The Weather Channel HD to debut later this year

The Weather Channel finally set a timetable for the debut of its long-awaited high definition broadcast for the second half of this year. The 24 hour network says one of its biggest challenges is redoing all of the weather graphics for HDTV, while still looking good on 4x3 SDTV screens. The channel will be one of DirecTV's new stations, but also expects to hit cable networks very soon. Cable headends will have to upgrade their equipment to allow for HD inserts of localized weather broadcasts which should be deployed next year. If you're a fan of those "live from the hurricane" shots, the Weather Channel plans to convert those gradually, along with all of its studio-based shows making the change to 1080i by mid-2008.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 21st 2007 4:38PM]

So are we HDTV people gonna see 33% more weather than other people?

[wyldtek Posted Feb 21st 2007 5:01PM]

This one instance where I could understand if they didn't want to send HD trucks out to cover a hurricane... In fact, I wish they'd send all the SD equipment into a hurricane so everyone is forced to upgrade.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 21st 2007 5:36PM]

For some reason Comcast in my area has had The Weather Channel listed in the 800s (HD channels) for quite a while. It's not HD, but it's been there for months.

[JonnyK429 Posted Feb 21st 2007 9:21PM]

That's just digital, not HD

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 21st 2007 11:41PM]

So THIS is what DirecTV is adding to their totally lame HD lineup? HAHAHAHA I hope they can do better than that!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 22nd 2007 12:24PM]

Now I can get the same extreme scrutiny of the east coast down to the square inch and the usual brief, untimely and cursory generalization of the entire west coast as a whole, but in HD.