Their golf schedule (http://www.tnt.tv/title/?oid=666305) looks quite extensive (2-8 pm ET today and Friday, weekend coverage 11--2 before CBS? takes over). There's an HDTV symbol for today's TNT HD coverage on my electronic cable guide. Think it's going to HOT in Tulsa. -- John

With this being a CBS production we will get great all HD shots including the handhelds. Plenty of coverage as you said with 6 hours Thu and Fri on TNT and 3 hours on TNT and 5 on CBS on the weekend.
Thursday, August 9 2PM - 8PM ET - TNT
12:37AM - 1:07AM - CBS (highlights)
Friday, August 10 2PM - 8PM ET - TNT
12:37AM - 1:07AM - CBS (highlights)
Saturday, August 11 11AM - 2PM ET - TNT
2PM - 7PM - CBS
Sunday, August 12 11AM - 2PM ET - TNT
2PM - 7PM - CBS

Surprisingly, Golf/Versus is showing the US Women's Amateur in HD this week.

I really like TNT's HD golf coverage for the most part. Although is it just me, or do they do their graphics in SD?

Surprisingly, Golf/Versus is showing the US Women's Amateur in HD this week.

Well, TGC has done some events in HD this year, so it isn't a complete surprise, IMO. They appear to have their own HD equipment, including HD handheld cams. I worked as a volunteer at the McDonald's LPGA Championship in June and saw those handheld cams up close.

Surprisingly, Golf/Versus is showing the US Women's Amateur in HD this week.
Looked crisp in 480i upconverted to 1080i by my cable STB here, since NYC's TWC hasn't run Golf/Versus in true 1080i yet. I used my dual-tuner STB picture-in-picture feature to view both the Championship and Amateur matches simultaneously, switching out ads and selecting the most interesting shots.

Remarkable how quickly you can get used to such massive doses or live true-1080i (TNT/CBS) when weekend trickles of it were the norm until recently. PQ, with all-1080i from TNT/CBS (not mixed SD/HD cameras) is excellent here (without multicasting from WCBS-DT during weekend HD golf.) Although, if better HD detail is available, my 8300HD cable STB and/or head end is still limiting max horiz. rez to about 1290 lines (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=5175424#post5175424). Rare MPEG breakups appear to originate at the Tulsa course during camera switching.

Balancing overall scene brightness with sand trap brightness that can cause severe blooming seemed under control yesterday. Only spotted a few scenes where a trap (medium shot) bloomed and smeared very briefly; presumably, until someone in the truck cranked down the control circuit. Wonder if they've tested JVC's or other CMOS-sensor cameras, which claim better automatic anti-bloom features than CCD models? -- John

Although is it just me, or do they do their graphics in SD?
yeah, that's what it looks like to me too

Just another view.

I've been watching the TNT PGA presentation on my 34" Sony HD, and hadn't noticed the blooming and graphics issues mentioned. Now I'll be looking for them.

Other than that, TNT has been putting on what I call an excellent show. PQ has been very good.

Regards,
Fitzie

I think it has been very good so far.

I believe what you are seeing with the mpeg breakup as you call it is the digital RF cameras breaking up. Either from the from over heating microwave transmitters or the microwave not being pointed directly. The smearing (blooming) on sand traps is just the camera iris not being brought down just quick enough. Lot's of cameras to watch. Sony cams still pretty darn good. Don't believe JVC makes a HD fiber camera that would work for golf.

Wasn't it CBS that did a fantastic job with the Masters earlier this year? To me, the coverage so far is also very good.

It is very hot here in Oklahoma! The heat index at Southern Hills got up to 107 yesterday and is around 104 here in OKC right now. I will gladly deal with the heat as I will be enjoying the final two rounds from behind the ropes this weekend! GO TIGER :D

No need to watch anymore. Tune in Sunday at 6:55 ET for the presentation of the trophy to Tiger. The leader after 2 rounds has won every major played at Southern Hills and Tiger is a front runner. He never comes from behind but doesn't lose when he has the lead. I'm sure there will continue to be great HD shots like we have had these first 2 rounds but only the ones of Tiger will matter, everyone else is playing for 2nd. Also he was robbed on that putt at 18, I guess the golf Gods aren't going to let anyone shoot 62 in a major.

What's with the same commercials running at every break? I'm so sick of the Amex and RBS commercials. This is why I watch most everything on delay.

I believe what you are seeing with the mpeg breakup as you call it is the digital RF cameras breaking up. Either from the from over heating microwave transmitters or the microwave not being pointed directly. The smearing (blooming) on sand traps is just the camera iris not being brought down just quick enough. Lot's of cameras to watch. Sony cams still pretty darn good. Don't believe JVC makes a HD fiber camera that would work for golf.
Thanks for the added details. Yes, pouncing on a remotely controlled iris while viewing lots of monitors in a truck, with one punched up quickly as the current shot, is just what the few momentary blooming shots of sand traps looks like. Some entire matches, as discussed in earlier threads here, go from start to finish with little attention paid to settings and gross sand-trap (or other picture areas) blooming.

Agree the Sony cameras work okay, but sure seem to demand good truck monitoring and remote iris control. If a JVC camera with a CMOS sensor instead of CCDs handles automatic overflow prevention of overly bright pixel areas (i.e., sand traps) much better, but only lack fiber link circuits to trucks, that's unfortunate. If so, it's surprising JVC doesn't offer a fiber-link circuit. (Recall posting a link to a new add-on product here recently that converts dual-link coax 1080/60p camera outputs to fiber.) -- John

Weekend topic:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=889119