The HD difference
I had a very rare night last night when I could spend most of the evening giving my NBA League Pass a heavy workout. And I just thought I’d mention that every game I watched was in high definition.
I don’t know about you, but once I got the HD television, my viewing habits changed. I suddenly was willing to watch a show I’d never normally watch, simply because it was in high def. Now, when I’m working my way through my options on League Pass, I’ll watch a non-HD game only if it’s a very special game. I’ve watched lousy teams play in high definition rather than good teams play on non-HD.
The quality of the HD picture spoils you. Man, I never knew how poor the picture quality was with regular TV until I saw HD. After that, anything not in high definition felt like I was watching it through a glass of water.
For the most part, baseball teams are way ahead of basketball teams in the HD world. The Mariners, for example, did EVERY game last season in high def. And all I’m saying is, if you are running a sports franchise and you aren’t putting the games on in HD, your ratings are going to start suffering. Rather than watching your games, people are going to be turning to the Discovery Channel.
I feel the same way about local news, by the way. The local HD stuff is going to have a huge edge. Man, once you get the HD television — and it isn’t going to take long before most people have them, in spite of the slumping economy — it’s very hard to settle for less than a high-definition program, be it news, sports or sitcoms.
Me, Media | Dwight Jaynes | January 28, 2009
I agree 100%. I’ll watch re-runs of Dirty Jobs, before I’ll watch something in standard definition. Its even hard for a die hard blazer fan like myself to watch the away games on comcast sportsnet, because it seems that while they have good HD equipment, the standard stuff is leftover from the old blazer cable days. As Sir Charles would say… its ‘turrible’
Contrast HD with watching games on justin.tv with your neighbor’s spotty internet. I’m ready to pay a little bit to get a season’s worth of streaming in HD.
HDFTW
it’s 2009!!! all of life should be in HD at this point! come on, world!
comcast needs to go all HD next year no question about it. the SD is pathetic and a disservice to both the broadcast talent and the viewing public.
talking ball in HD… * mind blown * pasero would even more CLEARLY not make sense.
I don’t live in PDX, so I watch all of the Blazer games on DirecTV NBA League Pass. What I don’t understand is why all of the Blazers’ home games are in SD on NBALP. It clearly says that it is being broadcast in HD, yet I only get it in SD.
I am sure it is a function on DirecTV, but it really is unfortunate. At least I get most of the away games in HD. The upside is that I don’t have to see Mike Rice’s mug in HD! I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. J/K.
I totally agree on this – HD has spoiled me, I have Comcast, and I only watch a very few shows outside of the 700s (which are the HD channels there.)
From what I’ve heard, and I could be totally off here, is that NBA stadiums are only equipped with one set of HD cameras, so the home team gets priority. The exceptions being the Staples Center, and Rose Garden, which have two sets, the reason the clippers game was broadcast in HD earlier this week.
Really, though, with the amount of money that goes through an NBA team, they can’t afford two sets of good cameras? I don’t get the logic.
The fact that all Blazers road games ARE NOT IN HD (except when they are on KGW) is horse pucky. For some reason the Clippers road game was in HD and I have never been so ecstatic to watch the Clips play the Blazers.
Even road games on KGW aren’t HD. They are digital, which is better but still not in HD. The only road games other than major networks (TNT, ESPN etc) are the two against the clippers. At Cleveland with be a TNT game. So other than that those two games, all the road games from here on out will be standard def unless picked up by ESPN or something.
Comcast sportsnet was put in the ‘analog’ channels. I think once you hit 100+ they are digital. And even if you don’t have an HD TV, you can still probably watch the home games on 788 if you have a comcast digital box, and it will look ALOT better.
HD is SOOOOOOOOO addicting. The level of detail you see is amazing. And to me, it is at its best in sports coverage. The Olympics coverage in HD was spectacular, as are HD Blazer games. And yes, I’ve noticed the difference with local newscasts.
Couldn’t agree more, Dwight. History HD & Discover HD can be running 24/7 in this house as far as I’m concerned.
Of course, part of that choice comes from the fact that our cable company (controlled by a certain local sports franchise owner) does NOT offer any Portland TV station in HD – nor does it carry the Blazers Comcast games.
HD can be fun – if you live in the right area.