Nets 'Define’ High-Def
Lack of clarity persists over what is true HD
by Randy Barrett -- Multichannel News, 11/25/2007 7:00:00 PM
Networks are racing to produce or acquire high-definition programming, and that means more entertainment choices for the growing ranks of HDTV owners.
“We’ve passed the tipping point” for programmers, said industry analyst Bruce Leichtman. “Now it’s not a cost benefit, you’ve got to be in the game.”
Every network from ABC to Discovery Channel to Starz is advertising new HD fare, even though the public is still largely confused and minimally educated on what constitutes a true high-def signal (see story, page 9). In cable, the highest-resolution HD signals require a hefty 19.2 Megabits per second of bandwidth for delivering MPEG-2 video with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, though operators often squeeze signals down from that top rate in order to distribute them more efficiently.
But most commercial video is shot in standard definition, which is far lower resolution than HD. So broadcasters “upconvert” the signal to get as close to high definition as possible. The result is a less-than-perfect image, one that often has black bars on either side because of differences in the aspect ratio between the original format (4:3, which is close to a square) and HDTV (a 16:9 ratio, which is closer to a rectangle — much like a movie theater screen).
“Once you start watching for a while and you see a difference between sources, it’s obvious when they trim the resolution down,” said Ken Holsgrove, moderator of the HDTV list on the AVS Forum, an online watering hole for hardcore consumer technology geeks.
Some networks try to stretch upconverted programs to fit the new televisions, something Holsgrove said is akin to “taking a half gallon of milk and making into a gallon.”
Only a few networks, including HDNet, Universal HD and Mojo, offer native 1080i high-definition programs on 100% of their schedules. The rest offer a combination of native HD and upconverted content, along with varying degrees of disclosure. For example, ABC airs about 57% of its programming in what it calls HD — but at a lower resolution of 720i. Versus presents about half its shows in native HD, and Starz HD delivers 81% of its fare in full high definition.
“There is nothing wrong with the new HDTV that you just spent a fortune on,” HDNet Mark Cuban wrote on his Web log recently. “It’s not yours or the TV’s fault that the picture quality you are seeing … looks like crap compared to what you saw in the store … TV networks are misleading consumers into thinking they are getting HD versions of their networks.”
But programmers can legally call their higher resolution shows whatever they please because, as Holsgrove pointed out, “there are no federal guidelines for HD quality.”
In terms of programming genres, sports have been a first target for many networks trying to get into the HD space quickly. “Sports are a religion,” said Gavin Harvey, president of Versus. “When you have a fan with that kind of passion, you need to offer it in its highest form.”
Versus currently offers National Hockey League games, cage fighting and college football in native HD. The network has also built a high-definition studio for talk programming.
According to a recent poll of 1,000 adults commissioned by Motorola, 45% of respondents would prefer to watch a college or professional football match on an HDTV than see the games in person.
Another prime source of HD content is feature movies, old and new. Nearly all movies are filmed in 35mm and the medium is high resolution to start with, said Dan Harrison, senior vice president of emerging networks for NBC Universal cable. Movies and TV programs can be relatively easily remastered to 1080i HD format. The Universal HD network currently offers a menu of mostly older movies, including The Jerk, The Hurricane and Man on the Moon.
But converting films isn’t cheap. Remastering can range from less than $10,000 to $100,000, depending on the condition of the original movie. Upconverting television shows is costly too, said Clint Stinchcomb, who runs Discovery Channel’s HD Theater. Discovery spends between 10% and 25% more producing or converting its high-definition content.
“We think it’s the cost of doing business,” said Stinchcomb. “People are on an unrelenting quest for picture quality.” Discovery recently launched four new HD simulcast channels, including its flagship service, TLC, Animal Planet and The Science Channel.
Mojo, owned by InDemand, offers 100% native high-definition programming and recently made a deal with NBC to carry the HD version of the hit show Heroes. Mojo airs the show just a few days after it runs on its home network.
Mojo also produces its own line of programs, including the culinary-themed After Hours in L.A. and Pressure Cook, adventure fare Dr. Danger and the consumerish Test Drive.
“The novelty of HD will wear off and it will be about the programs,” said programming vice president David Asch.
Among other programmers upping the HD ante, CNN has announced it will initially produce all of its New York-based news programming in the format, as well as some documentaries and presidential debates. In October, Turner Broadcasting System inked a deal with Cox Communications to carry TBS and CNN in high definition.
Home shopping titan QVC has also jumped on the bandwagon with an announcement earlier this month that it will launch an HD simulcast early next year. The channel plans a national campaign to tout its high-definition arrival.
NBC’s Harrison sees HD as an opportunity to reverse the perception that the television industry has been slow to adopt new technologies
“When people seek out HD, they’re getting it from the networks,” Harrison said.
