So this morning, I was poking around the CBC web site, punching in random URLs like cbc.ca/beta and cbc.ca/admin trying to find something to fool around with. (Several years ago, for a piece I produced for DNTO, I asked a white-hat hacker to try to break into the CBC’s web site. He found it in less than an hour. Username: remote, Password: control. Nice.) I digress.
Anyway, poking around putting random URLs in, I found cbc.ca/hdtv - a nice little site detailing CBC Television’s movement to high-definition.
CBC’s High Definition Schedule
Turns out, we publish a weekly PDF schedule of our high-definition offerings [this week's HDTV schedule pdf].
That’s this week, to the right. Shows in orange are available in high-definition. Shows in blue are in standard-def, but widescreen.
Not many shows, sadly.
What We Broadcast in HD Now
I asked around internally to find out more about what we offer in high-definition and here’s the current state-of-the-HD-nation at the CBC (news and current affairs programming only; I still haven’t heard back from other divisions):
- The Nature of Things: In HD now
- the fifth estate: Moving to HD with the next season
- CBC News: The National: Studio shots (with Peter) are in HD; news footage is not
- Documentaries: Some documentaries are in HD now.
Here’s a scoop: An inside source tells me all News/Current Affairs (in both French and English) switches to 16:9 format in September. (That’s 16:9, but not necessarily high-definition.)
So for those viewers who are watching on SD (standard definition — read: normal TVs), an adjustment has to be made. Here’s how the different media lines plan to handle it:
- French TV: Letterboxing (black bars on top and bottom)
- English TV: Centre-Cut (extreme left/right edges of 16:9 signal will be cut off)
What do you think? Is HD a big deal for you?
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Other broadcasters are far ahead of CBC in terms of HDTV.
I would imagine the CBC would have to invest a good $100 million to convert all its local news operations to high-def, plus new transmitters would also have to be built at an additional cost. I believe CBC has asked the CRTC for permission to build HDTV transmitters in big cities only. The smaller population centres would have to watch the existing analog signals or get CBC HD via home satellite dish.
What’s interesting is that in the U.S. it’s not just commercial stations that are upgrading to HDTV; all PBS stations are also making the switch, even in small markets — mostly because the FCC is forcing all American television stations to go digital.
Another problem with HDTV news seems to be that so much video is shared around the world and most broadcasters aren’t HD yet. It might be a 10-15 year transition period for all networks around the world to switch and then AP Television and Reuters would have to start sending daily HDTV feeds. Certainly our coverage of Afghanistan would look spectacular in High def.. but a lot of the video we use from outside Canada is recorded by other agencies and networks, so our Jerusalem correspondents may do a stand-up and interview in HD but the video from Gaza would be videotaped in 4:3 by a freelancer who sells his work to AP etc.
I’m loving CBC HD quality. I’ve watched other shows “in HD” CSI etc.. and the quality isn’t even close to CBC’s sports. The CFL games seriously look like you are in the stands watching the game.
If you have a HD tv with a ATSC tuner built in (most new sets do) then watch it off air with an antenna for free. CBC has digital transmitters in Vancouver (Ch 58), Toronto (Ch 20), Montreal (Ch 20) and Ottawa (Ch 25).
The off air quality is better than HD Satellite or Cable because there is not nearly the amount of compression to try and fit as many channels in.
The best part is you don’t have to pay for the programming!
French SRC has already been letterboxing many shows.
The CBC HD experience has been quite good. With even the news at 6 being in widescreen randomly over the past few weeks.
Having recently lived in Calgary, where there is no HD over the air to speak of, it would be preferable for the CBC to letterbox the regular signal then cut it off. There were a few hockey games where the announcers were discussing things that had been cut off for regular TV.
Also, living in Toronto now, the PBS shows in HD are great. They look amazing and hopefully people will see them and pressure all our Canadian broadcasters it is the way to go. Perhaps the CBC can stay ahead and gain something from it.
If only someone could convince the cable providers in Seattle to pick up the HD version of CBC Vancouver…
Admittedly, the small number of orange boxes on that schedule makes the argument less compelling….
What’s next HD radio?
Isn’t the Rick Mercer Report broadcast in HD? I think I’ve seen it over at my friend’s place. (I’m still on bunny ears, myself…)
From a purely cinematographic point of view, I think French Television’s letterboxing will look so much nicer than English Television’s Center cut.
What is important here is not the quantity of the 4:3 screen real estate CBC uses but the quality of the content. Which includes how shots are framed. Every thing being center framed will look very dull and will lack any dynamic value, be it viewed on a 4:3 or 16:9 screen. Whereas a shot which is letterboxed will look great, and as intended, on all screens.
Here’s a bit of 16:9 gossip I picked up from a veteran freelance cameraman working in my CBC plant this summer: Not being a TV person, I naively assumed an announcement that local news would be shot in 16:9 this fall meant we were going to HD. But when I mentioned this to the cameraman, he patiently explained that while it would be in 16:9, the news would be in standard definition only. However, he added, the cameras that the CBC is buying can be up-converted. He says when the day comes that local news is shot in HD, it’s simply a matter of yanking one module out of these new cameras and inserting another one. I don’t know how accurate the information is, but that’s what the man said.
I tried watching the noon cbc news (whatever it’s called) in HD, and boy is it all over the place.
Some stuff is in HD and some isn’t.
even some ads are in HD and some aren’t
but worst of all, the aspect ratio is all over the place from one moment to the next… from 16:9 to 4:3 to a “mini” 16:9 that has black bars all the way around. This is just not ready for prime time, as it were.
I’ve also seen TSN in HD, which is funny for different reasons… it’s pretty consistenly hi-def, with a consistent image size, but they simulcast in non-HD, so they’re still doing standard TV makeup, which looks pretty goofy when you see it in HD.
Some stuff is in HD and some isn’t.
even some ads are in HD and some aren’t
but worst of all, the aspect ratio is all over the place from one moment to the next…
I don’t work at the CBC, I work for another broadcaster, but that’s the situation we are in as well. Our news and original programming is in 16:9 but yeah, a lot of material from news feeds and file video is still 4:3. It’ll take years for all the material to be entirely 16:9. Also we’re not high-definition yet, just in 16:9 aspect ratio.
could somebody explain this to me: if I buy widescreen HDTV, but decide for a while not to subscribe a cable (bunny ears), will I be able to receive
1. better picture?
2. worse picture?
3. not picture at all?
thanks.
I already heard all three answers from the salesmen in electronic stores,
they obviously do not know.
We have been having a problem with CBC HD.
The picture stutters. Or in other words, it freezes for from 1 to 3 seconds and then continues. Sometimes the sound is lost for a little longer.
This does not happen on the other HD channels, and we did not see it on the French cbc channel either (but did not watch for long). Just watching the 10.00 oclock news and it is happening all the time. But, I can switch to the baseball and no problems.
We are on Cogeco in Kingston area. HD box is a Motorola 6200. TV is a Toshiba Regza 42″.
Anyone esle having this problem on CBC HD?
also having problems with HD on hockey… freezes.. studders..17 times in 20 minutes..what can be done about this, is it cbc cameras of is it my Star choice…any replys please.. need fixing…thanks
still having problems with cbc in HD same as Graham..freezing,sound lost….
I am having the same problems with cbc HD especially during the Saturday night
hockey games. The picture freezes for a couple of seconds. The puck will be behind the next and when it unfreezes they are heading out past the blue line!
I am with Starchoice.
was on the phone with star choice for over an hour and they can’t fix it..said if i phoned again that i could talk to level 2 technician,had enough for one night….game over
this seems to be the only place to see if others are having the same problem….help needed..