Did you notice that some of the shots that they are showing in 16:9 format are actually 4:3 format shots that are stretched? I've never watched khou for the local news but ever since they went HD, I only watch them!
The sky cam and weather cams have been in HD for a while -- they advertise that in their commercials as well. But who cares about the chopper and weather cams that come on once or twice for 15 seconds during a 30 minute broadcast.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4519149.html Anchors lament: High-definition TV reveals all Technology shift calls for special expertise By MIKE McDANIEL Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle TOOLS Email Get section feed Print Subscribe NOW RESOURCES Stations boost quality as HD TVs gain in popularity High-definition TV is great for viewers, not so great for those in front of the camera. Blemishes and imperfections can become more pronounced, and age lines pop like never before. "I have joked that when people get to see us in high-def, they'll finally realize that Neil Frank and I were separated at birth," KHOU anchor Greg Hurst said. Because there are many more lines of transmission information in HD, everything shows up a lot clearer. It's great for sports — you see the players sweat and watch spit fly. But for actors, anchors and reporters, the transition to HD can be horrifying. Which is why Channel 11 called in Audrey Mansfield, who's been dabbling in HD makeup since the format's infancy. Mansfield once was the makeup artist for ABC's Monday Night Football. Now she does the same for NBC's Sunday night football announcers. She also travels with all the NBA games on ABC. She is a style contributor on a show in San Francisco. And she's a consultant teaching HD makeup around the country. "Everything shows in HD," she says. "It's like looking at someone in an 8x magnifying mirror." It tends to freak some talent out, she says, "and it depends on their age group how much they get freaked out." "The very best thing to do is to use airbrush makeup because it is a dot-dot system versus a full-coverage system (like pancake makeup)," she said. "A dot-dot system gives you coverage without being heavy." At Channel 11, an airbrush system will be employed, she said, "but it will take (talent) awhile to get used to it. In the interim, they're using mineral makeup or cream-to-powder foundation. What you want is coverage without buildup. You want to have a blended look." Mansfield warns that HD does not like harsh lines (like those formed by eyeliner) or contour (a problem for lovers of eye shadow). A creme or tint-blush rouge works better than a powder blush. Lip liners are out; lip stains are in. "You want a softer color because harsh colors look like too much," she said. The bad news: Applying airbrush makeup is almost impossible for do-it-yourselfers. "It's great when someone applies it on you, but it's very hard to apply it yourself unless you're a makeup artist," she said. Darker-skinned men and women — Asian, Hispanic, black — look better on HD than people with very pale skin because HD reads color better. "On very pale skin, without airbrushing it's very hard to make the skin look a little warmer and healthier," she said. As for wardrobe: Houndstooth and patterns, which produce moray patterns in standard definition, are now acceptable in high def. White shirts, which tended to "bloom" under the old system, now work in HD. "Now you can wear whatever you want," Mansfield said. As for hair: "If men have hair that's a little wiry, HD accentuates it. So you have to make sure every flyaway is smoothed. Before, we used to avoid curly hair because it looked messy, but with HD curls just look like curls."
Picture perfect As high-definition TVs gain popularity, stations invest in technology to boost quality By MIKE McDANIEL Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/tv/4518718.html Congratulations, you lucky owner of a brand-new high-definition television. You are part of a 35 percent minority of Americans who have bitten the high-tech bullet, and Sunday you will receive your ultimate reward: a Super Bowl game with pristine, unequaled picture quality. Ah, but football is not the only reason to upgrade to HD. A remarkable and growing number of shows are being filmed in the format. Virtually all scripted shows on prime-time broadcast TV are being aired in HD, and a number of daytime shows — from sports to Jeopardy! to The Young and the Restless — are going HD, too. Likewise, the number of HD channels available on satellite and cable continues to grow. Dish Network leads the way with about 30 networks (including local channels). Last month, DirecTV announced plans to unveil a hundred-channel HD lineup before the end of the year. The HD news just keeps getting better: Starting Sunday, KHOU-Channel 11 will join some 29 other stations across the country as among the first to offer all its local news in HD. "It's a multimillion-dollar investment in technology," said Susan McEldoon, KHOU's vice president and station manager. "HD cameras are more up-close and personal than the traditional analog camera, capable of finding the slightest flaw. We had to tune up our set so that it was in absolute perfect shape. The lighting had to be changed. We added video panels. And we changed the monitor wall on our set." KTRK-Channel 13 is likely to be the next Houston station to offer HD news. Already it has beaten everyone in Houston TV news to the HD punch, telecasting in the format from its Sky Eye helicopters and from stationary tower cameras. "And that's not an insignificant accomplishment," noted KTRK general manager Henry Florsheim. "It's not like subbing one camera for another. It's a pretty good trick" involving digital systems that can "talk" to one another. Channel 13 has chosen to invest in other digital platforms, including a second digital channel, services for the phone and TV at the gas pump. "It was a station decision that some of these other digital platforms had a lot of good value for consumers," Florsheim said. Channel 11 has invested in HD cameras for its studio, chopper and stationary posts, but its field cameras will be updated piecemeal. HD has been around for several years, but only now is it truly catching on with consumers. The number of network offerings and the greater availability of HD sets have resulted in lower prices, boosting sales. "Last year the average high-definition television cost $1,046, down significantly from previous years," said David Poltrack, director of research for CBS. "That price is going to come down to under $800 in 2007." Though it's expensive to upgrade, broadcasters are eager to employ HD. The Super Bowl is a key HD player, it being the most-watched telecast of any year. Many people hold off on the big-ticket TV until just before kickoff. In fact, official annual HDTV sales numbers are not expected to be released until after Sunday. The number is expected to be big — the arrow points up when it comes to HD consumption, in all forms. For the Super Bowl, the number of HD ads will climb from 25 two years ago to 60 for Sunday's game. Channel 2 (NBC) and Channel 11 (CBS) telecast HD in 1080i — 540 lines of video information interlaced with 540 other lines of info. Channels 13 (ABC) and 26 (Fox) prefer 720p — 720 lines sent in a progressive stream. Proponents swear by each format, though most viewers cannot tell the difference. (Note: 1080i TVs score highest marks in the March 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.) "I own both," said Frank Peterman, KHOU director of technology. "There are certain things you can watch that will show better on one format versus another. If you were to watch CSI (shot in 1080) on an ABC station (which supports 720), it wouldn't look as good. When it comes to football, some people say 720 is better because you don't get as much pixelization." Most HD offerings air primarily during prime time, 7-10 p.m., when most viewers are planted in front of their sets. In general, the networks offer all their scripted series in HD. Unscripted shows — game and news shows like Survivor, Deal or No Deal, 20/20 and Dateline — are not available in high-definition. There are exceptions. Good Morning America is available in HD, as are such afternoon game shows as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! At right is a channel-by-channel lineup of HD offerings, followed by a list of HD channels available on cable, satellite and fiber-to-the-home company Optical Entertainment Network.
I just got Direct TV HD installed on my 51' Hitachi tv. I can't believe the picture quality i was missing. Who knew watching the local 11 news would be this good. Anyone know when Direct TV plans to unveil their 100 plus HD channels? I haven't been able to get a straight answer out of anyone.
You DID know that you didn't need Direct TV to see HD, right... ? just wondering... btw, every time I see your nickname, I think I am looking at someone's digital camera's photo numbering sequence
I didn't want to buy an off air antenna. I'd rather just spend the extra 10 bucks and upgrade my Direct TV. Once they add another 100 HD channels it will be well worth it.
