[Dave Porter]

The Agencey is gettin better every week !

 

[hpierce]

I agree. It is now the best show on TV, in my opinion, of course. CSI still looks better.

 

[merc]

Now that I've calmed down, I've decided to edit my post.

CBS in Houston apparently was having some difficulties last night. OTA transmission continually kept dropping out. Unfortunately, I had invited some local politicians over for dinner and HDTV. Obviously, they were not impressed with CBS HDTV and we ended up switching to the cable SD version. Finally, we watched a DVD since CBS just wasn't cooperating last night.

 

[artshotwell]

Wow! They both sure looked great here. CSI was especially good. Beautifully photographed.

Quote:

Originally posted by merc They both looked like **** tonight on CBS OTA tonight... So bad, that I tried to switch my HDTV discussion from CBS to DVD... for the local politicals that I had paid to BE at my house to experience CBS HDTV!!!!!! Bob Ross... if you are truly responsible for the Houston Affiliate, then you owe me $2,328. Why the **** am I doing this?????? Right now, I HATE HDTV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[mflanagan]

For some reason CSI looked just a tad 'grainy'. Kind of how they had it early in the season. Some episodes are crystal clear and other have a 'film grain' look (artistic?). I wish they would knock that artsy crap off. The grain doesn't look good on a 130" screen.


The Agency however looked better to me last night. Both are top notch shows. I just wish they would have broadcast survivor in HD this season. Shows that are 'outdoorsy' really show off HD regardless of the actual content.


My 2cents

Mike Flanagan

 

[RaggedEdge]

I'll have to agree with that. I thought some of the CSI shots were very grainy. Other were not. When Gil was talking to the Medical Examiner in the morgue the shots were absolutely stunning. But in the cellar where the woman died playing with her books, it was very grainy. The agency had great PQ all around last night.


Alex

 

[cwood]

Quote:

Originally posted by mflanagan For some reason CSI looked just a tad 'grainy'. Kind of how they had it early in the season. Some episodes are crystal clear and other have a 'film grain' look (artistic?). I wish they would knock that artsy crap off. The grain doesn't look good on a 130" screen. The Agency however looked better to me last night. Both are top notch shows. I just wish they would have broadcast survivor in HD this season. Shows that are 'outdoorsy' really show off HD regardless of the actual content. My 2cents Mike Flanagan

Agreed! The Agency was more consistent in look scene to scene while CSI looked contrasty with an artsy/fartsy film look. Definition looked as good on The Agency or better, than CSI. Regardless, both shows have me hooked on CBS on Thursday nights.

 

[Aslan]

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally posted by merc

They both looked like **** tonight on CBS OTA tonight... So bad, that I tried to switch my HDTV discussion from CBS to DVD... for the local politicals that I had paid to BE at my house to experience CBS HDTV!!!!!!

Bob Ross... if you are truly responsible for the Houston Affiliate, then you owe me $2,328. Why the **** am I doing this??????

Right now, I HATE HDTV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Let me get this straight... You PAID politicians to come to your house to watch HD? Why?


I've heard of some dumb politicians before, but to accept blatent payment to be lobbied? Are these intelligent beings we're talking about here? Sure you've got your story strait?


BTW, Agency looked good up here...

 

[cpto]

It may be just my set (Zenith 65") but CSI has always looked like the blacks are pulled way down. Even with the lights off, the low-light details are lost. I have to boost the brightness to bring them up. This also occurs with The District.


Other CBS shows, such as That's Life, don't seem to have this problem as much. Neither does PBS, or ABC/NBC when I could receive them.


Could my set just be out of adjustment somehow, or is there a "darkness" problem with the tapes CBS is being sent?


Thanks.


Rick

 

[mmost]

Quote:

Originally posted by cpto It may be just my set (Zenith 65") but CSI has always looked like the blacks are pulled way down. Even with the lights off, the low-light details are lost. I have to boost the brightness to bring them up. This also occurs with The District. Other CBS shows, such as That's Life, don't seem to have this problem as much. Neither does PBS, or ABC/NBC when I could receive them. Could my set just be out of adjustment somehow, or is there a "darkness" problem with the tapes CBS is being sent?

Why do you assume that dark blacks are a problem? In the case of CSI, it's quite intentional, and part of the look they want. A show such as "That's Life" is shot much more conventionally and takes far fewer chances. It also has no dramatic visual impact and nothing that visually distinguishes it from at least 20 other shows. CSI, on the other hand, has a visual uniqueness you can spot a mile away. Just because you don't personally like something it doesn't mean there's anything technically wrong. Stop trying to flatten out everything and enjoy the differences. Let the visuals help tell the story.

 

[Linda Britt]

Yes, The Agency has become a must-see for me. Better every week. Helped that CBS finally felt comfortable airing the first episode which fleshed out the characters for us. Love this genre, anyway. HD is just frosting on the cake.


CSI, on the other hand, has a distinctive look all its own. For me, that's part of its charm. That claustrophobia-inducing, blue tint they love to use in the autopsy room - the one that makes a sudden shock of blood leap out at you as the room closes in and you start to feel slightly woozy - is just perfect.

 

[bbqman]

I also think the show and story line is now starting to come into its own. The Agency is getting better every week so far.

 

[JasonATL]

I'm now a fan of The Agency. Again, CBS delivers quality all the way around. Thursday used to be "must see" night for me. It still is... but on CBS.

 

[Gruson]

I never miss Thursday nights!!


The Agency is #1 for me now too.

 

[sdf777]

Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but after watching this last Agency, I've decided to quit watching. I'll take Alias over Agency any day for plot and acting.

 

[JKohn]

I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to compare Alias and The Agency, because they're very different shows. Alias doesn't even try to be remotely realistic; it's more like a James Bond or La Femme Nikita type of show. The Agency, on the other hand, tries to be a little more realistic; it also deals not only with field operations but also analysis and politics.


That's not to say you can't like both, but I don't think the fact that you like Alias more means you can't also enjoy the Alias. I watch both.

 

[Jerry G]

Quote:

Originally posted by sdf777 Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but after watching this last Agency, I've decided to quit watching. I'll take Alias over Agency any day for plot and acting.

You're not raining on anyone's parade. We all have different tastes in movies, TV shows, etc.


I love The Agency. It would appear that most other posters also enjoy it. With CSI and The Agency, Thursday evening has become by "must watch" evening.

 

[cpto]

mmost - I didn't mean to imply that I watch the show with the brightness level high. I just meant that I boosted it to see if there was any detain in the black.


If that's the producer's intent then that's what I'm seeing. It's just that HD has the ability to produce good low-light details, as does the eye. The fact that these details are absent on this program tends to detract from the picture.


For example, the "We stand alone together" show on HBO-HD tonight has strongly side-lit interviews with the principals, but there is still the low-light detail you'd expect to see.


Rick

 

[mmost]

Quote:

Originally posted by cpto If that's the producer's intent then that's what I'm seeing. It's just that HD has the ability to produce good low-light details, as does the eye. The fact that these details are absent on this program tends to detract from the picture.

In your opinion. Not in the opinion of those who create the show. That was my point. It happens that there were a number of debates early in the first season of CSI between the original director of photography (Roy Wagner, now shooting "Pasadena"), the producers (who sided with Roy) and the network regarding the show's being "too dark." The network's contention was that most viewers see things the way you do - they judge pictures on the technical "wow" factor and feel that more detail = better pictures. Roy and the producers felt that hiding some of the black details helped in terms of the storytelling. They compromised and did 1 or 2 episodes in which the blacks were "opened up" a bit. The network then changed their mind and decided that the unique look the show was achieving before the change was better, and eventually let the producers do what they wanted.