HDTV Listings for April 15, 2006
By Richard Lawler 
posted Apr 15th 2006 4:39PM
posted Apr 15th 2006 4:39PM
What we're watching: It's a slooow Saturday for HD, but at least the real The Ten Commandments is back in action tonight at 7 on ABC. Of course this sets up a Jim Caviezel as Jesus/Charlton Heston as Moses showdown at 9 p.m. as The Passion of the Christ spreads 1080i blessings, we're sure you'll make the right choice.We've had a few requests to add channels to our daily listings, it looks like Starz, Cinemax and HDNet are favorites, any other requests?
Update: It looks like one of the 10 commandments wasn't to accurately label your Saturday night movies, because at least on my local station it is 4x3 and very much not HD. Doesn't this fall under coveting your neighbors Xbox 360 or something?
Our traditional high-def listings continue below Here are some other HDTV programs showing on selected networks today. All times are Eastern and reruns are in italics:
ABC (720p): The Ten Commandments (7 p.m.)
CBS (1080i): Numbers (8 p.m), CSI: Miami (9 p.m.)
NBC (1080i): Law & Order: Criminal Intent (10 p.m.), Saturday Night Live with guest host: Lindsey Lohan (11:30 p.m.)
Fox (720p): Maybe Cops, maybe not.
WB: (1080i): Smallville (10:30 p.m.)
Discovery-HD (1080i): Roush Racing: Driver X (6 p.m.), Sunrise Earth (7 p.m.), With All Deliberate Speed: The Legacy of Brown vs. Board (8 & 11 p.m.), Arctic Mission (10 p.m.)
ESPN-HD (720p): SportsCenter(6 & 11 p.m.), Baseball Tonight (10 p.m)
INHD (1080i): USA Baskeball: The Drive for Gold (7:30 p.m.), Wakeboarding (8 p.m.) NBA Basketball: Kings at Nuggets (9 p.m.)
INHD2 (1080i): Discoveries...America: Wyoming (7 p.m), Go! Luxury Coaches (8 p.m.), In Theatres (8:30 p.m), The Egyptian (9 p.m), Haunted (11:30 p.m.)
HBO-HD (1080i): Racing Stripes (6:15 p.m.), Robots (8 p.m.), The Sopranos (11 p.m.)
Showtime-HD (1080i): Mean Creek (5 p.m.), The Passion of the Christ (9 p.m.)
TNT-HD (1080i): Remember the Titans (5:30 p.m.), The Replacements (8 p.m.), Jerry Maguire (10:30 p.m.)
"Fox (720p): Maybe Cops, maybe not."
Trust me. Not.
The Cops "is it HD or is it not" question is actually one I think we'll see more and more in the future, unlike shows like CBS's Survivor that are running in 4:3 and side barred, at what point does a show that is internally shot in 16:9 and then upconverted at the network considered HD?
While the source isn't HD, the broadcast *IS* HD, 720p and 16:9, there's no way I could read the added WFXT bug and it's text if it was SD, that darn bug is tiny!
I don't know what FOXHD channel everyone else is watching, but Cops for me is native 720p, and it is not upscaled from a 480 source.
I'm Ken H, the HDTV Moderator of AVS Forums. My source for this info is the FOX network. None of the filmed / taped reality shows are native HD.
The 480i 16:9 source is upconverted to 720p at the network, before it's distributed to the affiliates in full ATSC format. They look very good, but are not HDTV.
On the other hand, American Idol is HD.
Ken,
I had no intention of disputing you, your credentials are solid,
But as far as HD content vs broadcast, that's an area where HD beat might come into play noting that the shows in question are 16:9 480i's upconverted by the networks, that's a very different scenario then just shovelling your 480i 4:3 content to people.
It's a new category, and one that does say they're paying attention to the market, and one I think we can agree is a better quality then just shoving 480i 4:3 content at us thinking we don't know better.
Diane,
It is not new, it is called Fox widescreen and Fox has been trying to pass it off as HD for years. It is a long story, but the end result is that Fox was the last to go HD for a reason. Fox widescreen is alot better than SD and good enough to trick alot of people into believing it is HD, especially considering how much bad HD is out there.
The other thing that Fox even tricked me on is their Promo's, according to a trusted source all the promo's for Fox shows such as 24 during other fox shows are not true HD either. But Fox widescreen upconverted to 720p looks so good it fools alot of people.
For those keeping score I learned almost everything I know about HD from the AVSForum over the past 3 years.
Thanks Ken!
Ben,
My pleasure to assist, as it's always good to know AVS readers are spreading the HD gospel. I enjoy the daily musings of HD Beat, and as you know, strive for accuracy in all things HD.
Best regards,
Ken
very interesting guys, and good to know,
I consider it a plus that they are at least giving us something better then 4:3 SD content shoveled into the HD feed, but on the other hand it's a bit disappointing they haven't seen the HD light.
I really cannot believe it is 480 upsampled to 720. Have you guys paused/snap-shotted it? If it's upsampled, it's the best upsampling algorithm I've ever seen.