Washington, D.C.
(March 27, 2007)
-- NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams last
night began broadcasting in High-Definition TV, the
first evening news program to do so.
But while the news was hard, the image was soft.
The debut was a disappointment for HD enthusiasts who have been waiting for years for a network newscast to go high-def.
From Mr. Williams' opening segment on unnecessary heart surgeries to a piece on global warning, the high-def studio shots lacked crisp details and the colors were oddly muted. The effect was to put greater distance between the viewer and Mr. Williams, lessening the immediacy and realism that's provided by a well-done HD production.
But while the news was hard, the image was soft.
The debut was a disappointment for HD enthusiasts who have been waiting for years for a network newscast to go high-def.
From Mr. Williams' opening segment on unnecessary heart surgeries to a piece on global warning, the high-def studio shots lacked crisp details and the colors were oddly muted. The effect was to put greater distance between the viewer and Mr. Williams, lessening the immediacy and realism that's provided by a well-done HD production.
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Seen by this reviewer on Comcast cable and DIRECTV in the Washington, D.C. area, it appeared that the network was scaling back the clarity of the HD picture. Which was a bit of a surprise. NBC's studio broadcast of its pre-game Sunday night football show is a stunner, serving up sparkling clarity and color.
NBC's Brian Williams.
Whether last night's soft focus was done to preserve the image of Mr. Williams is also less than clear. NBC seems to be using protective camera filters for the 50-plus Meredith Vieira on the network's high-def broadcast of The Today Show. But one would think that Mr. Williams, who is younger and considered one of broadcast news' leading men, would have less concern here. But perhaps not.
Also disappointing: The NBC Nightly News broadcast only featured studio segments in high-def. The field reports are done in standard definition and cropped for the widescreen.
While the HD Nightly News is more pleasing to the eye than a standard definition broadcast, it's not the showcase for the new picture technology that many had hoped for.
Comment on this article!
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© TVPredictions.com
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Seen by this reviewer on Comcast cable and DIRECTV in the Washington, D.C. area, it appeared that the network was scaling back the clarity of the HD picture. Which was a bit of a surprise. NBC's studio broadcast of its pre-game Sunday night football show is a stunner, serving up sparkling clarity and color.
NBC's Brian Williams.
Whether last night's soft focus was done to preserve the image of Mr. Williams is also less than clear. NBC seems to be using protective camera filters for the 50-plus Meredith Vieira on the network's high-def broadcast of The Today Show. But one would think that Mr. Williams, who is younger and considered one of broadcast news' leading men, would have less concern here. But perhaps not.
Also disappointing: The NBC Nightly News broadcast only featured studio segments in high-def. The field reports are done in standard definition and cropped for the widescreen.
While the HD Nightly News is more pleasing to the eye than a standard definition broadcast, it's not the showcase for the new picture technology that many had hoped for.
Comment on this article!
Click TVPredictions.com to see today's Swanni Sez.
© TVPredictions.com
____________________________________________
Phillip Swann is president and publisher of
TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of
publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN,
Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial
Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood
Reporter. He can be reached at
swann@tvpredictions.com
or at 703-505-3064.
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