The NFL In HD: CBS Calls an Audible

Poke

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Dec 3, 2003
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OK
I know folks were wanting more NFL in HD maybe we will get it.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/cbsaudible042407.htm

The network was blitzed with complaints with high-def owners.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (April 24, 2007) -- CBS yesterday revealed that it will double its High-Definition coverage of the National Football League during the 2007 season.

The network aired just three NFL games a week in high-def last season, but CBS spokeswoman Leslie Anne Wade told TVPredictions.com that it will show "up to six games" this fall.

The news caught many HD observers by surprise because CBS was expected to add just one HD game in 2007. The network said last year that it would likely not significantly increase its high-def coverage until 2008 or 2009.

The reason; Cost.

Robert Seidel, the network's vice president for engineering, told TVPredictions.com that the network had not gone to a full HD lineup yet because of the challenges in producing so many games each week.

"We sometimes do eight games a week, with up to 16 feeds," he lamented.

So why did CBS call an audible? Did the cost of producing a game in high-def suddenly get cheaper?

Not quite.


The network reversed course for two reasons:

1. Ratings
High-Definition TVs are now in roughly 30 million U.S. homes -- and perhaps as many as 20 million now have the high-def tuners necessary to watch HD channels. If CBS continued to offer just three games a week in high-def, it could have had an impact on the ratings, starting this season.


The Baltimore Ravens will be seen more often in HD.

While die-hard fans would watch their home team regardless of whether the game is in HD, casual fans who own HDTVs would likely choose the Fox HD broadcast over the CBS standard definition game. (Fox has aired roughly six NFL games a week in high-def for a few years.)

2. ImageCBS converted its primetime schedule to HD earlier than its broadcast network rivals. But the paucity of NFL broadcasts in high-def had become an embarrassment, hurting the network's image as a high-def pioneer.

Compounding the problem: HDTV owners blitzed the network -- and its local affiliates -- with complaints about the lack of NFL coverage in HD. The network took notice.

So, kudos to CBS for its reversal -- and kudos to HDTV owners who made their voices heard.
 
Overall this great news, too many times I wanted to watch a game on CBS but it was SD, so I watched the Fox game instead. SD football on my 50" Sony looks like poop.
 
While die-hard fans would watch their home team regardless of whether the game is in HD, casual fans who own HDTVs would likely choose the Fox HD broadcast over the CBS standard definition game. (Fox has aired roughly six NFL games a week in high-def for a few years.)

I often chose Fox. Their HD quality seems to be inconsistent but it was much better than watching many CBS games. Competition is a good thing.
 
This is sweet! What every HDTV owner wants to hear...more options of programs in HD! My hope would be that CBS would have broadcasts in HD for both the early and late games. If their coverage of the NFL is equal to that of the PGA...bring on the football season!
 
Fox is not only showing all the NASCAR races in HD, even their in-car cameras are HD.

I'll take a wild bet it's more expensive than football.

And when will ABC decide the supposed biggest motor race in the world, the Indy 500, should be in high def?
 
But the Busch races that are being shown on EPSN (as we know this is ABC) is doing the same thing with the HD in car cameras. I expect this to be the standard going forward.
 

Upconversion

Some Times The Little guy wins

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