Every year we've become accustomed to getting more and more HD content, but one type of programming is lagging behind the rest; syndicated programming. This is the programming that is sold to each station independently of their network affiliation. The best examples are
Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, which can be found on a ABC affiliate in one city and a CBS in another, but most programming that's on
OTA TV between 6:30 and 8pm falls into this category. Currently there are only three syndicated HD shows, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and
Two and Half Men. At this point you might be saying, "but wait Two and Half Men isn't HD in my area." No, it's not cause they hate you, it's because just like when you upgraded to HD you had to change more than just your TV, each station has to upgrade more than one piece of their equipment as well. Of course
their system is far more complicated than yours, and Broadcasting & Cable has written up the challenges involved in upgrading their syndication system to handle HD. Without getting too technical here -- click read to get technical -- they need an HD DVR to record the shows, so they can play them back at the allotted time. The problem of course is that the system has to be industrial strength and capable of being fully automated. So for now, only 20 stations deliver Two and Half Men in HD, with another 20 on schedule for next year.
posted Dec 11th 2007 12:54PM
The biggest crime of syndication is The Office on TBS. They take a show that was made for real HD, use the letterboxed SD version, stretch it, and call that HD. I find that be absolutly appaling.
Also, what's the deal with Discovery Channel HD? They don't quite stretch, but more of a zoom. I've been watching Rise of the Video Game and I can't read most of the interviewees profession as it's cut off by the bottom of the screen from zooming. How can they possibly consider that to be acceptable? I'd rather see the show in pilar boxed 4:3 than this zoomed BS. IF anything, that's what TBS should do with the letterboxed Office reruns.
Fuzz, I completely agree with you. All SD content should be broadcast in 4:3 pillarboxed on HD channels. The only exception I'd make is for shows that were created in a 4:3 letterboxed format with integrated black bars. Those can be broadcast with a (non-distorting) "zoom" applied so the picture area fills the 16x9 screen. Almost all of my local network affiliates get this right (with the exception of the CW), so why can't cable channels do it properly?
Sometimes I really wish I were in charge of these things. The only way things will change is if we continue to complain to the programmers at these channels. Keep up the letters and calls, everyone!
I believe Seinfeld and the original Star Trek series are syndicated in HD.
Can't say about Seinfeld, but we're slowing getting the Star Treks out in HD for syndication. Frasier too, as well as a couple of others that are escaping my memory right now...
Yes TBS "HD" is terrible. TNT HD does the same except the stretch the edges to fit. The center is not stretched so it gives you a headache to watch.
One of my biggest complaints about syndicated shows is the college football and basketball broadcaster for the SEC and ACC, Lincoln Financial Sports. They film games in SD because it's syndicated - they have no immediate plans to change, which totally sucks.
The only content that is stretched that hasn't bothered me has been cartoons, i.e. cartoon network and Family Guy on TBS. They don't look anywhere near as bad as their live action stretched counter-parts.
♪♫ men men men men manly men, do dit do do, do dit do ♫♪
Sorry.
I want one of those industrial strength DVRs that can record 5 shows at the same time, and have a server with storage of about a 100 terabytes. Now were taking.
What I find strange is that little Waco, TX can afford the equipment to replay 2 1/2 Men in HD, but a city like Austin, TX (suppose to be high-tech) can't. This even after the station that shows the program in syndicate switched their studios to HD and are suppose to have HD playback of news segments.
For a city of less than 1 million people, Waco is way ahead in the HD field. I applaud them and I'm glad I can pick up both Austin and Waco signals