saturday night. If the Patriots defeat the Giants, they'll become only the second NFL team to have an undefeated regular season. The NFL has never had a three network simulcast before, and this is the first simulcast since CBS and NBC teamed up on Super Bowl I in 1967. While we were really looking forward to a rerun of Law & Order: SVU, we'll somehow get over it when the game kicks off Saturday at 8 p.m.
