HD content on HD channels Summary Thread

[kstuart]

I thought it would be nice to compile together all the information about which HD channels have HD content... since it seems clear that a lot of HD channels have a lot of SD content.

For example, in the few days I have owned a 622, I have observed:

Discovery HD Theater - Always HD

HD-Net/HD-Movies/HD-News - Always HD

Voom channels - Always HD

National Geographic HD - Some SD content

Showtime HD - mostly SD content, Penn&Teller is SD, Tudors is HD (showing off the excellent photography)

ESPN,ESPN2 HD - Some SD content

Food HD - Since it is only a fraction of the programming on the SD channel, and excludes many of the biggest hits (like "Emeril"), one would conclude that it must be all HD content... Yet some of the content looks like it is zoomed-and-upconverted... but that could just be poor quality on the few times I have checked...

Note that "SD" means SD material upconverted to the native resolution of the channel.

Please correct me if I am wrong about any of the above. Please give your observations on these and other channels.

PS Although there is much variation, depending on your local HD channels, what I have heard about the network channels, is:

ABC - NBC - CBS - FOX :

Primetime (8pm-11pm, except until 10pm on Fox) - HD
Network Nightly News - HD only on NBC
Local News - HD on some channels, but mostly SD
7pm-8pm - Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy in HD on some channels, others SD
Weekend Sports - HD if a national feed (such as Kentucky Derby) (Please list any recent exceptions), Local sports vary.

PPS Please list any HD 4x3 programming you have seen, I'm curious about that...

 

[Poke]

Yeah its just right now allot of Networks aren't doing everything in HD yet. When more Networks get more HD Cams and Studios set up this will change. Two channels you left out were HGTVHD and FoodHD almost all of their stuff is always HD which they have the studios and the cams.

 

[kstuart]

Yeah its just right now allot of Networks aren't doing everything in HD yet. When more Networks get more HD Cams and Studios set up this will change.

Yes, in fact it is interesting that it is the channels that actually should be mapped-down that don't have much HD content - ESPN/ESPN2, Showtime, Natl Geographic, TNT, A&E. Whereas HG and Food and Discovery all have HD all the time - and are not the same content as the SD channels, and so really should not be mapped down.

 

[wily1eye]

im glad to see that A&E is offering more and more HD.. but have noticed thier engineers asleep at the wheel on the weekends playing HD content in SD.. (new episode of Gene Simmons Family Jewells) Its in wides screen but all barred out and in 4:3 ... same thing with new episodes of Flip this house... sometimes they are in HD half the time they forget to hit a switch. At least the finally have the Sopranos in widescreen (most of the time)

 

[kstuart]

While we are venting, the (HD) symbol in the Guide listings does not mean that the program is in HD. For example, Penn & Teller always gets the (HD) symbol on Showtime HD, but it is in 4x3 and SD (albeit unconverted).

Please keep reporting on the HD and non-HD contents of the HD channels in this thread, thanks!