HD syndication ... more on the way - Page 5  

On Sept 8, 2008, ET and The Insider will be going out in HD, the 28th anniversary of ET.

This is according to this week's issue of Broadcasting and Cable.

And before anyone points out the 16:9 versions of shows like Hogan's Heroes on HDnet, I consider that wrong. IMHO, it is like doing 4:3 cuts of widescreen movies. A portion of the material is thrown away. In this case, instead of the sides, it is the top and bottom that is cropped. I call that slice and dice

HH on HDNet is more like 14:9 anyway, IIRC (i.e. it's still pillarboxed, just not fully).

These shows would probably look OK in 14:9. Comedies didn't have "screaming closeups" like dramas did. These are why you'll never see Star Trek cropped for widescreen.

As a purest, 4:3 should not be cropped, PERIOD. It is just as bad as the networks taking a 2.4:1 movie and cropping to to fit 16:9 screens. The cropping isn't as bad as when it is cropped for 4:3, but it is still cropping.

Going to the same CBS Television Distribution website, it shows "Star Trek" existing in both 4:3 and 16:9 HD versions, so apparently they did find a way to make it look okay. The HD DVD release (I believe) is 4:3, so I don't know if the 16:9 version has actually been shown anywhere.

Yes, apparently "Roswell" was shot as NTSC widescreen and center cut for broadcast -- the DVD releases are of the widescreen version. And I do vaguely recall that when I originally watched "Roswell" via analog C-Band satellite feeds, the title card at the beginning of the episodes did say "4:3 version".

And, yeah, I agree -- it would be great if they could go back to the original film and redo the series in high definition, but unfortunately I'm not holding my breath for it to happen. With only 61 episodes produced, "Roswell" probably isn't going to be a high priority for such a re-do.

Wasn't Japan supposed to get a 16:9 version of Star Trek TOS in HD?

There are now three weeks left in the current syndication run of Star Trek TOS, which is being aired in 4:3 upconverted from SD to HD on both of my nearby CW stations (WJZY in Charlotte and WYCW in Asheville). Have there been any signs that it might be distributed for airing in HD?

Of course, whether a particular station can actually air syndicated HD is another matter. I have high hopes for WJZY, which is currently airing the syndicated episodes of "Two and a Half Men" in HD.

Unfortunately, no.

Here's what the CBS website says for season 3 of "Star Trek: TOS":

"STAR TREK is closed captioned and in stereo on Channels 1 & 2 and SAP Mono Spanish on Channel 4. Delivery is in standard definition, from the newly transferred masters and including the enhanced visual effects."

So no high definition in the coming year, unless CBS changes its mind sometime during the season and starts offering the HD version.

Just a reminder, beginning next Monday, be sure to catch the season premieres of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. Also slated to premiere this week in off-net HD syndication are CSI: NY and Lost.

If your local stations show them in HD. I'm not holding my breath.

...and that is a big IF. I'm hoping that by 2/18/2009, when their digital channel is the only one they have, our locals will get serious about passing syndicated HD shows in HD. Right now, we have none doing that.

are alot of local affiliates not carrying Oprah HD or Ellen HD or something? Even my MOM was suprised Oprah is not even in HD, since everything else is really and it's a pretty popular TV.

How many affiliates are carrying Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune in HD? Outside of the top 30 to 40 DMAs, I think the HD carriage for those 2 shows is still rather spotty, even after ~ 2 years (?) of HD.

Is there a posted list of the affiliates that will be carrying Oprah, Ellen, or Dr. Phil in HD? Even then, I would not be surprised to see posts that a station has the show in HD on Monday, and then in SD on Tuesday or next week because the daytime engineering staff forgets to switch to HD.

WUTB (My24) in Baltimore just started showing HD this week. Everybody Loves Raymond is in HD.

Moving a show to HD is not trivial, and perhaps you don't understand this. Oviously your mother does not. The staff at the Oprah show have been planning for HD for almost two years, first starting with the construction of a new set. Producing and editing the show in HD and 5.1 is very complicated, they way that show is put together. I hope the stations that carry the show will do it justice, but don't hold your breath...

Look Ma, no bug!

Ya, the local station in town that has both of the shows does not air them in HD. I have to get them via other means (even though I only watch Jeopardy!). They do not have the means to capture the HD feeds or the ability to play out HD and SD at the same time.

Both shows are also sent via Pathfire and that has the same problems with trying to play them out.


I've not seen a list anywhere. I have seen people post in the various show threads if the show is in HD, or not, in their area.

I have no idea if the local stations that have ET, The Insider, Oprah, Dr Phil or Ellen even air it in HD. I know that the local ABC affiliate that airs Ellen has the ability to air syndicated HD material, but I've only seen it done with ABC net is on the SD analog channel and HD is on the digital channel. Don't know if they can handle SD and HD a the same time.

I have other means in which to view these shows, if I so desired. I have no desire to see these shows. I didn't when they were SD only and I still don't. I've watched this week's ET and The Insider shows, just to check out the new digs, but after this week, it is back to not caring.

Wheel & Jeopardy in HD are only available via linear satellite feed, and have not been offered in HD via pathfire.

Interesting, as one of the trade rags I read mentioned that it was going to go out via Pathfire and was being used as the test program to get all of the "bugs" worked out.

I guess the trade rag got it wrong.

So, NEVERMIND!

If it was, We never knew nor did the sources we asked. RSF_LA should know for sure.

Wheel and Jeopardy! have been linear since day one. As indicated by bdfox18doe, it appears to have never been pitched via Pathfire. Finding the issues of the trades that mentioned Pathfire and HD distribution is going to be a little tough. No matter, since you've been told that Pathfire isn't going to be doing HD.

Does that mean that Pathfire is going to eventually close their doors. SD is going away. Obviously not right away, but eventually everything will be distributed via HD. So, all of the stuff that Pathfire is now doing will eventually go away, either because it is converted to HD or via contracts expiring and the show(s) no longer being syndicated.

HD is the way things are going, so pulling out of HD just doesn't seem logical.

If only we could be so lucky..I don't know of anyone who loves them.

I and others have made the mistake of giving them our cell phone number. They would call us nights and weekends to tell us the server was reporting an error and we needed to go check it. After a few choice words from me and others after calls out at dinner they finally removed our numbers from the database.

Does Pathfire distribute in a form that can be directly ingested into a server at file level, or is it effectively a standalone box that gets video dumped into it, which is then manually played out, and played into a TX server (or dumped to tape?)

AIUI quite a few broadcasters are looking at proper file-based delivery of programmes - so that they are sent in a format that allows direct playout (i.e. an open codec at an agreed bit rate with standardised metadata that ensures the right bits are played out at the right time etc.) The BBC have been doing small-scale trials with Red Bee (who handle BBC playout these days - after the BBC sold off their playout arm formerly called BBC Broadcast - and outsourced playout to them...)

If Pathfire is just a crude store and forward playout system - or on-demand download operated manually, then that isn't a model for future distribution - either SD or HD, it is just a simple stop gap (useful for a period I'm sure).

Still that bad? Not a great endorsement.

Some inside information would be interesting as some of us surmise that Pathfire was not so much looking to get out of HD distribution (because some additional shows had been announced as becoming available via Pathfire in HD this season and then abruptly about-faced) but that it's possible they were looking to charge either the syndicators and/or the stations so much of a premium to deliver HD that linear satellite feeds looked like a better deal. They may have shot themselves in the foot.

Still no HD 2.5 Men or Raymond in Cleveland. That's what happens when you have a piss poor Raycom owned CBS/MNTV combo.

I was thinking about this the other day, what about 16:9 digital? If they can't record HD, why not digital widescreen? A 480i widescreen presentation would beat the hell out of a 4:3 presentation.