I was watching CNN today and noticed that most (if not all) of their studios appear to have HD cameras. Also, a while back, I heard that they actually have an HD feed running in their bureaus, and that they have all the control room equipment necessary to do an HD broadcast.

So, what's stopping them from launching this channel?

If I had to guess, I would say it's upgrading their field cams and getting the satellites to work.




SEPTEMBER 1 UPDATE:
CNN HD has reportedly launched, but, as of yet, nobody's carrying it. DirecTV plans to carry it when they get their D10 satellite launch.
All NYC-originated programming will be HD (AC 360, American Morning, etc)
The Situation Room and main Atlanta studios will be SD at launch, but are rapidly converting over to HD
Field cameras are being upgraded to XDCAM HD. Expect some field reports in HD this year
Washington DC facilities will be able to route/edit in HD (i.e.: shots from White House, etc)

There's no bandwidth for the stuff that needs to be in true HD like Movies.

They are not going to send HD feeds back on remotes, on widescreen 16:9 480i, thus I don't want the bandwidth wasted at this point as they will just take it from HBO, SHO or some other place.

And, do you really want to see Larry King in HD? :D

i'd like to see field reporting done in HD, not just studio shots. perhaps CNN will be the first to provide something like that.

And, do you really want to see Larry King in HD? :D

Priceless........ :-)

Actually, according to the ratings, CNN needs viewers first.

Steve

i'd like to see field reporting done in HD, not just studio shots. perhaps CNN will be the first to provide something like that.Too late. HDNet claimed that crown a LONG time ago. :)

And, do you really want to see Larry King in HD?


Scary, he already looks like the living dead.

Now, Lou Dobbs on the other hand...

Paula Zahn in HD, I'll go for that. ;)

Too late. HDNet claimed that crown a LONG time ago. :)

forgive me i have comcast.

Too late. HDNet claimed that crown a LONG time ago. :)

True but they repeat the same show for the week

Paula Zahn in HD, I'll go for that. ;)

A much better alternative than, say, Greta Van Sussteren in HD on Fox! :eek:

Seriously though, news doesn't need to be HD to be compelling and there's just no need for it at the moment. Besides it's not like CNN is flush with cash now that it comes in a distant second (and sometimes, like with 'Paula Zahn,' third) to the F***s News Channel. :D

How is it that CNN, the largest news organization on the planet doesn't have an HD channel? This seems almost ridiculous to me. Do they figure people simply don't really care about watching their news with increased resolution? Here's hoping the powers that be over at CNN figure out that the largest news organization in the world NEEDS to have an HD feed!

John from Boston

Look for it late next year.

CNN uses HD cameras and has spent a lot of time upgrading their operations to support it.

Just for accuracies sake, CNN might have the most employees, but The Associated Press covers far more news from many, many more bureaus worldwide.

Here are its statistics:

3,700 AP editorial, communications and administrative employees worldwide

242 total bureaus worldwide

1,700 U.S. daily, weekly, non-English and college newspapers

5,000 radio/TV outlets taking AP

1000 AP Radio Network affiliates taking AP Network News

330 International broadcasters who receive AP's global video news service, APTN, and SNTV, a sports joint venture video service.

8,500 International subscribers who receive AP news and photos

121 number of countries served by AP

5 languages, including English, German, Dutch, French and Spanish. The report is translated into many more languages by international subscribers.

Just for accuracies sake, CNN might have the most employees, but The Associated Press covers far more news from many, many more bureaus worldwide.

Here are its statistics:

3,700 AP editorial, communications and administrative employees worldwide

242 total bureaus worldwide

1,700 U.S. daily, weekly, non-English and college newspapers

5,000 radio/TV outlets taking AP

1000 AP Radio Network affiliates taking AP Network News

330 International broadcasters who receive AP's global video news service, APTN, and SNTV, a sports joint venture video service.

8,500 International subscribers who receive AP news and photos

121 number of countries served by AP

5 languages, including English, German, Dutch, French and Spanish. The report is translated into many more languages by international subscribers.

Hmmmmmm. Okay. My apologies for not specifying I was speaking of a television news organization! I thought that would have been obvious on a television forum...silly me! Let me know where I can find AP Net. And I thought I had a lot of time on my hands!

John from Boston

threads merged

HD news coverage is something I've been looking for for a while now. I don't understand why anyone would think the news shouldn't be in HD?

We have wars going on, natural disasters occuring, humanitarian crises abound, and reporters standing in the middle of the action. Is this not arguably one of the BEST uses for HD? I would've loved to have seen some of those shots inside Haifa after a rocket landed in widescreen HD to get a better idea of the damage and what the situation really looked like on the street. Imagine live coverage during hurricanes in HD? Waves crashing against the shore, etc. That would look incredible.

I wish SOME network would step up. Hey, wasn't MSNBC supposed to be the "high tech" news channel back in the day? Maybe if they go HD, they could get something going over there other than that one guy making lame jokes about O'Reilly to get a headline.

If anyone is going to do it, with the resources they have, it should be CNN. They are the least bad, and in many ways the best, of the three cable news channels. I look forward to them doing it well, though, as TurboDan outlined above. Also, their excellent documentaries should look great!

However, CNN is not without its flaws. IMO it needs to be more intelligent, more dignified, less sensational, and give more time and background to the important stories. I would bet that if they watch their ratings less while focusing more on honorable, valuable news, being #1 will take care of itself.

A "Fox-light" channel will not help anyone. Fox News already has the low class audience who would rather be entertained than informed, CNN needs to differentiate its product more. When they start interviewing porn stars to further copy Fox News is when I give up on them. But I don't see that happening.

So...

There's no bandwidth for the stuff that needs to be in true HD like Movies.

They are not going to send HD feeds back on remotes, on widescreen 16:9 480i, thus I don't want the bandwidth wasted at this point as they will just take it from HBO, SHO or some other place.
Amen

Paula Zahn in HD, I'll go for that. ;)

I know Paula's attractive, but am I the only one that has a hard time watching her show? I'ts hard for me to watch her for even a few minutes. And I know they paid here a ton a money.

Now to get back to the OP question: CNN doesn't even have a digital feed on C-band. I know cable companies don't have CNN digital feeds there analog I believe. So CNN would have to launch a HD feed which I'm sure there planning on it. And on c-band there analog feed is pretty good stuff, as good as any digital channel I've seen on cable.

Someone mentioned HDNet's early role in 1080i news coverage. Their World Report often features current international news events, and recall some live coverage of news events, too, although not surprisingly that has to include some tedium that takes place routinely.

Don't doubt that CNN has jacked up the flashy graphics/audio, sensational coverage, and excessive self-aggrandizements in direct response to Fox News, which pushes the same--apparently successfully to capture audiences. Next up in the war: Fox TV rolls out regular 720p 'news' features of busty babes in bikinis, as in News Corp.'s British tabloids (well...almost), and CNN has to follow with the same in 1080i. :) -- John

Speaking of HDNet's 1080i news coverage - do they use their own cameras to film news events or is that stock footage from someone else? Since no one else is doing HD news, I wonder where their content originates.

Speaking of HDNet's 1080i news coverage - do they use their own cameras to film news events or is that stock footage from someone else? Since no one else is doing HD news, I wonder where their content originates.
I recall seeing the piece on the RFID chip on The NewsHour on PBS (which is scheduled to go HD early next year), so either HDNet or PBS is borrowing content there.

This is a thread about CNN and/or other news channels in HD. We'll allow technical discussions and posts regarding image presentation. Comments on the content have little to do with HD, but we'll allow some of those as long as they don't turn political. I've removed political comments.

Voom has the HDnews channel. Kinda like CNN Headline news but in HD.

Speaking of HDNet's 1080i news coverage - do they use their own cameras to film news events or is that stock footage from someone else? Since no one else is doing HD news, I wonder where their content originates.

Actually, Voom has 24-hr news channel in HD (available on Dish Network): http://www.voom.com/vhdo/news/index.jsp

It repeats quite often, but unlike HDNet is all HD news all the time, so I guess it is the 1st and only of its kind. Don't know about the originality of most of their footage, but they did send a reporter to Lebanon during the recent crisis.

In any event there is probably no cable or satellite operator that would even consider adding a 'CNN-HD' to their line ups.

Just about all operators are starved for available bandwidth to carry new HD services and presently prioritize sports, movies, locals and hd versions of popular basic cable services such as TNT and Discovery.

Even Verizon would probably balk at having to pay an additional carriage fee to carry CNN-HD when the SD version struggles for decent viewing numbers.

Frontline does some HD stories from time to time. They just showed a repeat of a story they did in 2004 from Iraq of the MASH units and injured soldiers. Pretty compelling stuff.

It appears that all the video clips on the CNN website are 16 x 9, but certainly not HD. However, the picture is very clear in most cases. I wonder if they are filmed in HD, or just SD widescreen.

Directv has announced at CES they plan to add CNN in HD in 2007.

If CNN HD exists in 2007. DirecTV said it has an agreement in place to carry CNN HD whenever it becomes available.

But the automatic addition of DirecTV's HD subscriber base can only speed the day CNN makes the move....and, as announced at the Television Critic's Winter Tour Tuesday, that move will come in September

(edited Jan. 9)

Considering how long its been in the works, I doubt CNN will miss their 3rd quarter projected launch this time, but who knows.

If CNN HD exists in 2007. DirecTV said it has an agreement in place to carry CNN HD whenever it becomes available.

But the automatic addition of 15+ million homes can only speed the day CNN makes the move.

WOW! D* has 15 million HD customers now :eek:

Maybe we can have some clout with regards HD Lite now! ;)

CNN announced today it would begin broadcasting in HD in September.

Directv has announced at CES they plan to add CNN in HD in 2007.

From the same Corporation that brought you TNT Stretch-O-Vision.

CNN announced today it would begin broadcasting in HD in September.


Do you have any type of article or news piece on this?

Thanks

WOW! D* has 15 million HD customers now :eek:



In their dreams.

They had UNDER 1 Million HD Subs with each sub having 1.2 HD IRDs at the end of 3Q 2006. FWIW, of those roughly 1.2 Million IRDs, 325k were the HD TIVO.

He was referring to an inaccurately worded post I made, HDTVF..My bad.

sure:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9405995&&#post9405995

Do you have any type of article or news piece on this?

Thanks

any news or updates on this topic?

any news or updates on this topic?

look at post # 34 :rolleyes:

I applaud you for dragging this topic from the dust. It seems like we have to restart so frequently at AVS. (Some of that is attributed to me, I know)

look at post # 34 :rolleyes:

yea I read that

I just want to know if someone has more information on this

I watch CNN and MSNBC at least 2 hours a day

yea I read that

I just want to know if someone has more information on this

I watch CNN and MSNBC at least 2 hours a day

Not sure what more information you need. It's pretty clear:
CNN announced today it would begin broadcasting in HD in September.

:D

Not sure what more information you need. It's pretty clear:


:D

Like, will it be available to other cable companies?

Will it be 24/7 HD or just particular programming?

Is Wolf Blitzer the real Santa Claus?

I'd rather watch foxnews in HD, but if cnn beats them to the upgrade, I guess I will watch it a little more than I do now.

I'd post a comment to that but it will just be deleted!

I'd post a comment to that but it will just be deleted!

And you'll be suspended.:D

Wasn't there an announcement a few months ago that CNN would launch an HD service around September 2007?

And as for largest news organisations - as I understand it Associated Press is the largest news organisation, and the BBC is the largest news broadcasting organisation, or at least the one with the most widespread reporting network (with BBC World Service reporters in pretty much every country on the planet)

When it comes to HD news operations - AIUI NHK in Japan has a very well developed HD set-up, with HD circuits linking their London and US bureaux to Tokyo, and around 80% of their news coverage originated in HD (which means they can't be using much APTN, Reuters or EVN coverage...) Al Jazeera English is currently running their studios in HD in London, Doha, Washington DC and Kuala Lumpur, but their field operations are still in 16:9 SD (with 4:3 SD material converted) AIUI

Over here - Sky News and Sky News produced Five News, ITN produced Channel Four News, and BBC News on BBC One, Two and News 24 and BBC World is produced in 16:9 - though BBC World and some Sky News outlets are converted to 4:3 for broadcast.

sooo.... september starts this weekend, just pinging to see if there's anything new to be reported.

this was reported in the local hawaii thread a week or two ago. i'll believe it when i see it but it does sound promising...

this is for oceanic time warner cable...

CNN HD Sept 1, TBS HD Oct1 & Dec Ocean sports channel. Just got off the phone with Oceanic.

What do you think will be HD at launch?
I'm predicting the studios and the bureaus. Field reports will be 4:3 SD and cropped to 14:9 or fully pillared.

Also, wouldn't CNN launch Headline News in HD as well? Their set looks to be HD.
They might as well launch CNN International in HD or 16:9 SD while they're at it. The set for Your World Today looks HD-ready.

What do you think will be HD at launch?
I'm predicting the studios and the bureaus. Field reports will be 4:3 SD and cropped to 14:9 or fully pillared.

Also, wouldn't CNN launch Headline News in HD as well? Their set looks to be HD.
They might as well launch CNN International in HD or 16:9 SD while they're at it. The set for Your World Today looks HD-ready.

I predict HD studio shots and the video (all SD) will be in a small box surrounded by tons of graphics. However, their most decidedly non-title safe logo will no longer be cut off by the frame of the TV...at least on the HD channel. The SD folks probably don't care, anyway.

So CNN HD, TBS HD coming to someone, I think E* will be the first to have theses maybe next Wed along with HistoryHD or Sep 15th with the other Turner channels.

Priceless........ :-)

Actually, according to the ratings, CNN needs viewers first.

Steve
Well, maybe adding HD would draw more viewers.;)

Check this out...

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/6965/hdsheet073107cnnrn3.jpg

[QUOTE=Wasn't MSNBC supposed to be the "high tech" news channel back in the day? Maybe if they go HD, they could get something going over there other than that one guy making lame jokes about O'Reilly to get a headline.[/QUOTE]

O'Reilly in HD. Now that's scary! :p

Hopefully the moron responsible for presenting all of the cnn.com videos as 4:3 stretched into a 16:9 media player frame isn't the same person responsible for how CNN HD will look....

I am not too concerned about CNNHD (Rather see Fox News HD myself) :) but if Comcast does NOT have TBS-HD on October 3rd,there will be **** to pay.

Hopefully the moron responsible for presenting all of the cnn.com videos as 4:3 stretched into a 16:9 media player frame isn't the same person responsible for how CNN HD will look....
Look at TNT HD, and you can see how CNN HD will look. Mark my words, Turner doesn't know how not to stretch an HD channel.

Its disappointing that all of these Tuner networks are getting HDTV (like TNT, TBS, CNN, & CN) when Turner Classic Movies which could really benefit from HD is ignored. Oh well, at least they aren't stretching the classics.

Look at TNT HD, and you can see how CNN HD will look. Mark my words, Turner doesn't know how not to stretch an HD channel.

I don't think they'll do it---simply because CNN is way too complex NOT to have pillars. At any one moment, you may have 4:3 video stuck in a graphics box on screen with a HD image filling up the rest. Then they'll have side-by-side video going on with 4:3 and 16:9. If anything, it'll end up like a better version of ESPNHD.

Now, as for commercials, that's a totally different story.
I bet the promos will be HD, but the rest of the commercials are stretched unless there's an HD version available.
CNN has much more planning behind it than almost any other network's HD launch. Of course, it's still a Turner network....

So will anyone have this at launch? I heard rumblings about select TWC systems picking it up, but, come on, it's cable. And D* can't get it for at least a couple more days.

That is assuming the rumoured launch date of September 1 is correct.

(Which, if it was, you would think they would be promoting it a ton, but tonight is business as usual)

^ Time Warner is getting it, and I at least I know I will get it soon because My market has shut down analouge.

Did it launch today?

Did it launch today?
If a channel launches, and no provider carries it, does it make a sound?

A story in Hot Off The Press discussed CNN HD. Main points:
No stretching
All NYC-originated content will be HD
Field reports are SD, but are being converted to XDCAM HD
Atlanta and The Situation Room are SD but are being converted over
The Situation Room will be able to incorporate HD content despite being SD at launch


Here's the full article:
The Business of Television
CNN HD Primed for Launch
HD simulcast backed by new master control, production gear and cameras
By Glen Dickson Broadcasting & Cable 9/3/2007

Global news giant CNN is ready to launch a full-time high-definition service, CNN HD, that will initially be carried by satellite service DirecTV and likely find additional carriage with major cable operators.

CNN HD was slated to begin operations Saturday, Sept. 1, though consumers may not see it for a few weeks. DirecTV won’t be ready to carry new HD networks such as CNN HD until its DirecTV 10 satellite becomes fully functional in mid-September. At press time, no other cable or satellite operators have yet committed to carry CNN HD, though CNN says additional carriage deals will be announced over the next few months.

While CNN is the first cable news network to launch an all-HD channel, it follows more than a dozen other networks, including the broadcast networks, HBO, Discovery and others. The new service will be a high-definition simulcast of the main CNN network. CNN will be producing its video in widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) high-definition wherever possible, and deriving a 4:3 version from that feed to serve standard-def viewers. That single-production, dual-output technique has become standard among major networks for cost-effectively producing live sports and news programming.

TRUE VS. LEGACY

All of CNN HD’s programming won’t be produced in true high-definition at the start. For now, the high-definition portion will consist of shows from CNN’s New York studios at Time Warner Center, such as “American Morning,” “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” and “Anderson Cooper 360.” CNN documentaries and special events will also be offered in HD, along with replays of the New York studio shows, for a total of more than 60 hours a week in HD.

“All of our programs that originate out of New York will be produced in HD,” says Bob Hesskamp, vice president of CNN broadcasting engineering and systems technology. “The graphics and the studio shots will all be 16:9. But we still have a legacy of 4:3 library material, and the newsgathering will obviously be 4:3.”

Broadcasts originating from CNN’s Atlanta studios, as well as the bulk of field coverage, will continue to be produced in 4:3 standard-definition and upconverted to the 1080-line interlace HDTV format. “The Situation Room” with anchor Wolf Blitzer, which originates from Washington, D.C., will also remain in standard-def. But CNN’s Washington bureau will be able to take in HD feeds from locations such as the White House, and will have some HD editing capacity.

When showing 4:3 video, CNN HD will fill the 16:9 screen by adding graphic sidebars, says Hesskamp: “We’re not going to stretch our video.”

While CNN won’t disclose the total investment required to launch CNN HD, it is certainly well over $10 million. Much of the Time Warner Center studios, which were completed in 2004, were designed with HDTV in mind, and as such, studio cameras, production switchers and many cable runs were already HD-capable. But other parts of the infrastructure had to be upgraded, including a new router, editing and graphics tools, an HD server for long-form programming, and the rest of what Hesskamp calls the “digital glue”: digital-to-analog converters, upconverters, downconverters and the like.

“We’ve invested a lot up there, but we were as ready as we could have been in 2004,” says Hesskamp.

CNN has created a brand new HD master control in Atlanta, along with a new quality control area that is used to monitor outgoing and incoming HD feeds. It has also added high-definition post-production capacity in Atlanta to support long-form programming.

CNN HD hasn’t yet created an HD set in Atlanta, but that is planned, along with other additions to the network’s high-definition production capability as part of its ongoing renewal and replacement budget.

“Obviously, we’ll buy HD gear when equipment is to be replaced, and we’ll look strategically at what we have to add to the replacement budget to create HD production capacity,” says Hesskamp. “We’re still in the decision-making mode on the next phases. It was a lot of work just getting to this point.”

AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

In the field, CNN is investing in Sony’s XDCAM HD optical-disc-based camera format, which will replace aging Sony Betacam SX gear and will be phased in over the next few years.

CNN’s global transition to XDCAM HD, first announced at the NAB show last spring, is “going great,” says Hesskamp. The network has purchased a number of XDCAM camcorders, distributing them domestically, and to a limited extent, internationally.

“The video we have shot so far looks fantastic, but we’ve been focusing on workflows and training,” says Hesskamp.

CNN HD has also deployed some HDV-format camcorders as another high-definition video source, and viewers should expect to see some HD footage from the field this fall.

“We’re going to study those things individually on a shoot-by-shoot basis,” says Hesskamp. “Our goal, obviously, is to get as much HD content on as we can. But we’re not going to have HD crews everywhere; we can’t do it overnight.”

CNN HD is already shooting and editing documentaries in high-definition that will premiere this fall, including “CNN Presents: Planet in Peril” with hosts Anderson Cooper, Jeff Corwin and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, which airs Oct. 23 and 24. CNN HD will also produce upcoming debates in the 2008 presidential race in high-definition, including the Democratic debate in Las Vegas on Nov. 15 and the Republican candidates’ debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Nov. 28. CNN already produced the July 23 “CNN/YouTube” debate between Democratic candidates in Charleston, S.C., in HD as a test run.

Says Hesskamp, “I think the biggest change for us is that nothing is really plug-and-play anymore. Every single piece of equipment has to really be tweaked and tested.”

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/ind...leID=CA6474130

says Hesskamp: “We’re not going to stretch our video.”
A Turner network got it right! This is amazing!

Open House had a segment on choosing which LCD TV to buy and showed CNN HD on each of the displays. The segment is during the last 5 minutes of "Open House" which airs today at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on Headline News (segment should air around the 3:52 p.m. time frame). Like NBC Nightly News has during their SD video feeds, CNN had the graphic side bars with their live shots and their Atlanta Studio shots. The biggest notice was the news ticker running across the bottom of the screen (even over the side bars). No actual HD screen shots on the LCD TV's, though. Check out "Open House" on HN this afternoon for a sneak peek.

Scary, he already looks like the living dead.

Now, Lou Dobbs on the other hand...

Even scarier is that "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" woman on CNN HN. We have a bigscreen in our lunch cafe and I cringe every time she's on.

Open House had a segment on choosing which LCD TV to buy and showed CNN HD on each of the displays. The segment is during the last 5 minutes of "Open House" which airs today at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT on Headline News (segment should air around the 3:52 p.m. time frame). Like NBC Nightly News has during their SD video feeds, CNN had the graphic side bars with their live shots and their Atlanta Studio shots. The biggest notice was the news ticker running across the bottom of the screen (even over the side bars). No actual HD screen shots on the LCD TV's, though. Check out "Open House" on HN this afternoon for a sneak peek.

OMG those bars looked HORRENDOUS!
I really hope that stupid CNNHD bug isn't really there

For those that didn't see it, they have black/grey HIGH DEFINITION written on the pillars.
I couldn't really make out the rest, but that's what I saw.


----
Bringing up another point, do we expect a graphics overhaul over at CNN for HD? They've esentially had the same graphics going on at least 3 years here. And what I saw from the clip on the screens (which was of SD CNN NewsRoom) it didn't translate well to HD.

Paula Zahn in HD, I'll go for that. ;)

She's gone. Campbell Brown will be taking her place.

OMG those bars looked HORRENDOUS!
I really hope that stupid CNNHD bug isn't really there

For those that didn't see it, they have black/grey HIGH DEFINITION written on the pillars.
I couldn't really make out the rest, but that's what I saw.


----
Bringing up another point, do we expect a graphics overhaul over at CNN for HD? They've esentially had the same graphics going on at least 3 years here. And what I saw from the clip on the screens (which was of SD CNN NewsRoom) it didn't translate well to HD.


Are they like ESPN HD pillars when they show 4:3 programs?



As long as the leave things the way they are suppose to look I am happy.

I almost never watch CNN but I do watch TBS and Cartoon Network wich is owned by the same company and if they follow the CNN model I will be happy, if not, I will stick to the analog channel on non HD material. Hopefully TNTHD will change to CNN's model.

I almost never watch CNN but I do watch TBS and Cartoon Network wich is owned by the same company and if they follow the CNN model I will be happy, if not, I will stick to the analog channel on non HD material. Hopefully TNTHD will change to CNN's model.
I think CNN was allowed to deviate from Turner's stretch-o-vision just because of the unique nature of the channel. TBS has already been confirmed to be stretched, and I can't see Cartoon Network being any different.

We can't have the kids complaining that Pokemon doesn't fill the screen.

When showing 4:3 video, CNN HD will fill the 16:9 screen by adding graphic sidebars, says Hesskamp: “We’re not going to stretch our video.”

Good. Stretched SD would be especially ugly in between HD studio shots.

First off to everybody comparing TNT/TBS "stretch-o-vision" with CNN...although both companies have the same parent company (TW), they are completely separate entities run by different management and even supported by different engineering groups. CNN is its own company within a company as is Turner Entertainment which comprises all of the other turner channels. Sure there are a couple people way up at the top who oversee everything but most of the operational decisions are made independently of one another. This is one reason why CNN is able to choose pillarboxing over stretching. Do you really think that in a company as massive as TW there isn't a significant division of power and decision making??

Second, regarding the appearance...as of now it looks like CNN is going with the ESPN-esque gray-to-black side bars on their 4:3 content. The ticker is also scrolling the entire width of the screen which really is nice as previously mentioned, and the 'cnn hd' bug is indeed real and it looks pretty good in person.

As far as what will be broadcast in actual HD 16:9...Initially it will consist of the shows transmitted from TWC in NY (i.e. American Morning and the prime time evening block) as well as some of the upcoming debates and certain specials that have been recorded in HD. I believe all this was already in the official press statement but there it is anyway.

Overall, from an HDTV users pov, it would have been nice for everything to be in HD from the get go but its just not practical with the nature and current state of newsgathering in the field. I can tell you that side-by-side, the difference in picture quality for HD material on CNN is fantastic.

As far as the question of anybody seeing CNN HD today...I'm not certain but I think there is at least one market receiving the channel today. I, however, will have to watch it at work until Comcast picks it up in Atlanta...which will probably be never at the rate they seem to be aquiring HD channels.

First off to everybody comparing TNT/TBS "stretch-o-vision" with CNN...although both companies have the same parent company (TW), they are completely separate entities run by different management and even supported by different engineering groups. CNN is its own company within a company as is Turner Entertainment which comprises all of the other turner channels. Sure there are a couple people way up at the top who oversee everything but most of the operational decisions are made independently of one another. This is one reason why CNN is able to choose pillarboxing over stretching. Do you really think that in a company as massive as TW there isn't a significant division of power and decision making??

Second, regarding the appearance...as of now it looks like CNN is going with the ESPN-esque gray-to-black side bars on their 4:3 content. The ticker is also scrolling the entire width of the screen which really is nice as previously mentioned, and the 'cnn hd' bug is indeed real and it looks pretty good in person.

As far as what will be broadcast in actual HD 16:9...Initially it will consist of the shows transmitted from TWC in NY (i.e. American Morning and the prime time evening block) as well as some of the upcoming debates and certain specials that have been recorded in HD. I believe all this was already in the official press statement but there it is anyway.

Overall, from an HDTV users pov, it would have been nice for everything to be in HD from the get go but its just not practical with the nature and current state of newsgathering in the field. I can tell you that side-by-side, the difference in picture quality for HD material on CNN is fantastic.

As far as the question of anybody seeing CNN HD today...I'm not certain but I think there is at least one market receiving the channel today. I, however, will have to watch it at work until Comcast picks it up in Atlanta...which will probably be never at the rate they seem to be aquiring HD channels.

They seemed to just sneak in the addition of HGTV and FoodHD a couple of months back, I'm still waiting for several channels that look like they may nveer get here. I hate Comcast Atlanta.

I noticed lately there is some Cartoon Network HD material on Voom's AnimaniaHD but they are been like mini short films 5 to 10 minutes. I only noticed after channel surfing and it said presented by Cartoon Network HighDefinition Turner Network.

Based on an article that was posted several months ago about CN's HD preparation (which allegedly goes back all the way to its first original cartoons), CN is going to have a lot of HD content from the start, easily more than TBS on a daily basis and probably more than TNT. Of course, it's just animation, but still.

I just hope they show their anime in HD, or at least OAR.

TBS has already been confirmed to be stretched, and I can't see Cartoon Network being any different.

Honestly for cartoons I always stretch them. This started because I saw allot of anime squished from a 16x9 to 4x3 so I started stretching all cartoons. To me it's not the same thing as stretching a film image.

Do you really think that in a company as massive as TW there isn't a significant division of power and decision making??I've also seen the opposite where someone at the top of a large organization can't stand the screen not being filled and mandates measures to prevent that. Glad that CNN has some autonomy.

While HD XDCAM can give excellent results, it will be interesting to see how the cameras are set up. It seems too common for news cameras to be set with high levels of image enhancement. I think part of that comes from low bitrate sat backhauls (4-6 Mbs symbol rate) that soften the picture. The bandwidth required for HD backauls, even with newer codecs, might tax sat bandwidth.

Release Date: 9/4/2007

CNN Stakes Claim in High-Definition Space with CNN HD

Launch of CNN HD Is Company's First 24-Hour News Network in High Definition

CNN Worldwide this week launched its first 24-hour news network in high definition, marking the company’s global commitment to provide more news and information in that format for years to come.

CNN HD, which was made available on Saturday, Sept. 1, stands as a separate high-definition signal offering a programming line-up identical to the CNN/U.S. channel broadcast in the standard-definition format. As part of its initial entry into high-definition television, CNN will produce all of its New York-based programs, select documentaries and special events, including Planet in Peril and presidential debates, in high definition.

The launch of CNN HD is part of a continued rollout of high-definition offerings and innovations. CNN Worldwide’s high-definition plans go beyond upgrades of studios and production centers and include a significant investment in equipment in the field to ensure that its journalists can gather news in high definition. For example, crews will be equipped with a combination of HD cameras, laptop editors, trucks and fly-aways and the CNN Election Express, the network’s mobile HD production unit.

“As part of our strategic growth, we are aggressively investing in our newsgathering efforts worldwide to bolster CNN’s delivery of news and information across all available platforms and services,” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “Our move into HD is one of many significant ventures we have undertaken this year to increase CNN’s edge as the world’s news leader.”

For CNN HD, programs produced in high definition will include American Morning, CNN’s new 8 p.m. program anchored by Campbell Brown, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Anderson Cooper 360º, Lou Dobbs Weekend, Your $$$$$ and Open House. High-definition programming also includes Planet in Peril, a sweeping four-hour documentary featuring Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet’s Jeff Corwin. Filmed in high definition across four continents and 13 countries, Planet in Peril will air over two nights on CNN/U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, and Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET/PT).

CNN’s first documentary filmed entirely in high definition will be CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet featuring Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent. It will air on Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET). CNN’s next two presidential debates – a Nov. 15 Democratic debate co-sponsored with the Nevada Democratic Party in Las Vegas and a Nov. 28 Republican debate co-sponsored with YouTube in Florida – will both be shot and produced in a high-definition format for live broadcasts.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

http://www.turnerinfo.com/newsitem.aspx?P=CNN&CID01=ade074d5-31d6-4644-a024-f7a61fe81adc

hopefully brighthouse picks this up as soon as possible

I'll be lucky if my cable operator picks it up before 2012. We seem to get 1 or 2 channels every couple of years.

CNN Worldwide Sept. 1 launched its first 24-hour news network in HD, CNN HD — a separate HD channel identical to the CNN/U.S. SD channel.

http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/cnn-worldwide-24-hr-cnn-hd-0904/

At press time, no other cable or satellite operators have yet committed to carry CNN HD, though CNN says additional carriage deals will be announced over the next few months.


My local Time Warner Cable has announced it will add CNN HD at the end of the month (around the 20th I think).

Considering TW owns Turner/CNN, I would think they'd be the first. Lets hope so!

I guess I'm spoiled by WRAL having local news sports and weather... even the traffic copters are in HD already.

CNN HD launched Sept.1

http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/cnn-worldwide-24-hr-cnn-hd-0904/?r=4

My local Time Warner Cable has announced it will add CNN HD at the end of the month (around the 20th I think).

Jeez man...

how many time are you gonna say your Time Warner Cable in various threads...

WHAT Region!!!???

WHAT Region!!!???
The one he's in! I thought that was obvious...

The one he's in! I thought that was obvious...
:D

No matter where you are, there you go...

Johnny WHO!!!???

In response to TVOD 's post on September 4
>While HD XDCAM can give excellent results, it will be interesting to see how >the cameras are set up. It seems too common for news cameras to be set >with high levels of image enhancement.

This story is about a standard definition shoot, not HD but totally relatable:
I totally know what you mean. In NYC in 2001 we did a 2 camera interview. One camera was CNN staff's BetacamSX camera that has a 18 Mbps data rate (10:1 video compression).
We were shooting analog BetacamSP using Sony BVW-D600.
When we plugged the two cameras via composite video into a 9" Sony monitor's A & B inputs, Oh My God! the CNN camera was set to maximum detail. MAXIMUM!
Not being allowed to touch the menus of the CNN camera left us to having to crank the Sony D600's detail to maximum and even then it only looked half as bad as the BetacamSX camera.
They didn't exactly 'match' when we shot the 2-camera interview an hour later.

To give you an idea of the BetacamSX format being 18Mbps, the top of the line standard definition Digital Betacam camera recorded at 90 Mbit/s. (video compression at 2.3:1).


with HD and CNN's chosen format for HD acquisition, the current XDCAM HD Sony's PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 cameras have a 1/2" CCD recording at data rate and a poor 4:2:0 VBR long GOP MPEG-2 compression recording at 35Mbps.
2008 model XDCAM HD cameras are promised to be a 2/3in. CCDs and record 4:2:2 VBR, long GOP MPEG-2 at 72Mbps.

-kspaz

My local Time Warner Cable has announced it will add CNN HD at the end of the month (around the 20th I think).

where in the world are you located?

In response to TVOD 's post on September 4
>While HD XDCAM can give excellent results, it will be interesting to see how >the cameras are set up. It seems too common for news cameras to be set >with high levels of image enhancement.

This story is about a standard definition shoot, not HD but totally relatable:
I totally know what you mean. In NYC in 2001 we did a 2 camera interview. One camera was CNN staff's BetacamSX camera that has a 18 Mbps data rate (10:1 video compression).
We were shooting analog BetacamSP using Sony BVW-D600.
When we plugged the two cameras via composite video into a 9" Sony monitor's A & B inputs, Oh My God! the CNN camera was set to maximum detail. MAXIMUM!
Not being allowed to touch the menus of the CNN camera left us to having to crank the Sony D600's detail to maximum and even then it only looked half as bad as the BetacamSX camera.
They didn't exactly 'match' when we shot the 2-camera interview an hour later.

To give you an idea of the BetacamSX format being 18Mbps, the top of the line standard definition Digital Betacam camera recorded at 90 Mbit/s. (video compression at 2.3:1).


with HD and CNN's chosen format for HD acquisition, the current XDCAM HD Sony's PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 cameras have a 1/2" CCD recording at data rate and a poor 4:2:0 VBR long GOP MPEG-2 compression recording at 35Mbps.
2008 model XDCAM HD cameras are promised to be a 2/3in. CCDs and record 4:2:2 VBR, long GOP MPEG-2 at 72Mbps.

-kspaz

Wasn't the D600 probably the best BetaSP integrated camera Sony made? Effectively the same camera head as their contemporary DigiBeta camcorder, but with an SP rather than Digi deck - much better than the 200s and 300s used by news operations? (I don't know many news operations who used 400s or 600s in the UK...)

I suspect that even ignoring set-up issues it was still a much better front-end than whatever version of SX camcorder CNN were deploying!

SX was always the poor relation - the compression system wasn't quite good enough - and in some cases the artefacts were more visible than 25Mbs DV/DVCPro/DVCam - in fact Sony effectively killed it when they launched DVCam.

The one major selling point for some news broadcasters was that they could deploy SX gear and remain backwards compatible with SP replay - but deploying an SX player stuck on the end of a DVCam edit pair could offer the same functionality - which is what a lot of people did.

It will be interesting to see how XDCam HD looks - 1/2" cameras and a recording bit rate and system not much different to HDV2 should mean it looks better than stuff shot in HDV on a Z1 or similar - but I doubt it will rival DVCProHD/P2 or HDCam.

Are Sony likely to adopt AVCIntra for their next XDCam generation? That is getting positive reviews - and is a more open codec than Sony's current stuff. Sony using closed codecs has become an issue for many broadcasters of late - as it has archival and transfer issues.

HD news 'comes alive' for CNN Worldwide

Sep 11, 2007 8:14 AM

At the beginning of September, the era of HD officially touched CNN with the launch of CNN Worldwide in HD.

The move is the first public step of the international news organization toward HD, but internally, the network got serious about planning for HD about 18 months ago. The undertaking is massive, touching everything from the smallest bureau in the field to master control. The network expects it to take two and a half to three years to complete the HD switchover.

HD Technology Update spoke with Bob Hesskamp, VP of technical operations for CNN Worldwide’s news division, to learn more about the effort.

HD Technology Update: When did the plans for HD operations at CNN begin?

Bob Hesskamp: From the time we built our CNN facility at Time Warner Center in New York, we’ve been planning, knowing that at some point we would have to convert to HD. So, we did the best we could to buy equipment that was HD-ready in New York. We bought HD-ready, HD-capable equipment. We cabled the facility so it would meet HD requirements. We bought HD cameras and HD-capable switchers from the start. We knew this day would come.

So, HD has been in the works for some time. We started about a year and half ago to look seriously at this project. Then about a year ago, we began in earnest with the budgets and the project management around it. It took us about a year to get to this point.

HD Technology Update: Has HD demanded significant changes in your workflow?

Bob Hesskamp: One thing we tried to do in our design was to keep the workflows in the control rooms as similar to today’s as possible. We were able to do that with auto-sensing upconversion, so we could route any signal and get it into the control room and it would be in HD. They don’t have to think, “Is it SD or HD?” It’s coming to them in HD or SD depending on what they need.

HD Technology Update: Could you give me some more detail on how you are approaching serving news content to both an SD and HD audience?

Bob Hesskamp: What we are doing is producing our New York-based shows in HD. That’s our first step in this. We are converting a significant part of our newsgathering operation, including trucks and cameras. The scale of our operation is so large that it will take us a number of years to complete.

As far as the SD audience, we not only have to think about the SD audience, we need to think about the other SD networks we support. In addition to CNN U.S., we have CNN International, Headline News and CNN en Español that still rely on our HD content for their SD feeds, so we have to get the content to them in SD.

We have two master controls that are controlled by one person. We have a full SD master control path and a full HD master control path, so the shows that come to us in HD from New York will be downconverted before they hit master control. Then we will put in a separate set of SD graphics on that feed, and the shows that are produced in HD will go right through the HD master control and have a separate set of graphics put on in master control. The ticker, some of the bugs and stock information will all be HD.

Then SD shows that come to us will get upconverted and the HD graphics put on. Obviously, the side panels go on in master control.

HD Technology Update: You have more than 25 years of legacy footage that you have to deal with. What’s your plan?

Bob Hesskamp: We absolutely do. We have 27 years of archive and then other archives that we use. Like I said, the newsgathering transition is going to take place over the next two and a half to three years before we can completely replace our newsgathering infrastructure. You can imagine how extensive it is throughout the world, and how much we have to do on that end and to our infrastructure — how we move our signals around among our facilities in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong — how we get all that information back to us and from the field as well.

We are going to upgrade a number of our trucks to HD. The CNN Election Express has four HD transmission paths on it as well as some HD editing capability. We are making a significant step into HD newsgathering, but the entire transition is going to take about three years.

HD Technology Update: What will your acquisition format be?

Bob Hesskamp: We announced at NAB that we were going to adopt Sony XDCAM HD as our newsgathering format to replace SX.

HD Technology Update: In the newsroom, journalists and producers are working on their stories in a file-based workflow. What’s been necessary to make these HD elements — video, graphics and text — available to them to build their stories?

Bob Hesskamp: What we are doing is dual ingesting the material in HD and SD. They are looking at the low-res version in SD on their desktops to pick those shots. Then, they’ll go into the HD edit rooms to edit those HD pieces.

HD Technology Update: Does HD allow CNN’s journalists to tell their stories better? If so, how?

Bob Hesskamp: We are already shooting documentaries in HD. Anderson Cooper’s “Planet in Peril” and Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s “Fed Up: America’s Killer Diet,” are lending themselves very well to HD. “Planet in Peril,” for example, is Cooper, Gupta and Jeff Corwin traveling the world. All of the stuff we are getting back from them is just incredible. Video from the Amazon, video from the North Pole, from Asia and Africa blows you away.

I think from a news standpoint, that’s what’s really exciting. HD gives us the ability to bring our viewers closer to the story. It comes alive, much like when you watch a sporting event in HD — the game is more real to you. I think the news is more real to you when you see it in HD. It’s beautiful. The disturbing news may be more disturbing and the beautiful, inspiring news is going to be more beautiful and more inspiring.

HD Technology Update: What’s next?

Bob Hesskamp: As a team here, we’ve worked on a renewal and replacement strategy over the next few years. As we look at the equipment we will have to replace anyway, we’re looking at that with a more strategic eye. If we’re going to replace this anyway, how much closer does it get us to HD in our other facilities?

I guess we will look at the business to decide where we make the strategic investments toward more HD production. For newsgathering, we have a plan to upgrade all of the newsgathering over the next few years.

http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/hd-news-cnn-worldwide/

Austin Texas is adding CNN-HD on 9/27. I'll guess that's where Johnny is; that is where I am.

http://www.timewarneraustin.com

Under the 'Upcoming Programming changes' its listed there.

Austin Texas is adding CNN-HD on 9/27. I'll guess that's where Johnny is; that is where I am.

http://www.timewarneraustin.com

Under the 'Upcoming Programming changes' its listed there.

He could be in Waco. (That would make sense;).)

I wonder if Cablevision will be carrying this channel soon? We already have a channel called HDNews, but I never watch it. I watch CNN and MSNBC, instead, so I would really like to have CNN HD.

Actually, Voom has 24-hr news channel in HD (available on Dish Network): http://www.voom.com/vhdo/news/index.jsp

It repeats quite often, but unlike HDNet is all HD news all the time, so I guess it is the 1st and only of its kind. Don't know about the originality of most of their footage, but they did send a reporter to Lebanon during the recent crisis.

I have heard from a couple of people who work for HDNews that they have built their entire network w/ HD in mind and EVERYTHING they do has to be native 1080i.

so unlike CNN which is starting to do news programming in HD, HDNews does (what their name says) HD programming of news

Any news on CNN-HD picked up by TWC in Los Angeles? I looked on the site for SoCal and there are no announcements there, alike the one in Texas pointed to in one of the previous posts.

Hopefully D* will really come out with all these hd-channels putting little pressure on cable operators to add some hd-programming fast.

I have heard from a couple of people who work for HDNews that they have built their entire network w/ HD in mind and EVERYTHING they do has to be native 1080i.

so unlike CNN which is starting to do news programming in HD, HDNews does (what their name says) HD programming of news

NHK in Japan is also HD for News - with HD links from their European and US bureaux back to Japan. AIUI they shoot a lot of their original material in HD.

Be interesting to know how comprehensive HDNews is in comparison to other news networks, like CNN, BBC or the Video News operations like Reuters, APTN, EVN etc.

How do they cover daily events from overseas in HD etc. - or are they more editorially guided by where their HD crews are? (Many news broadcasters rely on Reuters/APTN/EVN for their overseas news pictures - which are SD and often quite low bit rate)

Do HDNews have many overseas bureaux, and many satellite newsgathering trucks etc.? Do they have permanent correspondents based around the world - or are they more US-centric?

Nothing wrong in that - every news network takes editorial decisions about what stories they tell and what they ignore, often based on availability of picture, and relevance to the audience. (Is it new? Is it interesting? etc.)

Be interesting to know how comprehensive HDNews is in comparison to other news networks, like CNN, BBC or the Video News operations like Reuters, APTN, EVN etc.

what I've heard / read is that they are nowhere near being or even trying to be CNN, Fox, etc. since you HAVE to have HD to get them & HD hasn't arrived in full force (ie most homes / stations are still SD) HDNews isn't serving that large of a market yet and I think their staff size reflects that

so like every news organization some editorial judgments are made based on staff size / location, but I think what motivates HDNews the most is visually interesting stories that can take advantage of HD

so like I said before CNN is starting to do news in HD, HDNews...

Paula Zahn in HD, I'll go for that. ;)

Kiran Chetry on American Morning... HD... 'nuff said.

Anyone know if Larry King will be in HD?
I know that the show is taped from several different facilities, so I would assume that when he's in NYC it will be.

here in Oro Valley,AZ Feb 19th. Kyra Phillips in HD,sweeeeeeeet

They have lou dobbs, anderson cooper and american morning in HD and as far as I've seen that is it. :rolleyes:

When is Larry King going to be in HD?

When is Larry King going to be in HD?

That could be worse than Don Imus in HD :D

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadgethd.com/media/2007/10/dsc_0005_2.jpg

spoke with a cnn cameraman in nyc. currently some shows are using BetacamSX in 4:3 and some in BetacamSX in 16:9 and some in XDCAM HD with the F350 model that has 1/2" CCD chip.
they are expecting to get the new Sony PDW700. (the same camera 60 minutes is now using).

today he was shooting a economic business news event on BetacamSX in 4:3.

The Most Trusted name in News ;)

during the debates,all the extra graphics and seeing McCain sweat in HD is a bonus :p

Here's Larry King in HD on ABC's "Ugly Betty".

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/958/vlcsnap41776rl6.png
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2205/vlcsnap41802oi3.png

When is CNN's Newsroom or whatever it's called going HD? Or is it already HD?

I have CNN HD on Directv and when it's in HD, it's beautiful. Best debate coverage as well and they make good use of the extra screen room(unless you hate graphics etc, in which case you'd hate it).

Here's Larry King in HD on ABC's "Ugly Betty".

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/958/vlcsnap41776rl6.png
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/2205/vlcsnap41802oi3.png

Similarly, Mad Money was recently in HD during a sketch on Conan.