[Ken H]

NHK-JAPAN BROADCASTING CORP. NAMED SOLE PRODUCER OF HDTV COVERAGE OF 2004 DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTIONS


HDTV Pool Feed Available To All Accredited Broadcasters



Washington, D.C. (June 1, 2004) – NHK-Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) ( http://www.nhk.or.jp/english ) has been named the producer of the high-definition television (HDTV) coverage of this summer's 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. NHK will provide live HDTV pool switched feed to all interested, accredited broadcasters at each convention site.


NHK is Japan's sole public broadcaster supported almost entirely by viewers in Japan. NHK pioneered the development of HDTV technology and is working closely with the High Definition National News Consortium (HD-NNC) to promote its use to benefit television viewers worldwide. HD-NNC ( http://www.hd-nnc.org, available from mid-June) is an association of approximately 40 broadcasters, media producers and others advancing the use of digital, high-definition, and/or a wide-screen format for newsgathering and news programming in the United States.


NHK's HDTV technology (called Hi-Vision) has been used to capture images of the earth from the space shuttles "Discovery" and "Endeavor." In 2000, NHK provided the first HDTV pool coverage of U.S. political conventions during coverage of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia and the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.


HDTV offers high resolution digital video images, fine detail with true color, a wide-screen format (i.e., 16:9 width-to-height ratio) and high-fidelity, CD-quality sound.


The 2004 Democratic National Convention is scheduled for July 26 through July 29 at the FleetCenter in Boston. The 2004 Republican National Convention is scheduled for August 30 through September 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

 

[rf22]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H NHK will provide live HDTV pool switched feed to all interested, accredited broadcasters at each convention site.

I'm sure HDNet will be all over this.


Great news,

Rick

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Great, to watch an American Convention a Japeneese broadcaster has to step up the plate and provide HD coverage.


What is wrong with this picture?

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski Great, to watch an American Convention a Japeneese broadcaster has to step up the plate and provide HD coverage. What is wrong with this picture?

Nothing, in my opinion.

 

[Belcherwm]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H Nothing, in my opinion.

I second that.

 

[jacmyoung]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski Great, to watch an American Convention a Japeneese broadcaster has to step up the plate and provide HD coverage. What is wrong with this picture?

Not just some average conventions either.


However in this case like several others I think NHK gets them because those in Japan wanted HD coverage, otherwise we would not have them in HD at all.


HDTV did not do me anything when it came to a speech or a political event on C-SPAN, I still did not and will not be more inclined to watch them.

 

[CycloneGT]

Why are the Japanese so interested in the American conventions that they devote this amount of resources to cover it?

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by CycloneGT Why are the Japanese so interested in the American conventions that they devote this amount of resources to cover it?

When NHK did them in HD in 2000, they were such a big hit on Japan's version of Comedy Central, NHK decided to do it all again!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am happy that they are doing it, my question is why arn't the American Networks stepping up to the plate and doing it in HD?

 

[CKNA]

I would guess that producing political convention is a money loser. Since NHK is government owned they can and lose money all the time. US networks probably do not want to lose any more money than they already do.

 

[garydean]

Considering this is pool coverage, all of the networks can offer it, right?

 

[Kipp Jones]

Hey KenH, no political posts!!! Edit yourself!!! Thanks for the great news.

 

[Bill Johnson]

Oh no! HDNet's gonna preempt Hogan's Heroes to show the conventions starting in the afternoons. But in all seriousness, for us HD fanatics who are also political scientists, does anyone know if this means that any networks might run the HD feed? Does it cost quite a bit more for CBS, for example, to run a show like this in HD as opposed to the standard fuzzy and blurred telecast we would otherwise have to watch?

 

[Stu Pedaso]

Wow. Maybe they overdub Japanese voice kinda liek we do with "Most Extreme Challenge" or whatever that is on SpikeTV....

 

[bdfox18doe]

Quote:

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski What is wrong with this picture?

Nothing, I think it's great, it could have been the Indian Broadcasting Company, sponsored by Bank of America and Microsoft.....

 

[barth2k]

I think it'd be great if they have Japanese commentators dubbed into English by bad voice actors, a la Iron Chef. It can only improve the content.

 

[kevin j]

maybe InHD'll pick up the HD feed

 

[SonomaSearcher]

A couple of posters sound confused, as if they think this means American broadcasters aren't showing the conventions in HD.


NHK was selected to provide the pool HD feed. Therefore, any broadcaster or channel (American or international) that wants the NHK produced video feed can take it and overlay their own audio and graphics and then send it out at 1080i or 720p, such as the case may be.

 

[FrankS]

And what do you want to bet the loser running the networks are going to play this up as them providing the HD when in fact they are on the backs of NHK!


I myself consider this proof of just what jokes the networks are and how they have become so reliant on their monopolies that they will do nothing special unless someone else ponies up the money!

 

[RaymondR]

Maybe this is a sign of things to come. I doubt it will be long before we start to see at least part of the production process occuring in India or other countries where labor costs are cheaper.