I emailed the New York bureau hoping for an answer, however the email was ignored. Has anyone here heard of anything about NBR going HD. I mean Huel House has been in HD, but NBR is in standard def.:confused:

Thanks
Rudy

OK I got a reply today, and thought I'd post it here:

dear viewer:
thanks for your recent email to nightly business report.
at the moment, we do not have a definite date for our transition
into either a 16 by 9 format or a high definition broadcast.
we are working with PBS to accomplish both of these changes as
quickly as possible.. we know we will be transitioning into
a 16 by 9 format in standard definition on or before february 17, 2009..
which is, as i'm sure you're aware, the national digital transition
date.
we hope you continue to watch and enjoy the program!

Wendie Feinberg
Managing Editor
Nightly Business Report on PBS

Rudy

It is now in 16:9 standard definition. They have custom pillar-bars on some shots. I thought the PQ was worse however compared to what it was when it was 4:3.

I noticed the change to 16:9 last night. I wouldn't say the PQ is worse, but it is definitely SD. For most of the field footage they have blue side pillars on either side of the 4:3 content but for one segment last night they reverted to pillar boxed (black bars on either side). It would be cool if this is a prelude to switching to HD.

The PQ on Tuesday looked much better then it did on Monday. WNET-DT New York on Cablevision.

I noticed the change to 16:9 last night. I wouldn't say the PQ is worse, but it is definitely SD. For most of the field footage they have blue side pillars on either side of the 4:3 content but for one segment last night they reverted to pillar boxed (black bars on either side). It would be cool if this is a prelude to switching to HD.
Agreed, I though the PQ was not too bad, however, it was obvious that it wasn't HD. Peculiar, considering my inquiry was just 4 months ago (see above) and they clearly stated that they had no plans for either 16x9 or HD.

Here's hoping that the HD is close behind the 16x9.

Rudy

considering my inquiry was just 4 months ago and they clearly stated that they had no plans for either 16x9 or HD.

I guess you didn't read the response they sent you because it clearly said they were going 16:9 SD this month.

we know we will be transitioning into
a 16 by 9 format in standard definition on or before february 17, 2009.

Peculiar, considering my inquiry was just 4 months ago (see above) and they clearly stated that they had no plans for either 16x9 or HD.

Not my reading of their reply. They said they didn't have a definite date NOT no plans? (You can plan something before you have a definite date on which you will make the change. I remember the BBC doing loads of planning work before it switched network news to 16:9 in 2000 (August?) - after launching their 24 hour news network News 24 in 16:9 in 1997. There were plans for the 3 years between the two - but the definite date for the switch was chosen relatively late. (Though there was a brief switch on Dec 31st 1999/Jan 1st 2000 as the Network News on the 2000 Today Millennium programme was 16:9...)

I guess you didn't read the response they sent you because it clearly said they were going 16:9 SD this month.
:o Doh guilty as charged. :) I meant HD only, of course, but in my overactive pessimism included 16x9 as well.
Not my reading of their reply. They said they didn't have a definite date NOT no plans? (You can plan something before you have a definite date on which you will make the change. I remember the BBC doing loads of planning work before it switched network news to 16:9 in 2000 (August?) - after launching their 24 hour news network News 24 in 16:9 in 1997. There were plans for the 3 years between the two - but the definite date for the switch was chosen relatively late. (Though there was a brief switch on Dec 31st 1999/Jan 1st 2000 as the Network News on the 2000 Today Millennium programme was 16:9...)
Thanks sneals. I think in seeing how slow things are in transitioning to HD here in Los Angeles, my attitude has turned a bit too much to the negative side. The old "I'll believe it when I see it". I think I need to rope it back in a bit to the positive side. :)

Rudy

:o Doh guilty as charged. :) I meant HD only, of course, but in my overactive pessimism included 16x9 as well.

Thanks sneals. I think in seeing how slow things are in transitioning to HD here in Los Angeles, my attitude has turned a bit too much to the negative side. The old "I'll believe it when I see it". I think I need to rope it back in a bit to the positive side. :)

Rudy

Well you're a long way ahead of us in HD - though we're universally (with a few exceptions) 16:9 (SD usually, sometimes HD - though with only a few HD outlets) and have been for quite a while.

BBC News, ITN (who do ITV News and Channel Four News), Sky (who also do Five News) and the BBC and ITV regional news operations are all 16:9 (with a few minor exceptions) these days.

Is it just me or has the PQ for one of the studios improved dramatically. It appears to be the Miami studio that is home to both Paul Kangas and Jeff Yastine. The PQ looks HD. No?

Rudy

Is it just me or has the PQ for one of the studios improved dramatically. It appears to be the Miami studio that is home to both Paul Kangas and Jeff Yastine. The PQ looks HD. No?

Rudy

It looks very good, but it doesn't quite look HD to me. When they do the side by side shot of NY and FL, the FL studio shot does look obviously sharper then the NYSE shot.

Well the new year brings in a new co-host, new graphics, and a new virtual set in Miami, but still SD widescreen.

http://www.newscaststudio.com/blog/2010/01/04/nightly-business-report-debuts-new-look-and-virtual-set/

What gets me is NBR in my market is broadcast on a SD channel in postage stamp format:mad: Using zoom fills my 16:9 screen in proper aspect but really lacks resolution.