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CBS reveals its preparations for Super Bowl XLI HD broadcast
CBS isn't resting on its reputation for quality HDTV broadcasts during the regular NFL season, as this Broadcasting & Cable article reveals its plans for Super Bowl XLI. Hopefully the person who counted all 47 HD cameras they plan to use during the game isn't the same person who thinks the matchup is between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints (as mentioned in the article), but no matter who is playing one thing you won't be seeing during the game is CBS' old Eye Vision 360 degree replay technology. With a cost over $2 million for an SD system, it's been shelved in favor of three ultra-high-frame-rate cameras for slow motion replays of big plays, or just for big Prince fans tuning into the halftime show. Surprisingly, all of this is still a smaller undertaking than the channel's coverage of the NCAA tournament, but here's hoping everything works out to provide a crisp 1080i picture (and 5.1 surround sound) for all.[Via AVS Forum]
Sinclair & Time Warner make a deal on HD, Mediacom still on the outs
Sinclair and Time Warner have finally reached an agreement that will let the cable provider broadcast HDTV signals from Sinclair-owned affiliate stations. We've been getting reports from HDTV owners in Ohio, Wisconsin and other areas that Sinclair owned stations are showing up in all their HD glory -- too late for the BCS National Championship and last year's Super Bowl -- but better late than never. Still ongoing is the broadcaster's Iowa-centered battle with Mediacom, where affected stations have been dropped entirely from the cable lineup pending an agreement between the two companies. After coming to a "mutually acceptable economic agreement" four year agreement with TW, we'll see if Sinclair and Mediacom work things out, the FCC gets involved, or if this tiff continues to drag on interminably.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Read - High-def versions of Channels 18 and 24 finally coming to cableRead - Sinclair Announces Analog and Digital Carraige Agreement with Time Warner CableRead - Lawmakers tell Mediacom, Sinclair to settle
23 years ago we found out why 1984 wouldn't be like 1984
Many people call Apple's 1984 ad (this one is slightly updated), which introduced the Macintosh, as the best ad ever made. It aired 23 years ago today during Super Bowl XVIII. Head on over to Tony Long's piece for Wired to see why this iconic ad almost never saw the light of day.Here's my question to you, loyal TUAW readers, how many of you actually saw this ad when it was aired (remember that the ad was only aired on TV twice, and only once nationally).
Ban this man from your Super Bowl party
Now that we know who will be playing in this year's Super Bowl, we can plan the party and which friends are coming by to watch the big game. Here's a hint though: Don't invite this guy or anyone who reads his column. There's always going to be someone who claims they can't see the difference between SD and HDTV, no matter how many times you check the settings and use the proper connections to make sure every line of high def and channel of audio is present and accounted for. Why any one of your "friends" would take this columnists advice and deny the obvious truth that not only does HDTV make for a better viewing experience, but owning one also makes you an inherently better person than they, is unknown, but be on the lookout.[Via Fark]
SuperBowl Bombshell?
As we all well know, Apple stunned the world with a single SuperBowl commerical back in 1984. And now the Toronto Sun claims that Apple "plans a 'special' announcement scheduled for a Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 4." As Erica previously posted, all signs point to the Beatles in iTunes. Electonista is even suggesting that access to the remastered Beatles catalog may be on iTunes before CD.While the Beatles in iTunes is not nearly as big a deal as the introduction of the Macintosh, it will be a welcome addition and yet another big SuperBowl victory for the team from Cupertino.
Survey shows HDTV preferred over live Super Bowl experience
Unsurprisingly, surveys these days can often have very interesting results, which may not necessarily represent the general population in a factual manner, but nonetheless, if the "Big Game Survey" is to be believed, more people would rather watch the Super Bowl on an HDTV than actually going to the event in-person. Conducted on behalf of Circuit City, the survey found that 48-percent of all respondents would rather catch the big game from the comforts of their couch compared to just 26-percent who would rather cheer from the nosebleed seats. While it wasn't directly stated where the other 26-percent fell, we can only assume that those were the folks who'd rather pressure-wash their entire house than suffer through four hours of non-stop partying over a game of pigskin. Nevertheless, it's certainly not a surprise to find that sports offerings glue Americans to their couches like no other type of programming can, and the survey also found that around 60-percent of men (and 49-percent of women) were more likely to throw down for an HD set solely because of the Super Bowl (and hosting a subsequent party). While we'd probably have no qualms accepting an all-expenses-paid trip to see the biggest NFL game of the year, we have to assume that folks were taking total cost into account when answering the questions, and considering the dough you'd likely lay down just to get a seat for this primetime event, wouldn't you rather bring home a svelte HDTV instead?
Sky to broadcast Super Bowl XLI in HD
We know, this weekend (and next) is all about seeing which professional teams squeeze their way into the playoffs, and moreover, seeing which college teams score bowl victories in their respective contests, but for the Brits over in England seeing less pigskin and more round ball, we've got some news for you. Reportedly, Sky is set to broadcast America's most-watched sporting event to its customers in crisp high definition, which would make it the first major US-centric sporting event to be shown in such clarity by the company. This past September, Sky Sports purportedly nailed down a deal to show live NFL games and "supporting programs," and we see no better way to take advantage of the newfound partnership than giving the blokes across the pond an HD taste of the sport so well loved here in the States. So for you Sky customers with absolutely nothing else to do on February 4th, be sure to take a gander at Super Bowl XLI, if for no other reason than seeing our football in a whole new dimension.[Via DigitalSpy]
Vizio readies its sub-$2000 47-inch 1080p LCD TV
Ah Vizio, at it again with the low-cost offerings (which Sony doesn't appreciate very much). While we're sure more than a few folks are kicking back and gazing at their recently-purchased $1,000 42-inch PDP, the firm has divulged that come next February, we can all expect a 47-inch LCD HDTV to hit Sam's Club, Costco, and potentially other big box retailers for "less than $2,000." Oh, and it sports 1080p, too. The firm's CEO declared that current 1080p sets in the $3,000+ range simply "aren't affordable," and is hoping the Super Bowl rush to pick up an HDTV before the big game will boost sales of its undercutting set. An analyst noted that Vizio's offerings didn't "have all the extra features" that other manufactures typically include, and that it didn't feature "the best picture quality," but admitted that it was a bargain and "a good value" nonetheless. So if you know that aging set will need replacing come Super Bowl Sunday, and you've only got about two large to throw down, Vizio should be able to fit the bill quite nicely.
Zune to get Super Bowl XLI commercial?
Either Microsoft has never had a Super Bowl commercial, or they've wasted some serious cash on mega-expensive advertising that no one -- at least not at Engadget HQ, anyway -- can seem to recall being aired in recent memory. Looks like that could soon change though; amidst all this hype about the Zune / Argo / Xboy / Microsoft portable media player / whatever the hell it's called, we've received word that Microsoft may be taking this effort all the way to the end zone. According to Digital Music News, the Zune could be starring in a Super Bowl XLI commercial in 2007, which would, of course display the company's commitment to the project initiative -- as well as giving it the kiss of death. Remember what happened to the last prominently placed portable media player to get some Super Bowl commercial action? Yeah, barely, right?
NFL is only now considering HDTV-based instant replay?
We're sure there are some Seahawks fans who think 1080i should have been in use during this past Super Bowl. Buried in this otherwise mundane article about the NFL considering more overseas games is a blurb about the director of officiating visiting NASCAR this weekend. He's checking out their on site HDTV displays that cover every camera angle shown in a race, and is considering switching to high definition for instant replays.We at HD Beat certainly appreciate the tough job referees have, but we think it would be much easier if for example during every instant replay, they went over to our friend Hoyt's theater to take a better look at things. We have much experience in these situations, and can say with absolute certainty that our blind mothers could call a game more accurately while sitting on the couch watching HD than (some) referees.Seriously, a 106" screen versus whatever little TV the ref usually looks at on the sidelines, its not even a comparison. Now the only question is what technology: projection, CRT, flat panel, plasma, LCD, DLP?
Super Bowl in HD: what if nobody showed?
Wondering if Boston was pissed that their New England Patriots weren't playing yesterday? This ought to confirm it. The Whitman Town Hall just outside of Boston was reserved for a free Super Bowl viewing on an 84-inch LCD projection screen, complete with free chips and soda. What could be better, right? Turns out that not a single resident showed up to watch the Steelers beat the Seahawks. Sorry gang, our team wasn't there either, but you can bet your bottom dollar we were watching the whole thing in high-def, home team or no home team. We just hate to see an HDTV setup go to waste; what a shame.
Swanni sez Super Bowl HD coverage not so super
Well it looked pretty good to me! Phillip Swann (aka: Swanni) is usually dead-on with his HDTV commentary and lists of the best or worst looking in high def, but we're scratching our heads over this one. Calling the broadcast "disappointing and flat", Swanni thinks that some of the new HDTV owners were disappointed. We're used to several years of high-def viewing and the coverage, picture quality and sound all rocked our home entertainment rooms.Is Swanni right? To paraphrase Russell Crowe as Maximus from Gladiator, "Were you not entertained?" Do we have any new HDTV owners that want to chime in? What's next Swanni, are you going to tell us that "Gladiator" looks mediocre in 1080i too?
Super Bowl: What TV is that behind John and Al?
It's been troubling me since the pregame, I just can't place it. I'm sure they're using it to watch all the high definition ads during commercial breaks. Sure the NFL's official HDTV sponsor is Samsung, while ABC at least used to have a deal with Zenith, but now who? Stuart Scott and the rest of the halftime and postgame crew have one too.
Did you take advantage of the Super Bowl?
Well, the game is only a few hours away and if you haven't got your new HDTV yet, you better have a big truck and be able to find one in stock. We all know by now that this last week is huge for HDTV sales, but we are curious to know if you bought one because you are a true fan or because the true fans bring down the price for the rest of us.Don't get us wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of a great sale, but did the Super Bowl really have any barring on purchasing a new HDTV? There really was some great sales to be had, and we are sure the retailers and manufacturers are going to announce "record HDTV" sales in a few weeks, but did you take advantage of it?Me? No. I love the Super Bowl and football alike, but it did not drive me to purchase a new HDTV. Maybe if I was hosting the party this year, a bigger one would be cool, but not this time around. Maybe next year though.
HDTV promos for ABC during the Super Bowl
ABC is wisely making the most of tomorrow's Super Day. Expecting that plenty of analog TV owners will be watching the big game on their best bud's HDTV, the network is pumping those analog eyeballs with plenty of promotions for its HD line-up. Expect to see high-definition commercials and promos for Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, The Evidence and Sons and Daughters.This is a brilliant marketing move by ABC; the Super Bowl will look great in high-def, but analog viewers will get to see the other 720p presentations that ABC has to offer. More importantly, these shows have weekly recurring episodes, so the viewers are bound to consider an HD purchase if they can get a weekly (or even nightly) benefit from the expense.
Chattanooga gets its Super Bowl in HD!
We mentioned earlier that a few Comcast subscribers in Tennessee had a petition asking for an agreement between WTVC and the cable provider to get the Super Bowl in high definition on cable. Now it appears they will get what they're asking for; the two companies have worked out a one year agreement that will get service on in time for the game.No mention as to whether or not the petition had an effect, but the people have definitely spoken.
Denver wants to watch the Super Bowl in HD
Rhode Island isn't the only place in America that is desperate to watch the Super Bowl in HD. Denver's Channel 7 is putting up a temporary antenna on top of the tallest building in the city. All we can picture is some dude climbing the building with a coat hanger so his buddies can watch the game in HD. Funny picture.We have had numerous comments over the last few months that cited Denver's poor ABC over-the-air signal. The station indicated that this tower should help with that signal. In case you were wondering why a large market like Denver is waiting to put up a ATSC tower, you can blame some local residents. According to CARE, Canyon Area Residents for the Environment, they're concerned about an unsightly antenna and the "dangerous" broadcast frequencies it emits.
Super Bowl Tickets or total HDTV package?
Super Bowl XL is almost here and you don't have tickets, do you? eBay has you covered though; I found a set of VIP Suite Tickets that are going for $6,500 at the time this post was written. Now, would you spend that much money for a night of football bliss or would you put that wad of cash towards a great HDTV package? Check out what that same $6,500 can get you in our proposed package.
At least someone is benefiting from HDTV conflicts
Electronics stores. If you can't get Super Bowl XL in high definition via your cable provider, you're probably running to the store to get an antenna. St. Louis is a part of the long list of communities that don't have ABC's HD feed included in their cable package. As a result, local companies like Antennas Direct are doing brisk business in selling the necessary equipment to pull in the big game.If you're still wondering what you need to see the Xtra Large game in HD we have a list. Otherwise, you could always start a petition.
Help Chattanooga get an HDTV Super Sunday
It's just sad that cable vs. local affiliate squabbles will probably cost some people a high definition Super Bowl. In Tennessee, a few residents are trying to do something about it, starting a petition to get at least the Super Bowl shown in HD on cable.Please sign the petition, being HD-less on the biggest game of the year is something we wish on no man.[Via HDBlog.net]
