Was it just lots of hype and publicity but when it came to deliver YES HD did not. The first game on the road last night against the Twins. I turn to YES HD expecting an game in HD glory and I get a game in SD hell. What gives?
YES Bulks Up Hi-Def Coverage
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/19/2007 7:07:00 AM
YES Network will now provide high-definition coverage of all New York Yankees games, both home and away, on YES HD, a new standalone HD channel that launches April 1. YES, which telecast its first HD game in 2004 and produced about two-thirds of Yankees games in HD last year, has secured carriage for the HD service on DirecTV as well as major cable operators Comcast, Time Warner and Cablevision.
YES HD will also feature all studio programs in HD, including pre- and post-game shows, "Yankees Batting Practice Today," and select "Mike & the Mad Dog" shows, utilizing a new 1200-square-foot HD control room within its Stamford, Ct. headquarters. Beginning in late fall, YES plans to expand its high-definition offerings by providing high-definition coverage of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets home and away games throughout the 2007-08 season.
YES Chief Operating Officer Ray Hopkins says that YES is moving to HD to maintain its "gold standard" production values for regional sports coverage. He notes that YES HD also meets demand from affiliates who are "looking to have highly-rated products in HD in order to drive HD penetration."
YES will also have the ability to deliver commercials in HD, though Hopkins isn’t sure what percentage of spots will be hi-def at launch. He notes that a small number of advertisers, including consumer electronics concerns like Sony, have run HD spots on YES in the past.