Why CBS Sports isn't 100% HD

[Sean Mota]

Why CBS Sports isn't 100% HD

Marty Franks is the general counsel of CBS Corporation and its government liaison. He's also a high-tech aficionado and the network's point man on high definition.

A number of you have emailed or called me with your frustrations over the network's failure to go all hi-def. Three NFL games a week, at most, are carried in HDTV. And there's a pecking order to March Madness: there are games that look great and then there's the game you're watching.
So I asked Marty, during a break in CBS's presentations today, why the network hasn't upgraded to all hi-def, all the time. And the way he put it was ...

To download the MP3 click here:

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2006/01/why_cbs_sports_.html

 

[BFG]

I liked it.

Thanks!

 

[Sean Mota]

Wow!!!! we are not going for a cheap solution that will have grass dancing. You know who he is referring to.... and some tried to deny that we were not seeing this.... This is revealing.

 

[BFG]

I think he adopted the lingo. But the interviewer is the one that started a slam on fox.

 

[Sean Mota]

He said when "he goes online and reads the comments" "we won't do half way" "quick and dirty solution that ends up with grass dancing on the screen".

True the interviewer injected the slam on Fox but he also injected his own way of expressing the frustration that online users were using to note how bad Fox NLF presentation was in the beginning. Everyone debated very heavily that they did not see anything wrong on their screen yet now we know that Fox solution was a cheap, quick and dirty solution. Something which CBS won't do. Good for them.!!!

Will we hear something similar to HD Lite in future years - "Quick and dirty solution"?

 

[BlackHitachi]

He said when "he goes online and reads the comments" "we won't do half way" "quick and dirty solution that ends up with grass dancing on the screen".

True the interviewer injected the slam on Fox but he also injected his own way of expressing the frustration that online users were using to note how bad Fox NLF presentation was in the beginning. Everyone debated very heavily that they did not see anything wrong on their screen yet now we know that Fox solution was a cheap, quick and dirty solution. Something which CBS won't do. Good for them.!!!

Will we hear something similar to HD Lite in future years - "Quick and dirty solution"?

I really liked the interview also!!

 

[Walter L.]

I would be interesting to ask him what will happen to the quality when CBS starts all of those subchannels that will eat the bandwidth of the HD channel. Remember that thread about the "End of HD on CBS" (or something like that).

 

[vurbano]

I would be interesting to ask him what will happen to the quality when CBS starts all of those subchannels that will eat the bandwidth of the HD channel. Remember that thread about the "End of HD on CBS" (or something like that).

Yup I think I started that thread. Very strange viewpoint for a network preparing to multicast.

 

[NTIMID8]

Bahaha..

Bottom line is BS reasoning like that is the reason the new WB/UPN will also pass them in overall viewship within 2 years.

Phil

 

[minorthr]

OK thats great now when are we getting the rest of the games in HD

 

[BrettTRay]

Do you guys think that Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, and now the new CW network will start broadcasting sub channels that will eat up the bandwidth in the future? Do you all think that in the future we might see MPEG-4 being used on 8vsb over the air broadcasts? I have a feeling that we will but it will be a few years before we start seeing anything.

 

[BasicBlak]

Do you guys think that Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, and now the new CW network will start broadcasting sub channels that will eat up the bandwidth in the future? Do you all think that in the future we might see MPEG-4 being used on 8vsb over the air broadcasts? I have a feeling that we will but it will be a few years before we start seeing anything.

Well, KNBC-DT and KABC-DT in Los Angeles (network O&Os) are already multicasting, and lemme tell ya--it shows! Lately the quality has been rather lackluster. KTTV-DT, the Fox O&O here in L.A., does not multicast. Yet apparently someone over there is a tad heavy handed with the compression knob, as programs like 24 and House are continually plagued by horrific pixelation and artifacting. That leaves the lone major in my area, KCBS-DT (surprise, surprise!), to take the crown for consistent best-quality HD signal transmission--and with NO multicasting. Having said that, IMO it would be a crying shame if the networks themselves start adopting MPEG-4, as surely the purpose will be to make room for heaven knows what, possibly degrading HD picture quality even further.