Albuquerque, NM - HDTV - Page 235

Just saw an ad on KOAT News that they are going widescreen soon (I guess that means HD). So I guess it may look like KOAT or KRQE are competing to be the first to go HD for their news. Anyone want to guess who will be the first and when???

If they are saying they are going "wide screen" and not saying they are going HD or high definition, then I am guessing that they are just going to be changing their filming to 16x9 but still be 480p. Most people see wide screen and think it means HD. Look at the number of people who have HD tvs but are not watching anything in HD but think they are.

I am hoping it is widescreen in HD. I would likely watch the channel that does the widescreen in HD for news and skip on the others that present their news in lesser quality. Hey, local news, are you listenning.

No, they never listen. I sent an email to KOAT about 3 weeks ago after their announcement of the new helicopter asking them why they could afford that and not the local news and HD and they never responded.

I remember MotorWeek on KNME used to be in WS, but not HD. It looked decent, but still no cigar.
JR

I am hoping it is widescreen in HD. I would likely watch the channel that does the widescreen in HD for news and skip on the others that present their news in lesser quality. Hey, local news, are you listenning.

The trifecta of replies:

Lujan, I am not sure if that's a new news heli or just a new paint job. I'm guessing new paint job and maybe upgraded electronics to handle the new digital microwave system our local stations have been converting to in the Sprint-Nextel relocation project.

Jerrich and his comments about motorweek - is FOX still doing widescreen SD for MLB and NFL and primetime dramas/reality or are they actually doing true HD widescreen now? I seem to recall when they first launched sports and drama programs like 24 into widescreen format, it was SD widescreen and not HD widescreen.

fjerina and widescreen news HD - it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it was news in widescreen SD. So many satellite remote shots are in widescreen SD now (watch the sat feed on a 4:3 set and you'll see the "talent" is squeezed into a taller version of what they should be - set your sat receiver to 16:9 aspect and they look normal). Many network feed clips are also in 16:9 - watch KOB when they show a streetball or MLB highlight clip in the sportscast that they got from their NBC news clip service and you'll see the aspect is all screwed up - you have squeezed ballplayers pitching/hitting/fielding the ball or a squeezed kobe bryant hitting a shot.

I would understand that the field shots would be in SD but I am hoping that the studio shots will be in HD widescreen. I sent an email to KOAT asking them to clarify. We'll see.

I would imagine that if they meant HD, they'd say HD and promote the heck out of it.

- Trip

I just got this reply from Teri Hernandez at KOAT...

"SD...we don't have the new cameras just yet."

Darn, wish it was HD. I could just do a zoom on my HDTV and fill the screen for the same effect. Maybe KRQE will be HD when they start-up.

I just got an email from Gary Williams, Chief Engineer as follows:

"Good Morning lujan, wow it is interesting that folks actually keep emails from me as far back as 2008, but I'm glad your staying in touch, always enjoy talking to our viewers. As for HD/SD widescreen I am going to have to take the 5th for right now, we are holding out making any statement until we launch our new look. Our promotion and news folks are handling our roll out. I will be happy to answer your question after we take the new product to air. But either way I think a viewer you, with an eye for detail, you will be happy with the result."

This sounds to me like it's going to be in HD, what do you think?

I would be happy with widescreen SD for field shots (just to avoid the curtains on 4:3 material) but I don't see any reason it can't be done in HD in the new digital microwave channel since there are satellite news feeds using 6 MHz or less of spectrum.

For KRQE, my money would be placed on them being true HD. The set looks to have some very "3D" elements based on some of the construction shots aired on the KRQE news - lots of elements that seem to have a range of closeness/farness from the main set desk that would look awesome in HD as providing some depth to the background behind the anchors. I also have felt for a long time now that KRQE/KASA have the best looking local news studio video of any of the local stations, so it wouldn't surprise me if the studio cameras have been shooting in HD and they are downres'ing it to SD in the control room. I wonder if the set change also includes control room changes to make the whole chain HD capable rather than just some components of the chain.

I don't watch KOAT since they eliminated the news replay I used to watch so I don't have any clue what this talk about a new look is about. I did watch the 6pm news the other day since KOB had hockey and I saw they had a new set but you'd think they'd roll out HD news in conjunction with their new set instead of waiting however long it's been since they did their new set design.

Widescreen SD on the 5:00 broadcast...

Checked it out on the 10 pm news. Looks really bad. Looks like a wanna-be HD station. Please KOAT buy those studio HD cameras and get them working ASAP. Think I will switch back to KRQE for my news.

If they can shoot a tv series like House with a Canon dslr, why can't they drop in to Costco and buy a HD camcorder for 3 or 4 hundred and use it for local news? Politics?
JR

They need to spend thousands of $$$ of HD cameras with special len filters to remove all the wrinkles from the newscasters.

Nah. They just need to increase the makeup budget a few hundred dollars a week.

It will be very interesting to see which local station is the first with HD cameras in the studio for their news. Any guesses?

Have flipped it over to KOAT to see their new "widescreen" news.......

Looks like total and complete SHAT. What is it going to take to get a local broadcast news in HD in this friggin state.....

And El Paso doesn't count, that's Texas!

I don't know how Gary Williams can say I would be happy with the result when it's only SD. I'll be happy when it's HD. I know Gary reads this forum but don't think my posting will do any good but at least I get to vent.

I would guess KASA/KRQE has been using studio HD cameras for a year or more now. Best looking studio video of at least KOB/KRQE/KASA (I don't watch KOAT enough to notice quality, and especially now that things have changed with them).

Looks like KRQE may be going HD within the next month (or so). They have started a "See the Future HD Contest". I hope they are the first to go HD. The widescreen SD that KOAT pawns off on us does not cut it.

Too bad, of the three local stations, this is the one I watch the least. Not a big fan of Dick Knifing and think he should retire already. If they had another anchor, I would watch.

Not too sure how good either Dick or Dianne will look in 1080i but I want to put my viewership behind a station that actually invest in the community and stays current with technology. I sent a scathing email to the news director at KOAT something along the lines of "you gotta be kidding me....." It's 2010 folks get on board or get left behind.

I have to agree, I would probably watch the one that's in HD.

The widescreen SD on KOAT cracks me up. I think they feel the people of NM have such poor vision that they will think they are watching HD. Nice try KOAT but no dice.

Has anyone else noticed that the video that is shot out in the field looks sharper than the video from the studio camera's?

It's like they have better/newer camera's out in the field than they do in the studio or something. It's weird but I have noticed it several times now thinking to myself how the field shot doesn't look all that bad and then they switch back to studio shot and its a horrible grainy mess.

[quote=ibglowin;18824448]Has anyone else noticed that the video that is shot out in the field looks sharper than the video from the studio camera's?

It's like they have better/newer camera's out in the field than they do in the studio or something. It's weird but I have noticed it several times now thinking to myself how the field shot doesn't look all that bad and then they switch back to studio shot and its a horrible grainy mess. [/QUO

I agree with you completely. I have been noticing exactly the same thing here in Ruidoso.

you know that only .5% of the tv viewers care about video quality. That's why DBS and cable get away with such poor video/high compression.

As for KOAT (ibglowin), the field video is mixed to me. Some of it looks great, some of it looks as bad as the studio video. I don't know what the deal is unless not all field cameras are the same quality (some may be their older cameras and the video package is upconverted to widescreen after editing).

KRQE - yes, they'll have to be the first HD newscast. They are already touting "HD News" in their promotions for their July contest that include sneak peaks of their HD future. I don't know if that means they'll play some clips in HD during their newscasts or if they'll just be showing off a lot more pictures/video of their new set being built.