[MattyMc]

There is an HDTV article in this weeks Time Magazine (Dec 16th)

It's on page A5 and it is preceded by a small home theater article.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...397498,00.html


If the link doesn't work go to time.com and search the current issue.

 

[drewba]

Thanks for the link.


It's good to see a positive, relatively accurate article written up in a major magazine. It helps raise the sort of awareness among the mass market that will be required to keep the momentum going that seems to have been acquired in the past year.

 

[MikeKO]

Pretty amazing. This article and the Wash Post article (another thread), that is 2 whole accurate and positive articles in major publications. About time !!!!!


Mike

 

[METANIUM]

The only items that I had any issue with were the mention of the TERK Terk TV-55 as a choice for antenna. It's probably the worst one out there, and way overpriced. The STB that they make mention of "RCA makes one for $549 that doubles as a tuner for local over-the-air HD broadcasts." is discontinued.


These 2 items aside, it is a very informative article for your avg. Joe.

 

[woz]

"Satellite services are not far behind" That is pretty funny coming from a cable company ( AOL owns Time Magazine as mentioned in the article).

All in all, a good article, thanks for the link MattyMc.

 

[vfxproducer]

My problem is with this:


"Even if you decide that you don't need to count the pores on President Bartlet's face, there are other reasons to trade in your analog TV."


The article implies that The West Wing is in HD, which it isn't.

 

[caesar1]

This is not completely true:


"Most digital sets are configured in cinema-style wide-screen format (a 16:9 aspect ratio, in geekspeak), so you won't have to watch your DVDs with black bars running across the top and bottom."


As we all know, many DVDs are 2:35.1 (thus top and bottom side bars).

This is one issue that MANY 16 x 9 TV set buyers do not know about. I sheepishly admit that I did not know this when I bought my RPTV 16 x9 a year ago. I have found others in the same situation -- wondering why they have top/bottom bars on many DVDs.


I don't mind the top/bottom bars (I'm all for OAR), but Time Mag should be more careful for the lay-person and explain that some DVDs will still have top/bottom bars, but they will be thinner bars than on a 4 x 3 set.


Eric

 

[bbobbo]

plus this article in forbes , which was pretty accurate.


the word is getting out!


bob

 

[bbobbo]

Quote:

Originally posted by vfxproducer My problem is with this: "Even if you decide that you don't need to count the pores on President Bartlet's face, there are other reasons to trade in your analog TV." The article implies that The West Wing is in HD, which it isn't.

actually, the author states clearly four paragraphs before the above statement, "Of course, there has to be some HD to watch. Before you can see, say, The West Wing in HDTV, NBC has to create an HD version of it."


bob

 

[nabsltd]

Quote:

Originally posted by bbobbo actually, the author states clearly four paragraphs before the above statement, "Of course, there has to be some HD to watch. Before you can see, say, The West Wing in HDTV, NBC has to create an HD version of it."

That's wrong, too.


The responsibility for presenting NBC with an HD transfer of The West Wing falls on Warner Brothers, who produce the show. Kind of interesting that Time—a magazine owned by AOL/Time-Warner—puts the responsibility for getting WW in HD on NBC and not in the correct place...its parent company.


That's the whole reason we don't get WW in HD today...Warrner wants more money from NBC to do the HD transfer.

 

[mmost]

Quote:

Originally posted by nabsltd That's wrong, too. The responsibility for presenting NBC with an HD transfer of The West Wing falls on Warner Brothers, who produce the show. Kind of interesting that Time—a magazine owned by AOL/Time-Warner—puts the responsibility for getting WW in HD on NBC and not in the correct place...its parent company. That's the whole reason we don't get WW in HD today...Warrner wants more money from NBC to do the HD transfer.

And how does that make it Warners' "responsibility?" They deliver the program as contracted for. If the network wants a different product, there's a different price. If you want a better stereo in your car, you pay for it. Why is this any different?

 

[nabsltd]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmost And how does that make it Warners' "responsibility?"

Because NBC doesn't have access to the source, and thus cannot possibly "create an HD version of it", as the article states.


NBC cannot, in any way other than upconversion, "create an HD version of" The West Wing. Thus, the responsibility for doing that will always fall on Warner Brothers, whether there is a contract to supply it to NBC or not.


Quote:

They deliver the program as contracted for. If the network wants a different product, there's a different price. If you want a better stereo in your car, you pay for it. Why is this any different?

Because Warner Brothers already does the post-production for WW in HD, so they already have the HD version there, and it would cost them nothing more to send it to NBC. This is what they have done with all their other NBC shows that they source in HD.


For some reason, though, they are holding up NBC for more money for WW in HD, and the only losers in this are the viewers.

 

[mmost]

Quote:

Originally posted by nabsltd Because Warner Brothers already does the post-production for WW in HD, so they already have the HD version there, and it would cost them nothing more to send it to NBC. This is what they have done with all their other NBC shows that they source in HD.

Unless I'm mistaken, you have no way of knowing how West Wing is posted. In fact, it's not posted electronically at all, it's transferred directly from an assembled negative. The post facility that does those transfers is run by some friends of mine, and the last time I checked (a few months ago, but after the season had started) neither West Wing nor Third Watch were being transferred to HD - they were being transferred to standard def only. In fact, the post facility cancelled an order they had for another HD telecine when they were informed that West Wing, Third Watch, and Scrubs (at the same facility) would all be standard def this season.

 

[RonAuger]

Unfortunately, the Time article is not in the print version as suggested in the online article. I received the Dec 16 issue and couldn't find it (unless I'm being selectively blind!)

 

[rogo]

The fact is that somehow virtually everything else on NBC is in HD. Just not its flagship show, which looks like utter crap in its SD production. Which bugs me every week. Which makes me blame both of them....

 

[nabsltd]

Quote:

Originally posted by mmost Unless I'm mistaken, you have no way of knowing how West Wing is posted. In fact, it's not posted electronically at all, it's transferred directly from an assembled negative.

I stand corrected. Almost all the stuff shot for TV in Super35 with an intended aspect ratio of 1.78:1 is converted to HD video for post, and I just assumed WW had to be, as well.

 

[Stu Pedaso]

You know, I spotted a couple of those minor inaccuracies and thought "Oh man, I can't wait for the OAR crowd to start sending the hate mail." I'm gonna have to keep an eye on the letter section in the next couple issues. "Well, you know...."


All in all, I thought they did a nice job of phrasing things (while not always technically accurate) in a way that wouldn't make Joe Six Pack's eyes glaze over and turn the page. That's the kind of stuff that would make my mom say "Huh. That sounds really neat." Now start in with the "Well, most cinema releases are 2.35:1 vs. the 16:9 aspect ratio..." and the "All they can actually do in the NBC broadcast facility is upconvert the original 480i source material up to a 1080i scale, unless it was delivered in 1080i/24 if film, or 1080i/60 if video" and her head is gonna explode and she's gonna plug her ears and keep watchign that 19" that works just fine for what she needs it for.

 

[vfxproducer]

Quote:

Originally posted by rogo The fact is that somehow virtually everything else on NBC is in HD. Just not its flagship show, which looks like utter crap in its SD production.

Wow. I don't agree with that at all. "Utter crap" is a pretty strong statement. I think TWW looks quite nice. Beautifully shot show.