in addition to all the tech info and stuff: it mentions:
MSNBC's on-screen look in HD will change with different dayparts.
Through the bulk of the day, viewers will see a 4:3 picture on the left side of the screen, with an "info bar" on the right displaying headlines, text, photos, weather information, stock updates and even live video thumbnails of top stories. A permanent bug, running as a ribbon on top of the screen, will display the MSNBC logo and the time, while the bottom will feature graphic overlays highlighting stories and a narrow headline ticker.

During primetime, the picture will go full-screen 16:9 for studio programs like Hardball and The Rachel Maddow Show. The decision to go with different on-screen looks was based on both giving more information throughout the day and better accommodating incoming news feeds, most of which originate as 4:3 SD, says MSNBC creative director Marc Greenstein.
MSNBC's Hi-Def Retrofit
6/28/2009
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/307006-MSNBC_s_Hi_Def_Retrofit.php
Great another 'CNBC look' for all daytime stuff...

Let's see how quick they amp up the skin detail softening and diffusion filters on the primetime HD 16:9 shows...


MSNBC Aims to Raise Profile with HD
6/28/2009
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/307007-MSNBC_Aims_to_Raise_Profile_with_HD.php

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/photo/127852-MSNBC_HD_Dayside_1_360x203.jpg

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/photo/127853-MSNBC_HD_Dayside_2_360x203.jpg

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/photo/127854-MSNBC_HD_Dayside_3_360x203.jpg

More reminiscent of ESPNEWS than CNBC.

Looks pretty slick, and it sounds like it's going to be 100% HD in the studio from the start. Verizon needs to add this ASAP.

If they've renovated the DC Bureau for Hardball in HD, what does that mean for Meet the Press?

I hope DIRECTV adds it too - been an MSNBC fan for a while. Can't wait to see Countdown and the other primetime shows in HD.

Would be nice to get BBC World News in 16:9 SD, if not HD, on the HD tier.

My guess is when BBCA HD launches then we'll get a 16:9 upconvert when BBCA is showing BBC World News, otherwise I think BBC World News will be one of the last channels to go HD. I think I remember hearing that BBC wasn't going to bother doing anything really serious until 2012?

Tonight during the 11pm hour the on screen MSNBC bug was the small letter version, except it was in the lower right corner, not the upper right where it was during news coverage. Also, during NBC NIghtly News there was a MSNBC daytime commercial in 16x9 HD, with graphics/colors that matched the new MSNBC on air look.

Satellite operator Dish Network says it is now offering over 140 high-definition channels on a national basis, after launching five new HD networks: FX, Speed, Fashion TV (FTV), Logo and MavTV. Dish, which claims to offer more HD channels than any other multichannel operator, says it will also carry MSNBC HD when it launches next month.

FX HD and Speed HD are located in Dish’s Classic Silver 200 HD programming package and above, available to consumers starting at $22.99 per month for the first six months. FTV HD, Logo and MavTV HD are available in PlatinumHD, an HD add-on package which runs $10 per month.

“No one has more HD than DISH Network,” said Dave Shull, senior vice president of programming for Dish, in a statement.

Additionally, Dish announced that it will now carry the complete 24-hour feed of teen-focused network The N on Ch. 181, which will be its new permanent location.

Following through on plans announced earlier this spring, Cablevision has launched almost 30 new hi-def channels and now offers over 100 HD channels across its entire service area, which covers parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island and the Hudson Valley in New York.

The new channels, some of which were already deployed in New York City, include Big Ten Network HD, Cartoon HD, Turner Classic Movies HD, Planet Green HD, Style HD, Outdoor Channel HD, NBA TV HD, QVC HD, truTV HD as well as additional HD movie channels from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz and TMC. Cablevision will also carry MSNBC HD when it launches later this month.

Approximately 1.6 million Cablevision "iO TV" digital cable customers are taking HD service, an increase of nearly 40 percent from one year ago.

"We launched HD in 2003 with a philosophy that high-definition programming should be available free to our digital cable customers, and more than 100 HD channels later we have held firm to that commitment, with a great and diverse array of programming that includes all HD games of all nine professional sports teams in our market," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's SVP of product management, in a statement.

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/231818-Dish_Boosts_HD_Lineup.php?rssid=20068&q=MSNBC+HD

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/295520-Cablevision_Continues_HD_Expansion.php?rssid=20068&q=MSNBC

Cablevision and Dish are launching MSNBC HD from the start. Any other providers carrying it yet? It's one I'm looking forward to seeing on TWC very soon.

Topic stuck.

Not on Dish yet?

Watching Morning Joe.

Too many graphics. I don’t have a problem with the scroll at the bottom - it isn’t in your face large. I can do without the time/date/MSNBC/Morning Joe at the top – it’s worthless. I know what the date is; I know that I’m watching MSNBC and MJ. There’s room at the bottom to place the time.

Are we going to forever be inundated with the Starbucks puns in the graphics - morning grind, etc.? Yes. :mad:

Top Talker/Sports/Paper banners are too large. When these banners, the ticker, and the top bar are all on the screen, it’s system overload.

Looking forward to MJ in HD next Monday.

Not yet. Knowing dish it could be days, weeks or months :(

I can't wait until they carry MSNBC HD.

Directv customer service confirmed that they will be carrying MSNBC:

After years of preparation, we're excited to bring you our new HD channels! Even though MSNBC wasn't part of our initial batch of new channels, we still expect to begin broadcasting it.

Details are still being finalized, so stay tuned to directv.com/hd to find out when and where you'll find MSNBC in HD on DIRECTV!

I can't wait until they carry MSNBC HD.

Comcast will probably add it in a year:(

Live on Cablevison.
Not sure if I like the gray background scheme.

Live on Cablevison.
Not sure if I like the gray background scheme.

There are also scan lines on the bottom of the screen. I could stretch to hide them, but I like to leave my set in the dot-by-dot mode. I hope they fix.

So how does the HD picture look? I have Comcast, which hasn't rolled out the channel yet.

Video is jittery, don't know if it's a Cablevision of MSNBC problem. Also, it reminds me of a MSNBC+ and not so much MSNBC HD.

screencap from earlier today

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2919/msnbc.th.jpg (http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2919/msnbc.jpg)

MSNBC officials say it will be available in 11 million homes by the end of August.

Video is jittery, don't know if it's a Cablevision of MSNBC problem. Also, it reminds me of a MSNBC+ and not so much MSNBC HD.

Looks more like ESPNEWS than CNBC to me.

So is this going to be real HD with a full 16:9 video frame like FOX News or fake HD with the graphics on the right side like FBN and CNBC?

Video is jittery, don't know if it's a Cablevision of MSNBC problem. Also, it reminds me of a MSNBC+ and not so much MSNBC HD.

screencap from earlier today

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2919/msnbc.th.jpg (http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2919/msnbc.jpg)

I like those graphics. Since CNN is in SD so much of the time, they should do something similar to MSNBC, instead of just simulcasting the analog channel with generic "HD" sidebars.

I have not seen MSNBC HD but judging by that screencap, it looks like MSNBC is the best with on screen clutter. FNC's bug is too big and the lower third banners take up too much space; CNN destroys their HD picture with the pointless weather info on the sides of the screen, the animated logo box is annoying and the resizing text box lower third is irritating. MSNBC makes me think of CNBC, which isn't a bad thing.

So is this going to be real HD with a full 16:9 video frame like FOX News or fake HD with the graphics on the right side like FBN and CNBC?

FBN has some real HD video, even if it's framed in 4:3. MSNBC is real HD during the daytime (albeit partially cut off by the wing), and a full 16:9 HD picture from 5pm through primetime. It looks like the top and bottom graphics allow MSNBC to frame a 14:9 HD picture when the graphic wing is up.

What's the presentation for Morning Joe, Morning Meeting, and Dr. Nancy? Is it wing or full 16:9 picture? Watching Morning Joe in SD this morning, it didn't appear like the top and bottom graphics would line up with the right wing. Morning Joe's top bar looks the same as Hardball, which suggests there's no wing during Morning Joe.

The constant bar across the top is appalling.

I like those graphics. Since CNN is in SD so much of the time, they should do something similar to MSNBC, instead of just simulcasting the analog channel with generic "HD" sidebars.

I have not seen MSNBC HD but judging by that screencap, it looks like MSNBC is the best with on screen clutter. FNC's bug is too big and the lower third banners take up too much space; CNN destroys their HD picture with the pointless weather info on the sides of the screen, the animated logo box is annoying and the resizing text box lower third is irritating. MSNBC makes me think of CNBC, which isn't a bad thing.

That 'fuzz' on the bottom of the screen is quite annoying. It is constantly blinking on and off. Are they going to fix that?

Also, so far, this is not HD, they've just expanded the screen to put more stuff on it. The live reporting is in a SMALLER window taking up LESS space on my screen. That's not the point of HD. FILL MY SCREEN!

So far, I prefer the SD version.

Interesting what Olbermann and Maddow shows will look like tonight. Most likely still SD version (but different graphics package) since TWC systems like mine won't have the HD version for a while...

I hope Rachel Maddow's show doesn't change too much, I like her current graphics. Same thing with Keith, his Oddball, Worst Person, Bushed! graphics make the show. I hope the new scheme doesn't take over too much.

I guess I will be the minority: I like the sidebar graphic. It beats the hell out of what I'm watching---a SD picture with two black bars. I also like ESPN News HD, which looks better than the SD version. What's the point of showing a talking head with empty space to the left and the right when they could utilize the extra screen area to have a cleaner graphic?

Also, so far, this is not HD, they've just expanded the screen to put more stuff on it. The live reporting is in a SMALLER window taking up LESS space on my screen. That's not the point of HD.

The point of HD is a high resolution picture. Is the picture in HD? Granted, since we're talking about Cablevision and four channels per QAM, it might be pretty hard to tell.

Shame on TWC for not having MSNBC yet. I think Keith Olbermann should do a Special Comment tonight about TWC, in the style of Ben Affleck on SNL.

HOOWWWWWWW DAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRE YOUUUUUU SIR, HOOWWWWWWW DAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRE YOUUUUUU!!!! :D:D

xYbI1zS2Pmk

Still, at least they need to fix the problem in the overscan area.

Countdown has the top of the screen banner with the MSNBC logo on the right and Countdown on the left side of the screen. The box that serves as the lower third is used for the story title and countdown number(Right now it says "#4 Tehran's Tomorrow" and it also shows the name of the guest). The opening sequence and music seem to be the same Countdown graphics. No clue whether or not it is HD.

For those wondering and not in the know... Dish announced that they would be carrying MSNBCHD on July 8th.

Anyone have any current info regarding Fios' inability to offer MSNBC in NY/NJ "Cablevision" areas, & weather the HD version of the channel will be a "loophole" around that exclusivity deal??

According to comments at DSL Reports, MeatChicken, Verizon isn't interested in carrying MSNBC HD anywhere until they can carry MSNBC SD in the Cablevision footprint. Which is horrible, terrible news, since no one has any clue when Cablevision's exclusivity runs out. Hopefully it runs out next year, but I wouldn't hold my breath. We might not see MSNBC HD until 2011 or 2012.

According to comments at DSL Reports, MeatChicken, Verizon isn't interested in carrying MSNBC HD anywhere until they can carry MSNBC SD in the Cablevision footprint. Which is horrible, terrible news, since no one has any clue when Cablevision's exclusivity runs out. Hopefully it runs out next year, but I wouldn't hold my breath. We might not see MSNBC HD until 2011 or 2012.
I couldn't tell if those reports were someone's "speculation" or was comming from someone at VZ .... I have my fingers crossed.

Well, if you take a look at msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/ns/msnbc_tv), you'll find that video for Countdown, The Rachel Maddow Show, The Ed Show, and Morning Joe are now in 16:9. Hardball video, which is live from in front of the White House with Chuck Todd while Matthews is off this week, is in 4:3 (even though that's surely the same camera and uplink for live shots in HD during Nightly News and which appears in other MSNBC video in 14:9).

Also, as I predicted before, the daytime shows that feature the wing are in 14:9, not 4:3. Video from Andrea Mitchell Reports, Morning Meeting with Dylan Ratigan, and Dr. Nancy are all in 14:9, as are other videos from MSNBC Live.

It looks like, starting next week when Hardball returns to the studio, every studio show on MSNBC will be in HD, with the possible exception of First Look. My DVR recording confirms that Early Today on NBC (i.e. the first-run of First Look which airs at 4:30am) has not gone HD (or at least affiliate WRC isn't airing it in HD).

I'm coming into this late, but I'll ask because I couldn't find it in this string or another one.

Is D* expected to pickup MSNBC-HD or will is just remain a mystery until one day, it's just there?

From another thread:

Directv customer service confirmed that they will be carrying MSNBC:

After years of preparation, we're excited to bring you our new HD channels! Even though MSNBC wasn't part of our initial batch of new channels, we still expect to begin broadcasting it.

Details are still being finalized, so stay tuned to directv.com/hd to find out when and where you'll find MSNBC in HD on DIRECTV!

The overscan issue is affecting the SD broadcast. There is a gray bar the top of the screen that I can see with Sage TV. Of course, you won't see it if your TV doesn't show the overscan area. But other channels don't have this issue at all.

MSNBC's Hi-Def Retrofit
30 Rock control room, Washington D.C. studio get major HD overhaul
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/28/2009 9:29:04 PM EDT

MSNBC has been planning its eventual migration to high definition since moving from Secaucus, N.J., into NBC Universal headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in October 2007. But due to the logistics of running a 24-hour news network, it has completed the bulk of the hands-on work in the past four months.

While MSNBC was able to take advantage of HD infrastructure that already existed in New York--such as an HD-ready control room, 2-K, and NBC News' massive Avid Unity ISIS storage system--it still had plenty to do before moving to full-time 1080-line interlace production. The biggest projects were converting its primary control room, 3-A, to high-definition, and building a new HD studio at its Washington, D.C., bureau, which was just being finished last week.

MSNBC tried to reuse as much existing equipment as possible in 3-A, the former home of NBC Nightly News, such as Belden coaxial cabling that could already support HD and a Calrec Alpha digital audio console.

"We didn't gut it," says Tim Canary, director of systems engineering and integration for NBC Universal. "It was basically a retrofit in place."

The new HD equipment in 3-A is consistent with gear installed in other NBC control rooms for Today and Saturday Night Live, including a Sony MVS-8000 production switcher, a Grass Valley Trinix router, Miranda distribution equipment and modular components, and an Evertz MVP multi-image display processor to drive the large virtual monitor wall. Graphics, which were also upgraded to HD in control room 2-K, are a mix of Chyron and Avid Pinnacle Thunder systems.

Cameras in both New York and the new Washington set are Sony HDC-1500s, which NBC already uses for Today and Saturday Night Live. MSNBC relies on a combination of fiber links and an Evertz JPEG-2000 compression system to backhaul live camera feeds from D.C. to its control rooms here in New York, eliminating the need for a control room there.

MSNBC upgraded five editing rooms to HD with Avid Symphony Nitris systems. It is editing packages using Avid's DnxHD 145-megabit-per-second mezzanine compression format, storing them on the Unity ISIS. It uses Grab Network's Anystream software for transcoding needs, employing a grid transcoding system with parallel processors.

"Everything here is shared," says Canary. "We have one large Unity ISIS that handles all the content from Today, Nightly News and MSNBC."

MSNBC has installed new video servers to play back edited packages in New York, replacing aging Grass Valley standard-def Profiles with Grass Valley K2 Summit units. The new servers can seamlessly handle both SD and HD content, under the control of Grass Valley Aurora software.

"That was a significant portion of the product, the HD/SD conversion inside the box," says Steve Sneddon, engineering project manager for NBCU. "Now, the operators don't have to think much about the resulting output."

Master control in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., which links to the 30 Rock studio via redundant fiber circuits, also got new HD K2 servers to play out promos and commercials. MSNBC HD will be transmitted in the MPEG-2 compression format using Tandberg encoders.

Like other cable news networks, MSNBC's on-screen look in HD will change with different dayparts.

Through the bulk of the day, viewers will see a 4:3 picture on the left side of the screen, with an "info bar" on the right displaying headlines, text, photos, weather information, stock updates and even live video thumbnails of top stories. A permanent bug, running as a ribbon on top of the screen, will display the MSNBC logo and the time, while the bottom will feature graphic overlays highlighting stories and a narrow headline ticker.

During primetime, the picture will go full-screen 16:9 for studio programs like Hardball and The Rachel Maddow Show. The decision to go with different on-screen looks was based on both giving more information throughout the day and better accommodating incoming news feeds, most of which originate as 4:3 SD, says MSNBC creative director Marc Greenstein.

"For the shows focusing on talent, we'll go as big and as wide as we can," says Greenstein.

Hopefully directv carries it soon. Tired of watching the non-HD version. It's uuuuuuuugly.

Rachel Maddow looks different in HD. Her hair seems much longer.

:D

:D

Topics merged.

The SD broadcast is cropping text from the left and right sides. For example, they just had "he Providence Journal."

And they have Alison Stewart so far to the left that her hands keep going off the screen.

How could they mess that up?

edit: Olbermann went back to his old graphics. Nice and clean. Some of the time there is only a MSNBC bug at the lower right and nothing else, or they add the name of countdown item at the lower left. I had a hunch that Olbermann would not tolerate a bunch of useless junk on his screen. He's the only one with enough clout to make them change it.

I'm really, really hating the top of the screen bugs in prime time. It looks OK in the day when it is combined(as seen in the screencap) with the side panel. But during regular shows it looks awkward to have that crap floating above Keith's head. And the Rachel show is ruined. Rachel Maddow had graphics 100x better than this.

It looked better when the bug and the lower third were combined instead of being on opposite sides of the screen. The primetime shows could benefit from going back to the previous graphics.

Olbermann doesn't have the top of screen bugs tonight, but I watched the rerun and did not see the original.

Last night, the ribbon at the top said "Countdown" during the first run, and then it said "Breaking News" during the rerun.

Olbermann doesn't have the top of screen bugs tonight, but I watched the rerun and did not see the original.

Last night, the ribbon at the top said "Countdown" during the first run, and then it said "Breaking News" during the rerun.

The first run at 8pm had everything on top and nothing on the bottom except for the lower third box on the left. Hardball is on now with Hardball MSNBC on top and a L3 box on the bottom.

I hope Olbermann's show and the others change. That top of screen stuff is not a good look at all. I can see how it works with the side panel, but on the primetime shoes I think the old look was better. File video is messed up because local/national news camera people usually shoot with the subject higher up in the frame(because of lower thirds) then MSNBC comes in and does it wrong and the top of heads are covered. Plus in studio shots look awkward since there is a banner at the top and space above the host's head. TV news is a pretty standardized thing. I don;t see why MSNBC needs to change it. Then again, NBC is also the only broadcast network with the bug on the wrong, I mean left side of the screen....

When Alison Stewart was talking and they showed a silent video clip at the same time, they took the live bug off the screen. But since Alice was talking live, and it was still a live news broadcast, I thought it would have been appropriate to keep the live bug on. It was clear that live referred to Alison and not the silent video. Having the bug blinking on and off during a live show was annoying.

The solution is to just watch the rerun. :D

When Alison Stewart was talking and they showed a silent video clip at the same time, they took the live bug off the screen. But since Alice was talking live, and it was still a live news broadcast, I thought it would have been appropriate to keep the live bug on. It was clear that live referred to Alison and not the silent video. Having the bug blinking on and off during a live show was annoying.

The solution is to just watch the rerun. :D

Is Alison a new regular? I like her a bit, and wouldn't mind seeing them replace the loud mouthed Ed Schultz with her.

As for the new look, I despise the top bar. Ugh. I also hate when the networks put the bar on top during NFL games. Thanks for making me feel like I have a smaller TV than I actually have.

Alison is really just a fill-in for some of their primetime personalities (Olbermann, Maddow). She used to be a regular host on the network and even had her own show (The Most), but moved to NPR a few years back. She is also married to MSNBC's VP of Primetime Programming Bill Wolff.

More here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Stewart

The white ribbon is back on "Countdown" tonight, but Olbermann is gone so it doesn't really matter. :)

Olbermann requires the viewer to pay attention, more so than most other news shows. In contrast, you could put a bullet in your brain during Nancy Grace's program and not miss anything important.

That's why Olbermann is best with clean and simple graphics, while Nancy Grace needs the most incredibly cluttered and frantically busy screen that could be devised.

Either MSNBC decided to pull the graphics or they are broken. Tonight at 10 Alison Stewart is on again and the top of screen banner was missing followed by just a MSNBC bug without anything else. Plus the screen flickered a few times.

Something finally in HD. However video is still jittery and scan lines are still present at the bottom.

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/6001/cap4443696.th.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/6001/cap4443696.jpg)

BOO! Now the top of the screen crap is back! :(

Hey, I'd be happy to have a jittery picture with scan lines, if it was HD. Sure beats analog SD.

I compared that HD screen capture to what I'm seeing in SD with SageTV, and it's not a huge difference. The HD is better, but not quite what I expected.

At least it is 16:9, that's good enough for me. I don't have high expectations as far as PQ from TWC. Many of the other channels on TWC, like Palladia, USA, SCIFI are not that great looking.

Early Today is in HDTV on WKYC Cleveland. The opening graphics and studio shots are HD, SD video has orange pillar bars that say "Today".

Looks really nice. The graphics used on Early Today are a million times better than the ones used on the Today show, which has the ugliest graphics of all morning shows.

I noticed something else. On WEWS (ABC) in Cleveland there is a news crawl on screen that is 16:9. It's not local, it is the same crawl seen during GMA in the ABC news font with ABC NEWS bugs on it. Even though the show is 4:3, it appears the crawl is inserted as if it were HD. Maybe ABC news is the next early morning news to go HD?

So is all that prison programming on MSNBC a Microsoft thing or a General Electric thing ? Always wondered what that stuff was supposed to be about. Why not just go to infomercials like eveyone else ?

So, what's the schedule for Meet the Press in HD? As I recall, that is supposed to happen sometime this year. The DC Bureau has at least one HD studio for Hardball, but I believe the studio that MTP broadcasts out of is, for whatever reason, controlled by local affiliate WRC.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but MTP will conveniently be on hiatus this Sunday for Wimbledon.

On Morning Joe this morning, Joe said they were getting emails that the crawl along the bottom is too small. He said they were working on it. NO!

C'mon DirecTV. Get with it!!!

Once 356-HD is live I can finally put the 4:3 <> 16:9 button to rest. :D

Yeah no kidding, get with the program. I thought DTV was the Pioneer on HD channels

On Morning Joe this morning, Joe said they were getting emails that the crawl along the bottom is too small. He said they were working on it. NO!

I hope they change the crawl. I'd like to see a crawl like they used to have, not that obnoxious thing that scrolls one line at a time. It's almost as bad as CNN's "flipper".

If they went back to a standard cable news crawl, they wouldn't have to make anything bigger. I've noticed that problem on CNN. They try to fit lots of text into a small space and it looks squashed.

Microsoft quit MSNBC TV in 2005.

"Microsoft Quits MSNBC TV, but Web Partnership Remains"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/business/media/24msnbc.html

Microsoft quit MSNBC TV in 2005.

"Microsoft Quits MSNBC TV, but Web Partnership Remains"
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/24/business/media/24msnbc.html

Apparently their PR guy quit too, because they're last to the market with an HD channel, and now that they have one, nobody carries it yet

Actually, the last would be Headline News. There was a piece floating around here yesterday about when Headline News will launch HD and be available on cable.

Yeah no kidding, get with the program. I thought DTV was the Pioneer on HD channels

DTV = Digital TV, as in over the air

D* = DirecTV

Early Today is in HDTV on WKYC Cleveland.

And on WBAL in Baltimore.

From Fredfa's "Hot Off The Press" thread:

Speaking of MSNBC...

HDTV Notes
Dish, Time Warner Cable In New York Next For MSNBC HD
Rollouts Will Continue In July For HD Version Of News Service
By Mike Reynolds, Multichannel News - July 3rd, 2009

MSNBC HD, which came out of the gate with launches on systems owned by 10 distributors on June 29, will debut on Dish Network and within Time Warner Cable's Big Apple footprint in July.

According to NBC Universal officials, Dish Network will extend the enhanced version of MSNBC nationally this month.

For its part, Time Warner Cable, which bowed the news service's HD feed on its systems serving Syracuse and Binghamton, N.Y. on June 29, is slated to open MSNBC HD to its customers in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island on July 22.

Bend Broadband is among the other distributors scheduled to add MSNBC HD in August -- at which time it is expected to be available in 11 million homes -- and everything after.

MSNBC has been planning its migration to the high-definition since moving from Secaucus, N.J., into NBCU headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza since October 2007.

Featuring new shows, The Meeting With Dylan Ratigan from 9-11 a.m., and an hour hosted by health guru Dr. Nancy Snyderman at noon, MSNBC HD, in addition to the aforementioned Time Warner Cable launches in upstate New York, rolled June 29 out on systems owned by distributors Armstrong (Ohio), Atlantic Telephone Membership Corp., Beld, Burlington Telecom, Click Network, Columbia Power & Water Systems, Horry Telephone Cooperative, Massillon Cable and Cablevision, throughout the New York DMA (where it holds exclusivity preventing Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse from offering the news service in either the standard- or high-definition format).

http://www.multichannel.com/article/307447-Dish_Time_Warner_Cable_In_New_York_Next_For_MSNBC_HD.php

MSNBC HD coming to Comcast.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=16769793#post16769793

Once 356-HD is live I can finally put the 4:3 <> 16:9 button to rest. :D
What makes you use the button now?

Stretchovision. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!! ;)

Stretchovision. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!! ;)
Even if someone were to partake in that terrible viewing experience, it doesn't require any extra button presses. The format settings only apply to SD programming.

So is all that prison programming on MSNBC a Microsoft thing or a General Electric thing ? Always wondered what that stuff was supposed to be about. Why not just go to infomercials like eveyone else ?

Whatever the case it's pretty pathetic programming for a supposed full time "news" channel.

Why are we acting like the prison documentaries are a bad thing? INFOMERCIALS are a bad thing. They're evil. We Pay for TV and have to watch infomercials. Kudos to MSNBC for at least showing something other than paid programming/shopping.

It could be worse. They could be like CNN and air twice as much HD programming between 11pm and 9am as they do between 9am and 11pm.

Whatever the case it's pretty pathetic programming for a supposed full time "news" channel.

True... but lets be honest... MSNBC, Fox, and others are not even close to being "news" channel. They are entertainment news channels with a mix of opinion.

So technically these types of shows are not out of place at all.

Actually, outside of the prime time preening and "personalities", I would argue with that.

For the most part, IMO, all three do a pretty solid job of general -- if predictable, and talking-head centric -- news coverage during the day time hours.

Now in HD on E*. Looks good other than the fact 1/2 of the screen is covered with graphics. I'm looking forward to Morning Joe tomorrow.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/Deltoid/IMG_1877.jpg

Now in HD on E*. Looks good other than the fact 1/2 of the screen is covered with graphics. I'm looking forward to Morning Joe tomorrow.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/Deltoid/IMG_1877.jpg

Can't hate that bar on the top enough.

Off topic comments deleted.

The way the news channels are doing HD reminds me of the "frames" or "no frames" back in the day.

I'm watching some Hardball video on MSNBC.com. It's got pillar bars, so I assume this is the only show that hasn't gone HD?

They changed The Rachel Maddow Show ribbon to BREAKING NEWS, with BREAKING NEWS also at the bottom of the screen.

It's looking more like Nancy Grace every day. :D

MSNBC-HD is on Dish -- but unfortunately, it is not at this point included in any of the Dish HD only (Turbo HD) packages. I found that out this morning when I thought, OK, now that I've got MSNBC-HD, I'll switch to Turbo HD Gold with Platinum. As soon as I did, MSNBC-HD was gone. Called Dish, and was told that MSNBC-HD is not available as part of any HD only package, and there is no way to get it unless one also subscribes to a Silver or Gold Standard package, in addition to HD. So my only choice was to switch back to what I had yesterday, and continue to pay too much for SD Channels I don't want. Seems a shame.

MSNBC-HD is on Dish -- but unfortunately, it is not at this point included in any of the Dish HD only (Turbo HD) packages. I found that out this morning when I thought, OK, now that I've got MSNBC-HD, I'll switch to Turbo HD Gold with Platinum. As soon as I did, MSNBC-HD was gone. Called Dish, and was told that MSNBC-HD is not available as part of any HD only package, and there is no way to get it unless one also subscribes to a Silver or Gold Standard package, in addition to HD. So my only choice was to switch back to what I had yesterday, and continue to pay too much for SD Channels I don't want. Seems a shame.

not on my package, gold. msnbc came in hd first time yesterday on e*
looked pretty good i might add

not on my package, gold. msnbc came in hd first time yesterday on e*
looked pretty good i might add
Is your package Classic Gold 250 (with an HD package added on), or TurboHD Gold (in which case you'd get only HD channels, no SD, as I understand it). My MSNBC-HD looked pretty good in "Gold" too, until I changed to the HD-only Turbo Gold package, and it was gone. I suppose Dish could have added it to the HD-only package later in the day, or there is something else going on... though I notice it still isn't listed in any of the Turbo packages, which doesn't necessarily mean anything. But the Dish rep told me that there are at least a couple of other HD channels, in addition to MSNBC-HD, that aren't available unless one also has one of the non-Turbo or classic packages. Are you getting MSNBC-HD in an HD-only package on Dish?

I've got the Dish Gold 250 package plus HD. But I am only getting msnbc in SD.

Are different regions getting it at different times? Probably not. But I am just guessing.

Anybody Know?

is Dish carrying this in their TurboHD packages?

Or only in their other standard packages?

I hate the discrepancies they have between their "HD-only" service and the other packages.

What makes you use the button now?
After adding an HDMI/TOSlink switcher (Psyclone PSC47) into my rack, the Optoma HD65 projector can no longer autosense an aspect ratio change; hence, I'm stuck switching formats manually. :o

After adding an HDMI/TOSlink switcher (Psyclone PSC47) into my rack, the Optoma HD65 projector can no longer autosense an aspect ratio change; hence, I'm stuck switching formats manually. :o
I hate to go further OT, but I'm a little confused. Unless you're using Native mode with the Original Format setting, the aspect ratio shouldn't be changing. Just set it to Pillar Box and call it a day.

When will Directv carry this in Hd

MSNBC Debuts New HD Studio in Washington

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/msnbc_debuts_new_hd_studio_in_washington_121383.asp

When will Directv carry this in Hd

Let the conspiracies begin! (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mike-sargent/2009/07/08/msnbcs-shuster-blames-murdoch-perceived-slight-msnbc-directv) Next up, a Special Comment by Keith. :D

From Broadcast Engineering

MSNBC HD unveils new studio in Washington, D.C.

MSNBC unveiled a new set in the NBC News Washington Bureau last week that brings it up to par with similar technical facilities in the cable network’s New York City studios. The HD studio will be used for “Hardball” and other MSNBC programs which originate from the nation’s capitol. The new studio mimics the network’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studio, with its multiple HD flat-screen monitors, Sony HD cameras and shared storage editing environment.

NBC Universal broadcasts in the 1080i HD format.

I've asked this question in the Houston Comcast forum and gotten only crickets.....

MSNBC is one of main channels I watch that still is in SD here in Houston and I feel I'm wasting the capabilites of my Sammy 52"!

In general, I'm happy with my Directv service and enjoy MSNBC (in SD only). AFAIK Dish is the only national provider that currently carries MSNBC HD. It is unfortunate that Dish decided to only include it within the predominently SD Classic Silver 200 package. If they offered it within either their Turbo HD Bronze or Silver packages I'd switch to them in a heartbeat given the price differential to what I'm paying for Directv now.

Eric

MSNBC was added yesterday in the already all-digital portions of the Seattle market. Great to have this channel but I am disappointed in the presentation of their 6AM PDT to 2PM PDT programming block. The HD-wing on the side is a pretty substantial drawback. Their studios look great now and their graphics package is pretty clean and minimalist... I would love it all if only they presented in 16:9 all day.

Incidentally, The Weather Channel was also added yesterday and I noticed they use a wing on the left side of the screen too... Maybe this is what people want, but I just don't get it.

MSNBC-HD up and running in Time Warner Cable in NYC (714). And just in time for tonight's Obama press conference. :)

MSNBC-HD up and running in Time Warner Cable in NYC (714). And just in time for tonight's Obama press conference. :)

Well, a consolation to not having MSNBC HD is that I was able to watch said conference in HD via a local station.

the 1st segment of "morning meeting" was presented 16:9 and looked great. then when they came back from 1st break, the HD-wing was there. At first I thought they'd seen the error of their ways; no such luck.

What happened to the HD sidebar? Last Thursday and Friday the afternoon 'newsroom' coverage between 12 and 5 had the side panel on the right side of the screen.

All this week I've noticed the side panel is missing and it's just a stupid widescreen picture. I liked the side panel, I want it back.

Apparently it's 16:9, I'll know a week from today when I finally get the channel.

I prefer the full screen mode.

Live on FiOS as of today.

Good to see they killed the news pillar. A surprising amount of the live remote shots are in HD. As far as the graphics, it's not quite as spartan as CNN's package, but at least it's clean and unobtrusive. I actually like the graphic bar across the top of the screen; it is not nearly as distracting as the animated bug in the center-right corner on CNN. PQ is very good.

CNN and MSNBC obviously get killed in the ratings, but from my perspective their HD presentations are both far superior to Fox News.

Live on FiOS as of today.

Good to see they killed the news pillar.

No it's not. That was the one thing I loved about MSNBC's afternoon news coverage. Unlike CNN who used to just have generic "HD" bars on the screen, at least MSNBC utilized their screen space.

Now it's just another stupid empty screen like FNC and CNN. It's wasteful to have a talking head in the middle of an empty screen. :mad:

I'm 100% with URFloorMatt on this one. I found the HD Wing to be distracting and mostly irrevelent. It was a welcomed change when they wised up and killed it.

I'm 100% with URFloorMatt on this one. I found the HD Wing to be distracting and mostly irrevelent. It was a welcomed change when they wised up and killed it.
Yep. There is no need to fill up the screen with graphics.

Yep. There is no need to fill up the screen with graphics.

This is the only time I ever support on screen graphics. It's a NEWS channel, ESPN NEWS, CNBC, FOX Business and The Weather Channel have the right idea.

There's really no point in having MSNBC HD or the others if it's gonna be this way. The analog channel would be good enough.

Has anyone seen MSNBC HD added to their local cable line-up for the Olympics? I've seen mention of it on RCN's Web site (https://www.rcn.com/j/olympics) but as far as I can see, it has yet to be added.

Has anyone seen MSNBC HD added to their local cable line-up for the Olympics? I've seen mention of it on RCN's Web site (https://www.rcn.com/j/olympics) but as far as I can see, it has yet to be added.

A whole lot of Comcast systems got it added last week.

This is the only time I ever support on screen graphics. It's a NEWS channel, ESPN NEWS, CNBC, FOX Business and The Weather Channel have the right idea.

ESPNEWS does it right. Whenever CNBC gets around to actually shooting HD video (and presumably framing, as ESPNEWS does, the 14:9 or 16:9 picture in the video window), it might not be so bad. (But what I'd rather seem them do is borrow from the MSNBC look and minimize the overuse of graphics and graphic fills, and let the picture dominate the frame instead.

Fox Business is a bit of a graphics disaster. It's overloaded; it makes poor use of space; and it frames the video in a 4:3 window.

The Weather Channel is a disaster too. The video protects almost the entire bottom half of the screen for the standard lower-third graphic plus local tickers and other graphics. Even though the HD feed carries none of those graphics but the lower third, they thought it was a good idea to fill the left pillar with HD graphics and squeeze the already-poorly framed main picture into a crammed 4:3 window. Effectively, TWC has reduced the relevant information on the screen to 1/4th the actual screen space. The sooner TWC figures out how to do local HD inserts so that it can dump the left wing entirely, the better.

Sorry, I'm ranting.

A whole lot of Comcast systems got it added last week.

As did FIOS. (Permanent addition, not just for the Olympics)

Hasn't been added on Comcast in Baltimore, even though we have room for it.

Fortunately our Time Warner System (San Diego-North County System) added msnbc HD 2 days before the Olympics started (Feb. 10th) while the main TWC San Diego system added msnbc HD back in December. So we've been set for the Olympics with every single NBC Universal Cable Network in HD that's showing the Olympics.

I'm with DirecTV, and I don't normally ever watch MS-NBC so I missed this thread until now. I just put it on to watch the hockey game, and noticed it's still SD. Any idea why we haven't gotten this in HD yet?

I'm with DirecTV, and I don't normally ever watch MS-NBC so I missed this thread until now. I just put it on to watch the hockey game, and noticed it's still SD. Any idea why we haven't gotten this in HD yet?No room.

No room.
Nah, there's room. At the very least, the HD slot held by Versus has never been replaced, so there's one open slot. DirecTV simply wasn't able to reach a carriage agreement with NBC/Uni, which seems to be becoming a common theme with DirecTV lately.

There's plenty of room, especially with the NHL CI channels not in use right now with the season on hold for the olympics...directv is lame and so is NBC for putting a replay of the Cze-Rus game on their main channel and the main event (Can-USA) on msnbc...

the can/us game is not in hd on directv? where the heck is it?

There's plenty of room, especially with the NHL CI channels not in use right now with the season on hold for the olympics...directv is lame and so is NBC for putting a replay of the Cze-Rus game on their main channel and the main event (Can-USA) on msnbc...

Seriously - that's what I'm upset about.

the can/us game is not in hd on directv? Where the heck is it?

356

There's plenty of room, especially with the NHL CI channels not in use right now
The NHL CI "channels" are just remapped RSNs. There is no freed up bandwidth right now, since the RSNs are still there.

NFL ST, on the other hand...

It's really disapointing that MSNBC HD wasn't widely available for this game. Both NBCU and cable providers are to blame.