National Geographic Goes HD — Community

#1 Jan 23, 2006 at 7:25 am

The month marks both the fifth anniversary of the National Geographic Channel as well as the birth of NGC-HD, the much anticipated high-definition version. You can now receive all NGC in HDTV... well, you can if you do your part in calling both local cable and satellite operators with a demand that they carry it. (Call 1-877-77-NGCHD for more information).

It's been our tradition to interview the network brass who have had the courage to launch a HD channel. For the second time in our history we called upon Mr. John Ford, Executive Vice President NGC-HD programming. John shouldered much of the responsibilities as he engineered the launch of NGC-HD. I say "for the second time" because he is in the rarefied class of people who have launched more than one HDTV network, his first being the Discovery HD Theater back in 2001.

HDTV Magazine has always believed that the payoff for the expensive HDTV investment comes in the form of a cultural enrichment springing out of a clearer view and understanding of the real world. Certainly, penetrating programming is the chief requisite in fulfilling this promise. Scholars say that a successful world depends upon new growth in mutual understanding. Others emphasize the incalculable benefits produced by the introduction of beauty. "Creating understanding" while revealing intrinsic beauty has been a mission of National Geographic from its inception and now with the addition of HDTV the growth of both of these sympathetic vibrations is certain to impact our lives far into the future. We can and should be proud-professionals and consumers alike-to have played a part in this supra human challenge of giving birth to HDTV and, perhaps, a whole new era in which life once again seems to flourish._Dale Cripps

NOW THE INTERVIEW ...

HDTV Magazine: When did HDTV appear on your radar?

John Ford: It was clearly on my radar when I was launching Discovery HD Theater for Discovery. It was hovering in the background here when I joined National Geographic. Around the middle-to-the end of 2004 I was coming around to the fact that NGC needed to be an HDTV channel. We laid the ground work in February 2005, pulled the trigger and said to our producers that baring some compelling reason to do otherwise new projects from that date on must be in HDTV.

HDTV Magazine: Did I read correctly that you have 90% of the content for this year already in HD?

Read the Full Article

#2 Jan 23, 2006 at 3:15 pm

Dale,

Very good interview, your questions covered the content oriented consumers as well as the technical savy dreamers.

I congratule Mr. Ford for all the effort he has made to make possible this kind of content in HD. I was always a fan of cultural content and HD is especially suited for getting the viewer into the beauty of nature at all its detail, I am eager to see those healthy lions, sorry for the buffalo though.

I would like to make a couple of comments about the 1080p and 720p issue, that Mr. Ford highlighted. Even if Mr. Ford and NGHD were so future looking pursuing a true 1080p content source and distribution, they (and we) would be in the hands of two constraints that will not be changing any time soon, even when some look so MPEG-4 driven (but for the wrong reasons, more, not better).

One is the satellite/cable company that would certainly be more happy if the content is less bandwidth demanding, the other is that the STB hardware at the viewer end would also have to be upgraded to output 1080p if received, not to mention the sad destiny of an integrated TV tuner that most probably would be followed by a TV circuitry design that would not be able to handle a 1080p signal, reason by which I never favored putting all the eggs in one box, like integrated tuners.

And we do not even want to mention the sad introduction of first generation of 1080p sets that would not accept 1080p content, even when those
manufactures are eager to advertise those sets as "double HD". I would say to them, let me double it myself with the equipment of my own choice.

In other words, some people might say that now with 1080p sets the viewing-end has set an act to follow to and by content providers and distributors, and those "1080p set wonders" would turn around to those like Mr. Ford and say "well, it is your turn now", but we have to put all this in perspective of what 1090p hardware is being offered to those viewers and what those viewers do with such hardware in their living rooms, such as sitting at 480p viewing distance anyway or while they cook their dinner viewing from the kitchen 20 feet away.

As one can see, although all the technology is there, this industry never stops on improving but also never stops not giving the entire potential in harmony and at evolution intervals that make sense to people's pockets. It always be a cat-and-mouse behavior that unfortunately is affected by those who look for money only, not quality.

On the positive side, after being on the bandwagon of HDTV for 20 years, I never though I would be able to see HD before my days were over, so although I know we could all have better, I am happy to enjoy what we have, and Mr. Ford would make that better with the beauty of NGHD.

My best wishes to Mr. Ford and all those that made this possible, Mr. Cuban is another one that deserves that high spot of quality-pursuing go-getter, and thanks.

Best Regards,

Rodolfo La Maestra