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The HD News Thread


Ntropolis

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WVLT-TV 8, the CBS affiliate in Knoxville, TN, became the first station to broadcast news in high definition recently.

 

http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/WVLT_Volunteer_TV_announces_first-to-market_high_definition_news_and_local_programming_113190709.html

 

Part of the Gray roll-out...their graphics are MUCH better then their previous ones...well I like their OTS's at least.

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Here in Tulsa, KOKI is now broadcasting in HD (2nd to do so, after KJRH) with a new set, O&O inspired graphics and logo, and Paul Turner as voiceover.

 

For those interested, here's a video containing the open. Looks like a Fox version of the graphics other Newport stations have rolled out. (I also see some hints of the KSWB graphics in there...might this be a Hothaus job?) Both the graphics and set have a decidedly large-market feel. You wouldn't think this is DMA #61 or whatever Tulsa is these days.

 

Oh, and it's actually Chris Corley on the voiceover.

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For those interested, here's a video containing the open. Looks like a Fox version of the graphics other Newport stations have rolled out. (I also see some hints of the KSWB graphics in there...might this be a Hothaus job?) Both the graphics and set have a decidedly large-market feel. You wouldn't think this is DMA #61 or whatever Tulsa is these days.

 

Oh, and it's actually Chris Corley on the voiceover.

 

Wow! I am really impressed with FOX 23. It looks to me like KSWB's graphics using Vizrt. I've been disappointed with KOKI graphics-wise since they dumped their original TVbD package several years ago. I especially disliked the first-generation FOX O&O stuff they've been using, but THIS absolutely makes up for it!!! KOKI really outdid their selves with this. It really makes KOTV/KWTV's recent update look bad.

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TVNewsCheck had an interview with someone at Media General:

 

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/01/19/48482/media-generals-todo-list-hd-news-mobile

 

"We haven’t gone HD in Providence [R.I.] [WJAR] yet and we haven’t gone HD in Jackson, Miss. [WJTV] So those are both on the radar. We will probably do Providence first and then we will try to do Jackson."

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Guest NewsHound

WRDW-TV in Augusta, GA (DMA#114) launched in High Definition with their noon newscast today. This morning, the newscast was still in 16:9 SD with old graphics. By about 10:00 this morning, new ads and promos and the on-screen bug updated to a brand new logo which clearly has an HD tag on it and a weird Square-type "12" font. By the noon newscast, there was no sound, and commercials right now during the newscast still have no sound. Also, the first 3 minutes of the newscast was pushed inward with black sidebars, which makes me wonder if they really did go HD or if they are just "pretending" it's HD. Local ads that were 4:3 look overstretched. The new graphics, an HD look branded on other Gray Television stations, looks very nice and fully animated, and is quite an improvement from the shit they upgraded to when they went 16:9 last September.

 

Video coming soon.

 

UPDATE: Testing microphones over commercials after the newscast was over. From screen glitches to sound trouble, everything but the graphics had trouble today so my guess is that they are trying to work out kinks. Maybe it's HD after all, well somebody better tell them to put on the special makeup and get a better set/lighting because the quality looks awful.

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WRDW-TV in Augusta, GA (DMA#114) launched in High Definition with their noon newscast today. This morning, the newscast was still in 16:9 SD with old graphics. By about 10:00 this morning, new ads and promos and the on-screen bug updated to a brand new logo which clearly has an HD tag on it and a weird Square-type "12" font. By the noon newscast, there was no sound, and commercials right now during the newscast still have no sound. Also, the first 3 minutes of the newscast was pushed inward with black sidebars, which makes me wonder if they really did go HD or if they are just "pretending" it's HD. Local ads that were 4:3 look overstretched. The new graphics, an HD look branded on other Gray Television stations, looks very nice and fully animated, and is quite an improvement from the shit they upgraded to when they went 16:9 last September.

 

Video coming soon.

 

UPDATE: Testing microphones over commercials after the newscast was over. From screen glitches to sound trouble, everything but the graphics had trouble today so my guess is that they are trying to work out kinks. Maybe it's HD after all, well somebody better tell them to put on the special makeup and get a better set/lighting because the quality looks awful.

 

'RDW was already in 16:9, so there wouldn't be a point in pretending to begin to broadcast in HD, seeing as they were already in that aspect ratio. Unfortunetly the only way to figure out if everything is working correctly is to put it on-air to see. The squished video you saw was probably an ARC that was set to the incorrect setting. These kinks should be worked out by the end of the day.

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'RDW was already in 16:9, so there wouldn't be a point in pretending to begin to broadcast in HD, seeing as they were already in that aspect ratio. Unfortunetly the only way to figure out if everything is working correctly is to put it on-air to see. The squished video you saw was probably an ARC that was set to the incorrect setting. These kinks should be worked out by the end of the day.

 

Yeah, by the 6pm they had most of the kinks worked out and took viewers on a tour of the brand new HD control room. It's definitely High Definition because the cameras were a lot sharper and the lighting was a lot better than it was earlier in the day. ;) Apparently close to $2 million went in on the upgrades, seriously makes me wonder how Gray can afford to make such a small market station HD.

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Yeah, by the 6pm they had most of the kinks worked out and took viewers on a tour of the brand new HD control room. It's definitely High Definition because the cameras were a lot sharper and the lighting was a lot better than it was earlier in the day. ;) Apparently close to $2 million went in on the upgrades, seriously makes me wonder how Gray can afford to make such a small market station HD.

 

It's a company-wide investment -- they made deals with many companies to do the installs at just about every station.

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Someone mentioned that Augusta played a bit more like a bigger market than it really was (this was before MG took over WAGT though, mind you) due to its location between bigger markets.

 

I live here. WRDW has always attempted to be better than they are, and most of the time they succeed. They were the first in the area to launch network programming in HD, they have always had over-the-top graphics and focused heavily on investigative stories. Naturally, even though in recent years their news product has been poorly produced (lots of technical issues, bad judgment), this move to HD and Automation has made them rebound.

 

WJBF, does of course play a bit more big market, because they are Media General-owned, so all the stations under Media General are pretty much like that. WJBF was the first in the area to get an Automated master control. They were the first station in the area, so they have a clear advantage which helps them lead in ratings. Even when WJBF was owned under Spartan (before the MG takeover), they tried to make themselves appear to be big, and of course they do a good job at it. They too, like WRDW, have poor production sometimes.

 

WAGT never had a strong news department, they first launched local news in 1995 (a good 15 years after they signed on), and the station has taken on many brandings, several different news teams, and graphics styles every 2 years, always has been last place in ratings. They still use the same set, minus slight updating, that they have used since they launched news. When WJBF took them over, they haven't done anything to help them survive and so it's kind of like -- why do you still offer local news? Watching WAGT is practically a big waste of time, their leads suck, typical of an LMA agreement, and when they have conflicting newscast times with WJBF, why would you watch them when you can get the exact same stories from a station that does a better job at putting on a newscast?

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Also, I noticed that WPMT Fox 43 York, PA and WHNT are basically the same set design, with WHNT's set a more spacious, spread out set with a weather center. Same desk and basic design elements. Not sure if there are any other FX sets around that are from this template.

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I know for a fact from anchor Matt Hamill at WQAD that there going HD very soon. They've been doing HD tests. That means the market would be an all HD news market.

 

A very close friend (Barbara Morse Silva) has told me that WJAR will be going HD in May. A brand new look, set, and graphics will be introduced. No clue if the'll get new music or not.

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