[belsokar]

I haven't seen anything lately,...but it just seems that after so many years of claiming to be the High Definition leader, that CBS would do everything in its power to produce all its NFL games in HD so as not to be upstaged by FOX


any word or murmurs lately on this?

 

[nyg]

I haven't heard anything but I'm hopeful that CBS will match Fox's NFL HD output. I love the Pats and the Colts so they'd better.

 

[bfdtv]

I would expect CBS to move to a similar system in the next two years. This would allow them to deliver at least four NFL games in 19.4Mbps 1080i every week using existing capacity (two 45Mbps transponders).


The economics of leasing extra capacity vs replacing their satellite receivers will have to make sense.

 

[slykens]

CBS can do all it likes.


Until it decides to pressure its poor-mouthing affiliates into at least passing HD there are some of us who will be left behind regardless of what Viacom does.


CBS is a sore spot for me as my local affiliate refuses to do *anything* more than the minimum required while our local PBS is arguably doing more with 8VSB transmitter technology than anyone else in the country. (WPSX and their experimental Single Frequency Network)


We are market number 96, and from what I can find 34 of the next 40 smaller market CBS affiliates pass HD. To me, based on the information I have and the fact that the other major network affiliates in my area are passing HD or will be within the next twelve months, I don't believe it to be a lack of money problem, rather a misplaced priority problem.


At least FOX is making it so the affiliates don't have much of an excuse to not pass HD. Now the networks adding HD transmission to the affiliate contracts is a must.


Thanks for reading my rant.

 

[TheFerret]

CBS can't even get Letterman in HD. What makes you think they are willing to continue to play ball? Oh, wait a minute, who watches Lettermen?

 

[labmansid]

Quote:

Originally posted by TheFerret CBS can't even get Letterman in HD. What makes you think they are willing to continue to play ball? Oh, wait a minute, who watches Lettermen?

I cherish those precious few moments with Grinder Girl!!

Sid

 

[herdfan]

Quote:

Originally posted by slykens We are market number 96, and from what I can find 34 of the next 40 smaller market CBS affiliates pass HD.

I am with you as I am in 1 of the 6 that doesn't at #66 or #67 depending on the list. Fortunately I have all 4 distant nets so I have CBD-HD from D*. I get my local CBS-DT with good signal. They just won't pass the HD feed.:-(

Quote:

At least FOX is making it so the affiliates don't have much of an excuse to not pass HD. Now the networks adding HD transmission to the affiliate contracts is a must.[/b]

It won't mean much if the pass through HD but only broadcast at 1watt which my current FOX affiliate is presently doing.

 

[nyg]

Quote:

Originally posted by TheFerret CBS can't even get Letterman in HD. What makes you think they are willing to continue to play ball? Oh, wait a minute, who watches Lettermen?

I had heard that Dave-HD would start last fall, then this spring, now it's fall '04. I hope it happens in my lifetime. I've always liked Letterman. Never cared for Carson or Leno. Be nicer if he'd drop Paul though... what a dork!

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by TheFerret CBS can't even get Letterman in HD. What makes you think they are willing to continue to play ball? Oh, wait a minute, who watches Lettermen?

Less than Leno, more than Kimmel.

 

[foxfan]

I wish CBS would do Price is Right in HD.

 

[garydean]

I predict we are at least two months away from any announcement by CBS regarding their NFL HD plans; last year they didn't announce until August 5th. I just don't know if CBS has the ability to compete with "up to 6 HD games per week" that FOX has announced.


I think CBS is in scramble mode because:

A) They do not yet have a sponsor lined up for the upcoming NFL season.
B) They do not have the resources (trucks, crew, etc...) to produce more than two HD sporting events per week.
C) They do not have the ability to offer affiliates more than one HD feed at a time.


Just my thought...

 

[slykens]

Quote:

Originally posted by herdfan It won't mean much if the pass through HD but only broadcast at 1watt which my current FOX affiliate is presently doing.

Top 100 maximization should take care of that for you and I. My local ABC and FOX believe that Top 100 maximization will be required before the end of next summer and at this point plan to be at full power next May.


While the government won't make your local affiliate pass HD they will make them go to full power, so on that subject you are in luck.


To stay on subject, it would seem to me that a distribution system like FOX is setting up may eventually be required of *all* major networks simply to remain competitive. Affiliates are going to pressure the networks and want to know why they're spending $$$ to buy HD receivers, encoders, etc, only to see their competitor FOX stations having the boys from the network come down and install their's for them at what we believe to be no cost to the station.

 

[foxeng]

Quote:

Originally posted by slykens ...at what we believe to be no cost to the station.

Yep, no cost to the stations as long as the station has a 720p stream already going to their transmitter.

 

[TheFerret]

I thought CBS stood for CSI Broadcasting Station?

 

[MickeyGee]

It sure looks like CBS got out-Foxed on the NFL HD front. May take some time for the "NFL on CBS" to recover.


Mickey

 

[clapple]

>> While the government won't make your local affiliate pass HD they will make them go to full power,

 

[fredfa]

clapple, maybe this helps answer your question:

----originally posted here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=407829


CEA To Back Ferree TV

By Bill McConnell -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/1/2004 6:17:00 PM


Broadcastingcable.com has learned that TV set makers Wednesday will conditionally endorse the FCC's controversial plan to speed the DTV transition during a hearing on Capitol Hill. The conditions for the endorsement would be tougher obligations on cable operators.


In addition, at least one senior committee member is expected to endorse the plan.


That plan, developed under Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree's leadership, would count all cable subscribers as digitally served by local broadcasters, even if they don't have a digital set and their only access to local station's digital broadcasts are cable signals that have been "downconverted" to analog.


The FCC's plan would let nearly all cable customers be considered digitally served almost immediately. A 1997 law states that broadcasters must return their old analog channels to the government when 85% of U.S. homes are considered capable of receiving a station's DTV signal.


In most markets, the result of the FCC plan would obligate broadcast stations to return their old analog channels to the feds at the government's discretion. Ferree previously has suggested that 2009 would likely be the earliest giveback date.


Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, said the his group would be OK with the FCC plan as long as the agency sets a deadline for making cable stop downconverting and begin transmitting broadcast high-definition pictures and other digital features. Also, cable must transmit all V-Chip, Spanish language and other program-related side information that accompanies the primary TV picture and audio, CEA will say.

 

[slykens]

Quote:

Originally posted by clapple The government hasn't ever enforced any of the deadlines for conversion to digital broadcasts! Why would they enforce this?

Perhaps I am wrong but I thought that, with the special exception of NYC, Top 30 maximization was ordered and achieved as ordered. I also doubt that the local stations with whom I've talked about Top 100 Maximization are planning to maximize before the rumored date just for fun.


Because Top 100 or full digital maximization doesn't (shouldn't) affect analog reception I doubt the FCC will play much with the dates. I do expect the analog turnoff dates to be pushed back unless the FCC becomes much more aggressive in how it calculates the 85% rule or decides to subsidize STBs for "holdouts".


Perhaps a smaller market could be the target for a government sponsored test similar to that done in an area of the United Kingdom recently where analog turnoff was accellerated and STBs were given away to people who had not yet purchased them. Who knows what the government is going to do from day to day!


Similar to the lady with the million dollar bill at Wal-Mart: "You just can't keep up with the US Treasury!" (Only in our case its the FCC!)

 

[elspankdog]

Quote:

Originally posted by herdfan It won't mean much if the pass through HD but only broadcast at 1watt which my current FOX affiliate is presently doing.

Isn't that the truth. Even if the top 100 are forced to be at full power by next summer, that does nothing for us that want to see free NFL in HD on FOX this fall (which I think is what this thread was about - NFL in HD).

 

[clapple]

My comment, about lack of government enforcement, was directed at non compliance with dead lines, for starting digital broadcasts. Wasn't the deadline April 2002? Two years later, we have 1 local (NBC) OTA digital signal. The local CBS does pass through the network HD to cable. While the NBC HD station is not on cable. Figure that one???


Meanwhile, our government will not allow satellite to provide out of market HD, even though the locals will not provide it.


Thus my scepticism about goverment "deadlines".