CHANNEL SELECTOR
Links to the signal providers
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| ABC PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING |
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8:00 PM/ET/7C
MY WIFE AND KIDSJr.s Dating DilemmaPutting
Michaels advice about women to the test, Jr. asks Claires friend, Valerie, to
the school dance and, when she accepts, feels his confidence boosted enough to also ask
Amber (Claudette Ortiz), the hottest girl in school. Now, he must accept responsibility
for Valeries hurt feelings. Meanwhile, Jay dreams that Michael is having a love
affair with Janet Jackson.
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8:30 PM/ET/7:30C
GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW
"Bridget's First Job"
After seeing how much money Bridget spends on keeping up with the latest fashions,
Paul tells her to go out and get a job to learn how to be fiscally responsible. But when
she lands a job at a trendy mall clothing store that offers its workers a 40% discount,
Paul and Cate begin to worry that she may not be learning the true value of a dollar.
(Originally aired 10/01/02)
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9:30 PM/ET/8:30 C...............TWO EPISODES TONIGHT
DREW CARY SHOW..........................................................
Turkeyspotting
Drew decides to go on a crash diet and give up food cold turkey when matchmaker Larry
Almada (Ian Gomez, reprising
his role) tells him hes too out-of-shape to fit in at an upcoming singles mixer. But
the results arent quite what Drew had in mind -- especially when he starts to
hallucinate.
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10:00 PM/ET/9:00 C
DREW CARY. SHOW.............................................................................
"Suddenly, No Summer
Drew takes a summer course in computers, taught by his boss, in an attempt to move
up at work, but the gang has other plans and tempts him to play hookey with a trip to
Florida. But when he finally gives in and goes along on the trip, he soon realizes he just
should have just stayed home.
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| CBS PROGRAMMING |
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The Young and the Restless
Check local listings for times
Welcome to Genoa City...
Where the Newmans and Abbotts
do battle in the boardroom!
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To Top
8:00 PM/ET/7:00C
GUILTY HEARTS
Academy Award winners Marcia Gay
Harden and Olympia Dukakis, and Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominated Treat Williams
star in this four-hour mini-series based on a true crime love story.
Feeling suffocated by a marriage in which she feels increasingly unappreciated and
misunderstood, Jenny Moran finds herself in secret awe of the family life and upscale
lifestyle of the successful Dr. Stephen Carrow, who worships at the church where she is
employed as an organist.
When Jenny innocently chooses to bring her ailing father to the highly regarded Stephen
for a consultation, she quickly finds herself relishing the newfound attention of the
charming doctor. Their relationship continues and intensifies after her father's death.
Soon, Jenny shocks her husband, Matt, her children and mother by leaving home. At
Stephen's urging, she even agrees to accuse Matt of abuse. Calling Jenny's move a part of
God's plan, Stephen begins an illicit affair with the adoring Jenny -- and tells her he
will soon leave his wife.
When Stephen's wife is fatally shot at home, his alibi is quickly disproved -- and he ends
up confessing to the murder. But his temporary insanity plea is in jeopardy when the
shocked Jenny dutifully informs the police of their affair. Vehemently denying the
liaison, Stephen challenges Jenny's mental health -- and begins a campaign, with the help
of his devoted church circle, to discredit and humiliate her. Despite Jenny's disloyalty
and her continued resistance to return to him, Matt cannot bear to see how emotionally
fragile Jenny has become -- and vows to protect her from the church members who will stop
at nothing to get Stephen acquitted.
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| NBC PRIME TIME PROGRAMMING |
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10:00 PM/ET/9:00C
LAW AND ORDER
ABSENTIA
JEWELRY STORE HEIST LEADS TO A DRAMATIC CHASE FOR A FUGITIVE; ANDREW MCCARTHY AND
TONY-EMMY WINNER MANDY PATINKIN GUEST-STAR -- When a Russian burglar shoots up a jewelry
store killing the owner and wounding a customer, Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and
Green (Jesse L. Martin) track him down with the help of the civic-minded victim (guest
star, Mandy Patinkin, "Chicago Hope"). However, when it's time for the star
witness to testify, he turns up missing. Sam Waterston, Elisabeth Rohm, Fred Thompson and
S. Epatha Merkerson also star. Andrew McCarthy guest-stars as the victim's attorney. TV-14
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11:35ET/PT/10:35C
THE TONIGHT SHOW
WITH JAY LENO
Tonight's Guest
Pamela Anderson
Ebert & Roeper
Nelly, P. Diddy
& Murphy Le
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THE WB PRIME TIME PROGRAMMING |
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NO HDTV PROGRAMMING TONIGHT
|
PBS PROGRAM SCHEDULE |
 |
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NO NATIONALLY
DISTRIBUTED
HDTV PROGRAMMING TONIGHT
|
| DISCOVERY HD THEATER PROGRAMMING |
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***
6:00A ET 5:00A CT 4:00A MT 3:00A PT
GREAT BOOKS
UPTON SINCLAIR'S THE JUNGLE
"The Jungle" explores the story of meatpacking in Chicago that forced Congress
to pass food safety laws, and enraged
Americans on issues from poisoned meat to child labor.
6:30A ET 5:30A CT 4:30A MT 3:30A PT
CROCODILE WRANGLERS
Meet the rare individuals who thrive on handling crocodiles. Go to Australia -
where scientists are studying croc behavior
and wranglers are moving crocs away from populated areas - and to South America where
conservationists are nurturing
baby crocs.
7:00A ET 6:00A CT 5:00A MT 4:00A PT
INSECTIA
INSECTS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Join entomologist Georges Brossard as he discovers the rare insects of Madagascar.
Butterflies, Moths, Weevils, and even a
millipede that rolls up into a green ball thrive on the island nation.
7:30A ET 6:30A CT 5:30A MT 4:30A PT
INSECTIA
ENTOMOLOGY IS CATCHING
Setting traps and net techniques are among the many tricks of the entomology trade learned
in this episode. Also visit the lab of Madagascar's Bug Man, Dr. Andre Peyrieras, who has
discovered over 3000 new insect species.
8:00A ET 7:00A CT 6:00A MT 5:00A PT
WILD NIGHTS
A NIGHT UNDERWATER
Hidden within the coral of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are a myriad of sea creatures.
Specially adapted to nocturnal
activity, they wait for darkness to fall, then emerge from their slumber and begin their
nightly hunt for food.
9:00A ET 8:00A CT 7:00A MT 6:00A PT
TRUK LAGOON
Explore the unique undersea habitats of Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. The once
featureless sea floor is now alive with exotic
sea creatures living in and around the 60 coral-shrouded World War II warships resting on
the bottom.
10:00A ET 9:00A CT 8:00A MT 7:00A PT
OKINAWA'S CORAL TREASURES
South Pacific reef systems are one of nature's marvels. The Japanese Islands of
Okinawa are home to one of the most dynamic
and varied tropical eco-systems on earth. This film illustrates the hidden life found deep
in the layers of coral.
11:00A ET 10:00A CT 9:00A MT 8:00A PT
WILD ASIA - CREATURES OF THE THAW
CREATURES OF THE THAW
Witness the remarkable adaptations of animals living in the constantly thawing and
refreezing climate of East Asia. Cherry
salmon spend winter near the fast-flowing mountain waters; buffalo, seals, cranes and
rhinos also rely on fresh water for
survival.
UPTON SINCLAIR'S THE JUNGLE
"The Jungle" explores the story of meatpacking in Chicago that forced Congress
to pass food safety laws, and enraged
Americans on issues from poisoned meat to child labor.
12:30P ET 11:30A CT 10:30A MT 9:30A PT
CROCODILE WRANGLERS
Meet the rare individuals who thrive on handling crocodiles. Go to Australia -
where scientists are studying croc behavior
and wranglers are moving crocs away from populated areas - and to South America where
conservationists are nurturing
baby crocs.
1:00P ET 12:00P CT 11:00A MT 10:00A PT
INSECTIA
INSECTS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Join entomologist Georges Brossard as he discovers the rare insects of Madagascar.
Butterflies, Moths, Weevils, and even a
millipede that rolls up into a green ball thrive on the island nation.
1:30P ET 12:30P CT 11:30A MT 10:30A PT
INSECTIA
ENTOMOLOGY IS CATCHING
Setting traps and net techniques are among the many tricks of the entomology trade learned
in this episode. Also visit the lab of Madagascar's Bug Man, Dr. Andre Peyrieras, who has
discovered over 3000 new insect species.
2:00P ET 1:00P CT 12:00P MT 11:00A PT
WILD NIGHTS
A NIGHT UNDERWATER
Hidden within the coral of Australia's Great Barrier Reef are a myriad of sea creatures.
Specially adapted to nocturnal
activity, they wait for darkness to fall, then emerge from their slumber and begin their
nightly hunt for food.
3:00P ET 2:00P CT 1:00P MT 12:00P PT
TRUK LAGOON
(Repeat) [TV G]
Explore the unique undersea habitats of Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. The once featureless
sea floor is now alive with exotic
sea creatures living in and around the 60 coral-shrouded World War II warships resting on
the bottom.
4:00P ET 3:00P CT 2:00P MT 1:00P PT
OKINAWA'S CORAL TREASURES
(Repeat) [TV G]
South Pacific reef systems are one of nature's marvels. The Japanese Islands of Okinawa
are home to one of the most dynamic
and varied tropical eco-systems on earth. This film illustrates the hidden life found deep
in the layers of coral.
5:00P ET 4:00P CT 3:00P MT 2:00P PT
WILD ASIA - CREATURES OF THE THAW
CREATURES OF THE THAW (Repeat) [TV PG]
Witness the remarkable adaptations of animals living in the constantly thawing and
refreezing climate of East Asia. Cherry
salmon spend winter near the fast-flowing mountain waters; buffalo, seals, cranes and
rhinos also rely on fresh water for
survival.
6:00P ET 5:00P CT 4:00P MT 3:00P PT
GREAT MOMENTS IN ITALIAN ART
LEONARDO (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
Leonardo da Vinci truly embodied the phrase Renaissance man. In addition to his talent as
a painter, he was a gifted sculptor,
architect, inventor, and scientist as well. Look closely at da Vincis' work to see how he
captured his subject's soul.
7:00P ET 6:00P CT 5:00P MT 4:00P PT
WEIRD HOMES
THIS OLD HOME (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV PG]
Sometimes the past is too perfect to leave behind. A couple in Montana, 'conduct' their
life in a mansion built by The
Copper King. A couple in Texas 'do time' in their renovated 1887 Knox County Jailhouse.
And home decorated with mosaics
and bottle-art.
7:30P ET 6:30P CT 5:30P MT 4:30P PT
WEIRD HOMES
DOWN AND DIRTY (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV PG]
Two farm boys strike out in new directions, leaving creative tracks in the dust. One
decided that mowing with his tractor
wasn't enough,he wanted to race it too. The other is a long way from farm country when he
hits Daytona Beach in his
uni-motorcycle.
PRIMETIME
8:00P ET 7:00P CT 6:00P MT 5:00P PT
EXTREME MACHINES: OIL RIG
(Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [ ]
An oil rig is a monster extreme machine. Thousands of tons of steel are welded together to
form a platform on legs above the
sea. Underneath, a gigantic pump plunges through the water, penetrating the earth's crust
to extract a valuable resource, oil.
9:00P ET 8:00P CT 7:00P MT 6:00P PT
DAY IN THE LIFE OF CUTTER MOHAWK
(Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The cutter Mohawk is one of 13 Cost Guard ships patrolling America's waters defending it
shores, enforcing its laws, and
rescuing its citizens. Learn about every aspect of the crew's life and work, from early
morning revelry to taps at night.
10:00P ET 9:00P CT 8:00P MT 7:00P PT
SETTING SAIL
WOODEN SHIPS, IRON MEN (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
Survey Western seafaring from the Greek Minoans to the Vikings and the Portuguese
explorers; from the Dutch East India
Trading Company, to the tall ships that keep the history alive today.
11:00P ET 10:00P CT 9:00P MT 8:00P PT
GREAT CANADIAN RIVERS
THE FRASER (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The Fraser is the largest river in British Columbia. It begins at the foot of Mount Robson
in the Rockies, crosses the
desert-like interior of the province, snakes through the Fraser Canyon, and empties into
the Pacific in Greater Vancouver.
11:30P ET 10:30P CT 9:30P MT 8:30P PT
GREAT CANADIAN RIVERS
THE RED DEER (Repeat) (6/25, 6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The Red Deer River has a magnificent mix of nature and culture. It rises out of a glacier
in Banff, meanders through the
grasslands, and cuts through the Alberta badlands.
12:00M ET 11:00P CT 10:00P MT 9:00P PT
GREAT MOMENTS IN ITALIAN ART
LEONARDO (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
Leonardo da Vinci truly embodied the phrase Renaissance man. In addition to his talent as
a painter, he was a gifted sculptor,
architect, inventor, and scientist as well. Look closely at da Vincis' work to see how he
captured his subject's soul.
1:00A ET 12:00M CT 11:00P MT 10:00P PT
WEIRD HOMES
THIS OLD HOME (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV PG]
Sometimes the past is too perfect to leave behind. A couple in Montana, 'conduct' their
life in a mansion built by The
Copper King. A couple in Texas 'do time' in their renovated 1887 Knox County Jailhouse.
And home decorated with mosaics
and bottle-art.
1:30A ET 12:30A CT 11:30P MT 10:30P PT
WEIRD HOMES
DOWN AND DIRTY (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV PG]
Two farm boys strike out in new directions, leaving creative tracks in the dust. One
decided that mowing with his tractor
wasn't enough,he wanted to race it too. The other is a long way from farm country when he
hits Daytona Beach in his
uni-motorcycle.
2:00A ET 1:00A CT 12:00M MT 11:00P PT
EXTREME MACHINES: OIL RIG
(Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [ ]
An oil rig is a monster extreme machine. Thousands of tons of steel are welded together to
form a platform on legs above the
sea. Underneath, a gigantic pump plunges through the water, penetrating the earth's crust
to extract a valuable resource, oil.
3:00A ET 2:00A CT 1:00A MT 12:00M PT
DAY IN THE LIFE OF CUTTER MOHAWK
(Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The cutter Mohawk is one of 13 Cost Guard ships patrolling America's waters defending it
shores, enforcing its laws, and
rescuing its citizens. Learn about every aspect of the crew's life and work, from early
morning revelry to taps at night.
4:00A ET 3:00A CT 2:00A MT 1:00A PT
SETTING SAIL
WOODEN SHIPS, IRON MEN (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
Survey Western seafaring from the Greek Minoans to the Vikings and the Portuguese
explorers; from the Dutch East India
Trading Company, to the tall ships that keep the history alive today.
DAYTIME
5:00A ET 4:00A CT 3:00A MT 2:00A PT
GREAT CANADIAN RIVERS
THE FRASER (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The Fraser is the largest river in British Columbia. It begins at the foot of Mount Robson
in the Rockies, crosses the
desert-like interior of the province, snakes through the Fraser Canyon, and empties into
the Pacific in Greater Vancouver.
5:30A ET 4:30A CT 3:30A MT 2:30A PT
GREAT CANADIAN RIVERS
THE RED DEER (Repeat) (6/26, 6/26) [TV G]
The Red Deer River has a magnificent mix of nature and culture. It rises out of a glacier
in Banff, meanders through the
grasslands, and cuts through the Alberta badlands. Return
To Top
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| ESPN HD PROGRAMMING |
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Return
To Top
COMING JUNE 29TH
College World Series
MLB - Mets at Yankees
8:00 PM/ET
| DATE |
SPORT |
EVENT |
TIME
[ET] |
| 6/29 |
Major
League Baseball |
Mets
at Yankees |
8:00 |
| 7/4 |
Major League Baseball |
Mets at Reds |
1:00 |
| 7/6 |
Major League Baseball |
Cardinals at Cubs |
8:00 |
| 7/7 |
Major League Baseball |
Teams To Be Determined |
1:00 or 7:00 |
| 7/9 |
Major League Baseball |
Braves at Mets |
12:00 |
| 7/13 |
Major League Baseball |
Giants at Diamondbacks |
8:00 |
| 7/14 |
Major League Baseball |
Home Run Derby |
8:00 |
| 7/17 |
Major League Baseball |
Mets at Braves |
1:00 |
| 7/20 |
Major League
Baseball |
Cardinals at Dodgers |
8:00 |
| 7/27 |
Major League
Baseball |
Yankees at Red Sox |
8:00 |
| 8/3 |
Major League
Baseball |
Dodgers at Braves |
8:00 |
| 8/7 |
National Football
League (pre-season) |
Patriots at Giants |
8:00 |
| 8/10 |
Major League
Baseball |
Braves at Cardinals |
8:00 |
| 8/11 |
National Football League
(pre-season) |
Saints at Eagles |
8:00 |
| 8/16 |
National Football League
(pre-season) |
Titans at Bills |
8:00 |
| 8/17 |
Major League Baseball |
Cardinals at Phillies |
8:00 |
| 8/20 |
Major League Baseball |
Teams To Be Determined |
TBD |
| 8/23 |
Black Coaches Association
Classic (college football) |
Teams To Be Determined |
8:00 |
| 8/24 |
Major League Baseball |
Mariners at Red Sox |
8:00 |
| 8/28 |
College Football |
Teams To Be Determined |
7:30 |
| 8/31 |
Major League Baseball |
Giants at Diamonbacks |
8:00 |
ESPN HD is a 24/7
simulcast of ESPN programming so telecasts on ESPN are simultaneously available on ESPN
HD. In addition to the regular up-converted ESPN telecasts ESPN HD will originally produce
a growing number of its top events in the 720 progressive scan format.
|
FOX SPORTS |
 |
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To Top
Excerpted
from Broadcasting & Cable, by Allison Romano
"Fox Sports Net is jumping into high-definition production with
some of its local and regional sports coverage.
Time Warner Cable will offer FSN games from Fox's 13 owned-and-operated
regional sports networks as part of the MSO's latest free HDTV offerings.
FSN will concentrate its efforts in markets it shares with Time Warner, including
Los Angeles; Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; Houston; and North Carolina.
FSN will produce the games locally in high definition, and they will be available at
no additional charge to subscribers."
Aavailable on
Time-Warner Cable
|
| NBA-TV PROGRAMMING |
 |
Return To Top
NBA TV IN HIGH-DEFINITION
NBA TV is now in HD seven days a week. Viewers with HD capability can
experience NBA TV's daily lineup which includes NBA games, some of the greatest games in
NBA history including key NBA Finals, Playoffs and All-Star matchups, original programming
and highlights. The daily HD programming airs 4-6 p.m. ET weekdays and 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
ET on weekends. NBA TV's daily HD lineup is available on channel 198 for DIRECTV customers
and on channel 9425 for DISH Network customers.(Per their web site 6/22/03)
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(All times Eastern/Pacific. All schedules subject to change)\
7:15 AM ET / 4:15 AM PT
Red Sonja
PG-13 - 1:29
Cast: Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Director: Richard Feischer
Two warriors join forces against an evil queen in this sword and sorcery saga - based on
pulp writings of Robert E. Howard (of Conan fame)
8:45 AM ET / 5:45 AM PT
Family Tree
G - 1:29
Cast: Robert Forster, Naomi Judd, Cliff Robertson, Director: Duane Clark
A lonely young boy, whose valiant quest to save his small town's oldest tree pits him
against his father and the developers who want to knock it down to make room for a
factory.
10:15 AM ET / 7:15 AM PT
The Man With
Two Brains
R - 1:33
Cast: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, Sissy Spacek, Director: Carl Reiner
A sex-starved world-famous surgeon falls in love with a barin in a jar, and sets out to
find it the proper "home".
11:45 AM ET / 8:45 AM PT
The Mackintosh Man
PG - 1:45
Cast: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, Director: John Huston
A British intelligence officer, posing as a diamon thief is sent to jail for 20 years to
catch a gang that has been arranging escapes. But when the agent's superior, who knows his
identity is killed his troubles really start.
1:45 PM ET / 10:45 AM PT
Red Sonja
PG-13 - 1:29
Cast: Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Director: Richard Feischer
Two warriors join forces against an evil queen in this sword and sorcery saga - based on
pulp writings of Robert E. Howard (of Conan fame)
3:15 PM ET / 12:15 PM PT
Family Tree
G - 1:29
Cast: Robert Forster, Naomi Judd, Cliff Robertson, Director: Duane Clark
A lonely young boy, whose valiant quest to save his small town's oldest tree pits him
against his father and the developers who want to knock it down to make room for a
factory.
4:45 PM ET / 1:45 PM PT
The Mackintosh Man
PG - 1:45
Cast: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, Director: John Huston
A British intelligence officer, posing as a diamon thief is sent to jail for 20 years to
catch a gang that has been arranging escapes. But when the agent's superior, who knows his
identity is killed his troubles really start.
6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT
The Man With Two Brains
R - 1:33
Cast: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, Sissy Spacek, Director: Carl Reiner
A sex-starved world-famous surgeon falls in love with a barin in a jar, and sets out to
find it the proper "home".
8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT
White Water Summer
PG - 1:30
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Sean Astin, Jonathan Ward, Director: Jeff Bleckner
An experienced guide (Vic) accompanies a city boy (Alan) and his three friends on their
first wilderness experience. Hoping to teach the four boys lessons not only about the
wilderness, but about themselves, Vic pushes them to the limit. Soon after alienating the
boys, Vic finds himself in desperate need of help and must rely on his students in order
to survive.
9:35 PM ET / 6:35 PM PT
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys
PG - 1:31
Cast: Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, Martin Balsam, Director: Burt Kennedy
Once enemies, a retired Marshall and a forgotten outlaw join forces to thwart the efforts
of a group of bandits determined to rob a train.
11:15 PM ET / 8:15 PM PT
White Water Summer
PG - 1:30
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Sean Astin, Jonathan Ward, Director: Jeff Bleckner
An experienced guide (Vic) accompanies a city boy (Alan) and his three friends on their
first wilderness experience. Hoping to teach the four boys lessons not only about the
wilderness, but about themselves, Vic pushes them to the limit. Soon after alienating the
boys, Vic finds himself in desperate need of help and must rely on his students in order
to survive.
1:00 AM ET / 10:00 PM PT
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys
PG - 1:31
Cast: Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, Martin Balsam, Director: Burt Kennedy
Once enemies, a retired Marshall and a forgotten outlaw join forces to thwart the efforts
of a group of bandits determined to rob a train.
2:35 AM ET / 11:35 PM PT
Red Sonja
PG-13 - 1:29
Cast: Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, Director: Richard Feischer
Two warriors join forces against an evil queen in this sword and sorcery saga - based on
pulp writings of Robert E. Howard (of Conan fame)
4:05 AM ET / 1:05 AM PT
The Man With Two Brains
R - 1:33
Cast: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, Sissy Spacek, Director: Carl Reiner
A sex-starved world-famous surgeon falls in love with a barin in a jar, and sets out to
find it the proper "home".
5:45 AM ET / 2:45 AM PT
The Mackintosh Man
PG - 1:45
Cast: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, Director: John Huston
A British intelligence officer, posing as a diamon thief is sent to jail for 20 years to
catch a gang that has been arranging escapes. But when the agent's superior, who knows his
identity is killed his troubles really start.Return To Top
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Return
To Top
Mark Cuban
Founder of HDNet
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS:
8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT * Premiere *
Hogan's Heroes
Operation Briefcase - Hogan and his men become involved in an assassination plot
when London orders them to provide a German general with a time bomb.
8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT * Premiere *
Hogan's Heroes
The Battle of Stalag 13 - Hogan's future as a saboteur is threatened by the rival
plans of two German officers.
9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT * LIVE! *
Major League Soccer
Los Angeles Galaxy @ Colorado Rapids
***
6:00 AM ET / 3:00 AM PT
Beautiful Landscapes of Japan
A Night View of Kobe
6:30 AM ET / 3:30 AM PT
Age of Mythology: Beyond the Myth
Get the inside story that chronicles the journey Ensemble Studios embarked on
while producing The Age of Mythology.
7:00 AM ET / 4:00 AM PT
Urban/Wild: Toronto
Find out why Toronto is called the raccoon capital of the world. It's also a
birdwatcher's paradise, a place where the urban and the wild-like it multi-cultural
population-live in harmony.
8:00 AM ET / 5:00 AM PT
Over(R) Philadelphia
Take a relaxing helicopter ride over Lancaster County's Amish Country, the South
Jersey Pine Barrens, and more. Get a magnificent perspective of the area's architecture,
landmarks, bridges and countryside.
9:00 AM ET / 6:00 AM PT
Sea Forest
Shot during August ', this program attempts to capture some the of the San
Francisco Bay's almost surreal beauty and pay homage to its charming, often clever and
always photogenic natives.
9:30 AM ET / 6:30 AM PT
Penguins
The subantarctic islands lying south of New Zealand are home to many species of
penguins. This place called "Penguin Kingdom", is like no other place in the
world with such a rich diversity of penguins who are becoming exceedingly rare.
10:00 AM ET / 7:00 AM PT
Ranier: The Mountain
Rainier: The Mountain explores the role Mount Rainier has played in helping shape
history and cultural lore, as well as the allure it holds for contemporary visitors and
the terror the mountain can evoke in even the most seasoned mountaineer.
11:00 AM ET / 8:00 AM PT
Beautiful Landscapes of Japan
A Night View of Kobe
11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT
Nothing But Trailers
Sometimes the best part of the movie is the preview! So HDNet presents a half
hour of Nothing But Trailers. See the best trailers, old and new in HDNet's collection.
12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT
The HDNet Horse Racing Challenge
The Challenge continues! Trainers, jockeys and wagerers compete in the second of
a five week challenge.
2:30 PM ET / 11:30 AM PT
Hogan's Heroes
Operation Briefcase - Hogan and his men become involved in an assassination plot
when London orders them to provide a German general with a time bomb.
3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT
Hogan's Heroes
The Battle of Stalag 13 - Hogan's future as a saboteur is threatened by the rival
plans of two German officers.
3:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM PT
Some of My Best Friends
Blah, Blah, Blah - Frankie is very attracted to the woman he's dating, but isn't
really interested in what she has to say. Warren, on the other hand, really enjoys talking
with her and sharing emotions. Together, Frankie and Warren make the perfect guy and they
decide to split the duties of a boyfriend.
4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT
HDNet World Report
Gibraltar: Everyone Wants a Piece of the Rock - A 300 year old conflict between
Spain and Britain that has yet to be resolved, the strategic location of Gibraltar on the
south of Spain at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea is the
last British colony in the world. World Report explores the uniqueness of the Gibraltarian
history and way of life; its people, mixture of cultures and the uncertainty of its future
and identity.
4:30 PM ET / 1:30 PM PT
Ladies Man
Jimmy has discovered the newest way of controlling the women in his life and
getting everything he wants by crying. Through Gene's "coaching," Jimmy sets out
to soften the ladies up by showing his sensitive and emotional side. It works like a
charm, until the ladies catch on and turn the tables on Jimmy and give him a taste of his
own medicine.
5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT
Bette
Two Days at a Time - Bette is asked to participate in Oprah's book club but,
because of her hectic schedule, never has time to actually read the book she is to discuss
on television.
5:30 PM ET / 2:30 PM PT
Island Time
British Virgin Islands - Scott knows very little about boats. But that doesn't
stop him from renting a yacht in the beautiful British Virgin Islands and going sailing
with author Justin Matott.
6:00 PM ET / 3:00 PM PT
Live from the House of Blues: The House of Yes
Classic rockers perform old favorites and new hits at the House of Blues.
8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT * Premiere *
Hogan's Heroes
Operation Briefcase - Hogan and his men become involved in an assassination plot
when London orders them to provide a German general with a time bomb.
8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT * Premiere *
Hogan's Heroes
The Battle of Stalag 13 - Hogan's future as a saboteur is threatened by the rival
plans of two German officers.
9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
HDNet World Report
Gibraltar: Everyone Wants a Piece of the Rock - A 300 year old conflict between
Spain and Britain that has yet to be resolved, the strategic location of Gibraltar on the
south of Spain at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea is the
last British colony in the world. World Report explores the uniqueness of the Gibraltarian
history and way of life; its people, mixture of cultures and the uncertainty of its future
and identity.
9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT * LIVE! *
Major League Soccer
Los Angeles Galaxy @ Colorado Rapids
11:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM PT
Bette
Two Days at a Time - Bette is asked to participate in Oprah's book club but,
because of her hectic schedule, never has time to actually read the book she is to discuss
on television.
12:00 AM ET / 9:00 PM PT
Smart Travels Europe
Genoa and the Italian Rivera - It's off to seek La Dolce Vita in one of the
world's most romantic places. Visit Pisa's leaning tower, tour palaces for a taste of
old-world elegance, and investigate the famous resort of Portofino.
12:30 AM ET / 9:30 PM PT
Over(R) Canada
Take a spectacular helicopter tour of our neighbor to the north.
1:30 AM ET / 10:30 PM PT
HDNet World Report
Gibraltar: Everyone Wants a Piece of the Rock - A 300 year old conflict between
Spain and Britain that has yet to be resolved, the strategic location of Gibraltar on the
south of Spain at the meeting point of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea is the
last British colony in the world. World Report explores the uniqueness of the Gibraltarian
history and way of life; its people, mixture of cultures and the uncertainty of its future
and identity.
2:00 AM ET / 11:00 PM PT
Big Apple
Terry is arrested by Jimmy while Will gets a hand in helping to catch Stark for
the Tompkins murder.
3:00 AM ET / 12:00 AM PT
The HDNet Horse Racing Challenge
The Challenge continues! Trainers, jockeys and wagerers compete in the second of
a five week challenge.
5:30 AM ET / 2:30 AM PT
Some of My Best Friends
Blah, Blah, Blah - Frankie is very attracted to the woman he's dating, but isn't
really interested in what she has to say. Warren, on the other hand, really enjoys talking
with her and sharing emotions. Together, Frankie and Warren make the perfect guy and they
decide to split the duties of a boyfriend. Return
To Top
|
| DIRECTV PAY-PER-VIEW CHANNEL 198 |
 |
Return
To Top
DIRECTV To Launch New High-Definition
Package
New HD Package will Launch July 1 and Include ESPN HD, Discovery HD TheaterTM,
HDNet and HDNet Movies
El Segundo, CA Jun 3, 2003 DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital
multichannel television service provider, announced today that it will launch a new
high-definition (HD) programming package on July 1. The HD package will include ESPN HD,
Discovery HD TheaterTM, HDNet and HDNet Movies, and is available by
subscription for $10.99 per month.
In addition to ESPN HD, Discovery HD Theater, HDNet and HDNet Movies, DIRECTV will also
provide its customers with special events broadcast in HD, similar to events broadcast in
the past, such as USA's coverage of the Masters Tournament, NBA games and NBA TV
programming blocks.
"DIRECTV has been a passionate proponent of HDTV since it launched the first
coast-to-coast HD-feed more than four years ago," said Stephanie Campbell, senior
vice president, Programming, DIRECTV, Inc. "Over the last year, as the HD category
has gained tremendous momentum, our customers have told us they want more HD programming.
The launch of this HD package reinforces DIRECTV's commitment to the category, and to
offering our customers the best quality high-definition programming."
The DIRECTV HD package includes:
ESPN HD - A 24-hour high-definition simulcast service of ESPN that delivers
the best lineup of quality sports events, news and information and entertainment telecasts
currently available, including games from Major League Baseball, the National Basketball
Association , the National Football League and the National Hockey League.
Discovery HD Theater - Discovery HD Theater is the new 24/7 channel filmed
entirely in high-definition. The channel delivers programs about nature, science and
technology, geography, travel and world culture all designed to provide the
highest-quality viewing experience available. It offers the world's most spectacular
images delivered in the world's most stunning quality. Discovery HD Theater is like having
a movie theater right in your own home.
HDNet - A 24-hour network featuring live sports like NHL® and
MLS® games, boxing, drama series, concerts and original news and documentary
programming including HDNet World Report and Across America.
HDNet Movies - Delivers a 24-hour schedule of blockbuster movie titles from
Warner Bros., Sony, and other major studios, as well as made-for-TV movies , independent
films and shorts.
With the addition of the HD package, DIRECTV will offer seven HD channels to its more than
11.4 million customers nationwide. DIRECTV customers are currently receiving HBO®
HDTV and SHOWTIME HDTV® as part of their premium packages, as well as HD PPV
movies for $4.99 each. In addition, under terms of its new five-year agreement with the
National Football League for exclusive rights to NFL SUNDAY TICKETTM, DIRECTV
also plans to begin offering high-definition telecasts of professional football games
during the 2003 regular NFL season.
To access HDTV channels, consumers may purchase any HDTV set with a built-in DIRECTV®
Receiver or a DIRECTV-enabled high-definition set-top receiver, and a single 18 x 20- or
18 x 24-inch multi-satellite dish with three LNBs. HDTV sets integrated with the DIRECTV
Receiver, DIRECTV-enabled HD receivers and triple-LNB satellite dishes are available from
authorized DIRECTV retailers nationwide.
Pay
Per View
Airs
24 hours a day for $4.99* each movie when ordered
online or via remote control, plus big events where available,
priced as listed on
Showing This Month
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
Friday After Next
Road to Perdition
The Tuxedo
Rodger Dodger
Return To Top
|
| DISH
PAY PER VIEW |
 |
Return
To Top
Starting in June, watch more HD every day! DISH On Demand
Pay-Per-View now offers a variety of HD movies every day. Customers with dishes pointing
to the 61.5° and 148º orbital location and a HD-capable receiver can tune into Channel
9428 to see movies in HD for only $5.99.
If you would like to find out about upgrading to an HD receiver, call
1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.
Schedule Subject to Change
Showing This Month....
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The Tuxedo
Friday After Next
Road To Perdition
The Ring
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Catch Me If You Can
Return To Top
|
HBO PROGRAM SCHEDULE
 |
Return
To Top
All Times Eastern
12:00 PM
OPERATION DUMBO DROP
Rated PG for
Time:108
Genre:Comedy, Family
As a well-meaning Green Beret captain (Danny Glover) prepares to retire from his village
post in the Vietnam war, he decides to take on one final mission in order to help the
peaceful locals. The North Vietnamese have killed the villagers' beloved elephant as a
punishment for their friendly relationship with the occupying American soldiers. Captain
Cahill realizes that there is only one way to make up for this loss: to find and import a
new elephant, by plane, over dangerous war zones. In order to do so, he must enlist his
tough successor (Ray Liotta) and an unlikely team of soldiers to replace the giant animal
in this "well-crafted and entertaining" (Variety) family comedy based on a true
story. With Denis Leary, Doug E. Doug, Corin Nemec.
Actors:
DANNY GLOVER, RAY LIOTTA, DENNIS LEARY, DOUG DOUG, CORIN NEMEC
2:00 PM
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Rated PG for
Time:142
Genre:Fantasy, Science Fiction
Ten years after the events of Episode I--The Phantom Menace, George Lucas's epic Star Wars
series continues! With Queen Padme Amidala (now a Senator) under death threats, it's up to
Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his rebellious teen apprentice Anakin Skywalker to keep her
safe. But while Obi-Wan investigates the source of the threats and a rumored clone army,
the dark side within Anakin begins to awaken--while he is simultaneously pulled toward a
passionate, but forbidden romance with Padme. Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden
Christensen, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee star. (C) 2003 Lucasfilm Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.
Actors:
EWAN MCGREGOR, NATALIE PORTMAN, HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, CHRISTOPHER LEE, SAMUEL JACKSON, IAN
MCDIARMID, PERNILLA AUGUST, TEMUERA MORRISON, JIMMY SMITS, KENNY BAKER, ANTHONY DANIELS,
FRANK OZ, AHMED BEST
4:30 PM
ICE AGE
Rated PG for
VIOLENCE
Time:81
Genre:Animation, Family
A trio of migrating mammals put the good times on ice while attempting to return a human
baby to its tribe in this ultra-cool 2002 Academy Award(R) nominee for Best Animated
Feature. Set during the onset of the Ice Age, the film follows Manfred the woolly mammoth
and Sid the Sloth, two dwellers on the brink of extinction whose discovery of a misplaced
child launches them on a mission to bring the baby home. They are joined by a
saber-toothed tiger named Diego who vows to help the duo as they encounter various
challenges along the way (deadly dodos!), but who hides a much more bloodthirsty agenda.
Voice cast includes Ray Romano, John Leguizamo
6:00 PM
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE
Rated PG for
Time:152
Genre:Adventure, Fantasy
The highly anticipated first film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's immensely popular novels is
"a rip-roaring tale of supernatural adventure" (Roger Ebert). Directed by Chris
Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire) and overflowing with tremendous special effects, the
film follows eleven-year-old Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) as he is whisked away to
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to fulfill his destiny of becoming a great
wizard. Joined by two young cohorts (Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) and led by his tremendous,
but unharnessed magical prowess, young Harry finds fun, adventure, trouble and a dangerous
mystery that puts his powers to the ultimate test. With Robbie Coltrane, Matthew Lewis,
Tom Felton, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart and John Cleese.
Actors:
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, EMMA WATSON, RUPERT GRINT, JOHN CLEESE, ROBBIE COLTRANE, RICHARD
GRIFFITHS, RICHARD HARRIS, IAN HART, ALAN RICKMAN, FIONA SHAW, MAGGIE SMITH, JULIE
WALTERS, ZOE WANAMAKER, WARWICK DAVIS, JOHN HURT, TOM FELTON, HARRY MELLING, DAVID
BRADLEY, RICHARD BREMMER, MATTHEW LEWIS, SEAN BIGGERSTAFF
12:00 AM
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Rated PG for
Time:142
Genre:Fantasy, Science Fiction
Ten years after the events of Episode I--The Phantom Menace, George Lucas's epic Star Wars
series continues! With Queen Padme Amidala (now a Senator) under death threats, it's up to
Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his rebellious teen apprentice Anakin Skywalker to keep her
safe. But while Obi-Wan investigates the source of the threats and a rumored clone army,
the dark side within Anakin begins to awaken--while he is simultaneously pulled toward a
passionate, but forbidden romance with Padme. Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden
Christensen, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee star. (C) 2003 Lucasfilm Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.
Actors:
EWAN MCGREGOR, NATALIE PORTMAN, HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, CHRISTOPHER LEE, SAMUEL JACKSON, IAN
MCDIARMID, PERNILLA AUGUST, TEMUERA MORRISON, JIMMY SMITS, KENNY BAKER, ANTHONY DANIELS,
FRANK OZ, AHMED BEST
2:25 AM
ROCK STAR
Rated R for
Time:106
Genre:Drama, Musical
The lead vocalist of a heavy-metal cover band sees his dream of rock stardom become a
reality in this rise-and-fall story. Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris "Izzy" Coles,
a Pittsburgh youth whose obsession with the band Steel Dragon gets him canned from his
cover band--and hired by the real Steel Dragon to replace their current singer! From
there, it's a rollicking ride into the rock-'n'-roll lifestyle, complete with wild
concerts, adoring girls and plentiful parties. But will Chris let his newfound success
tear apart the relationships of his old life, including one with his girlfriend Emily
(Jennifer Aniston)? With Jason Flemyng, Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Spall and Dominic West.
Directed by Stephen Herek (Mr. Holland's Opus); screenplay by John Stockwell.
Actors:
MARK WAHLBERG, JENNIFER ANISTON, JASON FLEMING, TIMOTHY OLYPHANT, TIMOTHY SPALL, JASON
BONHAM, BLAS FLIAS, STEPHEN JENKINS, JEFF PILSON, BRIAN VANDER ARK, DOMINIC WEST
4:15 AM
SUPER TROOPERS
Rated R for
Time:100
Genre:Comedy, Crime
You have the right to remain laughing when you watch this outrageous comedy about a pack
of screwball state troopers in a remote small town. Spurbury, Vermont isn't exactly a
mecca of criminal activity, but when a dead body turns up, the "staties" go all
out to break the case and save their jobs while competing with local cops. The result is a
film that is guilty of being hilarious in the first degree! The cast is part of the comedy
troupe Broken Lizard and features director/star Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve
Lemme, Paul Sot
Actors:
JAY CHANDRASEKHAR, MARISA COUGHLAN, BRIAN COX, KEVIN HEFFERNAN, STEVE LEMME, PAUL SOTER,
ERIC STOLHANSKE, DANIEL VON BARGEN, LYNDA CARTER, JIM GAFFIGAN
6:30 AM
ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD
Rated PG for
ADULT CONTENT
Time:102
Genre:Family, Sports
A little boy's request for a miracle to help baseball's last-place Angels receives instant
help from above in this spirited family film. Danny Glover stars as the team's grumpy
manager whose skepticism that real angels are helping his on-field ones begins to erode as
the team starts to win. Tony Danza, Brenda Fricker, Christopher Lloyd, Ben Johnson and Jay
O. Sanders co-star.
Actors:
DANNY GLOVER, BRENDA FRICKER, JOSEPH LEVITT, MILTON DAVIS, TONY DANZA Return To Top
|
| PROGRAMMING
FROM SHOWTIME |
 |
Return
To Top
11:05 AM
An American Rhapsody
MPAA RATING: PG13
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
1 h 46 m
Reworking the dramatic events of her own childhood, Eva Gardos makes her directorial debut
with this moving Cold War memoir about exile, freedom and the meaning of home. The
daughter of Budapest intellectuals (Tony Goldwyn and Nastassja Kinski), 15-year-old
Suzanne (Scarlett Johansson) was raised by a childless couple in rural Hungary before
being reunited with her parents, living in Los Angeles. Now, feeling out of place in the
land of Elvis and the cheeseburger, rebellious Suzanne returns to Hungary to reconnect
with her family's history.
2:30 PM
Planes, Trains And Automobiles
MPAA RATING: R
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
1 h 32 m
Writer/director John Hughes' classic road-trip comedy finds accidental, mismatched
traveling companions Steve Martin and John Candy trying against all odds to make it home
to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving without driving each other crazy - a tall order
considering what a pairing of total opposites these two weary businessmen truly are. Or
are they? Michael McKean, Dylan Baker, William Windom and Edie McClurg costar in this
unforgettably funny comic treasure.
4:15 PM
Impostor
MPAA RATING: PG13
SURROUND / CCAP WIDESCREEN OAR UPCONVERTED
1 h 35 m
Gary Sinise ("Forrest Gump," "Truman") stars in this science fiction
adventure as Spencer Olham, a government scientist of the future whose top-secret weapon
could help humanity turn the tide of a losing war against invading aliens - until a dogged
investigator (Vincent D'Onofrio) becomes convinced that Spencer is an enemy agent in
disguise. Madeleine Stowe costars in this pulse-pounding futuristic thriller based on a
story by Philip K. Dick ("Blade Runner," "Minority Report").
6:00 PM
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
MPAA RATING: PG13
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
1 h 40 m
Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is a buxom cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond, a
British aristocrat who makes her living acquiring priceless antiquities by any means
necessary. When she discovers that an ancient relic sought by her late father holds the
key to power over time, she's quickly strapping on her side arms and hopping the globe,
hoping to beat a sinister ancient group called the Illuminati in the quest to recover the
artifact. Jon Voight, Iain Glen and Mark Collie costar in this action-packed smash based
on a popular video game.
7:40 PM
The Sum of All Fears
MPAA RATING: PG13
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
2 h 3 m
Ben Affleck takes over the role of hero CIA agent Jack Ryan in this box office hit based
on the best-selling novel by Tom Clancy. Low-level analyst Ryan is elevated to prominence
by his expertise on an obscure strongman (Ciaran Hinds) after the politician's surprising
ascendancy to the Russian presidency. But that's just the tip of a very large, very lethal
iceberg involving neo-Nazis and a nuclear warhead smuggled into the U.S. by terrorists.
Morgan Freeman, Bridget Moynihan and Liev Schreiber costar in this espionage adventure.
10:05 PM
Street Time: Follow The Money
TV RATING: TVMA-SLD
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR UPCONVERTED
47 m
Skye provides Dee with evidence on Skouras; Adonis plans to run a story on Liberti's
gambling habit unless Dee will negotiate; Peter, once released, is busy running hash with
Kevin; Karen throws James a curveball.
11:00 AM
Vanilla Sky
MPAA RATING: R
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
2 h 15 m
Tom Cruise delivers one of his finest performances in this unforgettable film that
reunites him with Cameron Crowe, the director of "Jerry Maguire." The charmed
life of young, handsome and wealthy publishing tycoon David Aames (Cruise) seems somehow
incomplete until he meets the woman of his dreams (Penelope Cruz). But a fateful encounter
with a jealous lover (Cameron Diaz) sends David's world out of control, rocketing him on a
rollercoaster ride of romance, sex, suspicion and dreams...leading to a shocking, final
awakening.
3:30 AM
Bravo Two Zero
MPAA RATING: R
STEREO / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR UPCONVERTED
2 h 1 m
Sean Bean ("The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring") stars in this
exciting military drama as Andy McNab, a member of the British Special Forces - highly
skilled soldiers who get cut off from their command in the Gulf War of 1991 during a
mission to destroy Iraqi scud missiles and are forced to make their way into Syria, where
their situation only becomes more desperate. Based on author McNab's best-selling,
true-life chronicle of the most decorated British patrol since the Boer War.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
MPAA RATING: PG13
DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 / CCAP / ESP WIDESCREEN OAR HDTV
1 h 40 m
Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is a buxom cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond, a
British aristocrat who makes her living acquiring priceless antiquities by any means
necessary. When she discovers that an ancient relic sought by her late father holds the
key to power over time, she's quickly strapping on her side arms and hopping the globe,
hoping to beat a sinister ancient group called the Illuminati in the quest to recover the
artifact. Jon Voight, Iain Glen and Mark Collie costar in this action-packed smash based
on a popular video game. Return To
Top
|
| COMMENTARY |
|
Return To Top
DEAR READERS:
Yesterday morning I received a request for
comments from reporter Scott Henderson in the United Kingdom. He is on assignment with Essential
Home Cinema Magazine. It's a big story regarding the choices that Europe made in DTV
in contrast with those of our own. It occurred to me while answering it that you might
like to see how I presently orgazine my thinking on this subject.
Scott lead the discussion with his questions highlighted in blue
bold.
Mr. Scott Henderson...
Hi Dale,
I have a few questions that I would like to know more about:
1) Why High Definition? Hope you can recover from gasps of shock, but I would like to hear
your opinion on the benefits over the DTV currently being introduced here in the UK.
Why go and pay good money to an optometrist? Why not just let the eyes go blury?
You can make out most things that way anyway. No, you do anything to recover your best
sight. Now that is the case with television.
That is the shortest of answers. There is a
great deal more to it than that, of course. Years of intense study and endless hours of
work went into the formation of the specifications and the putting them to work in
hardware and software. The Japanese wanted to advance television past its early primitive
state and were the first to decide that it must meet the challenge of having an entirely
new viewer experience. Otherwise, it would not have the market dynamics needed to knock
off the old competitive standard. Indeed, the new could be knocked out. Tests proved to
the scientist that the most exhilarating viewing experience comes when our peripheral
vision is excited along with our central vision "channel." There are two of
these channels, as it were, to the human visual system. The central "channel sees
about 10 degrees field and is very sensitive to detail. We see a good deal of what we read
and watch with this central vision, but the sense of reality is heightened by adding
stimulus to the peripheral vision. People were literally measured as they might be with a
lie detector test and they used critical devices that tracked eye movement. It was found
that an image which filled a 30 degree field of vision without any distracting artifacts
was a new experience over the old system. That could/would be compelling enough to
overthrow the old system entirely.
To achieve that objective there had to be a
sufficient amount of "information" transmitted to a screen.That was determined
to be made up of 1000 lines running top to bottom on the screen and 2000 lines or dots
running across each of those 1000 lines. That density provided an artifact free, perfectly
clear image....theoretically. All work was directed by the international television
community within the UN's CCIR to create a television standard -- first for production --
and then later for the home receiver.
Europe was very afraid that Japan's early lead in HDTV research would leave them in the
dust if HDTV took off, which everyone intuitively could see would happen. For Japan to be
too far ahead in the technology would endanger the consumer and professional electronics
industries still owned by and operating in Europe. To block Japanese progress the EC (at
that time it was called the EC and no the EU) formed up a group of manufacturers
throughout Europe under the Eureka 95 Project and spent several hundred millions of
dollars trying to catch up and compete with where Japan had arrived. Seeing that was not
going to happen to block Japan European interests agreed that they needed a variation to
oppose the proposed Japanese standard. The Eureka 95 Vision 1250 initiative made their
standard more closely related to the existing PAL and SECAM standards than was the
Japanese standard. In those days analog technology ruled the world and there had been no
real decoupling of the production standard from the transmission standard. In the digital
world that becomes no great effort. Today one can capture an image with anything digital
and deliver it any way one likes. But when HDTV was first a hot debate things were not so
flexible and the world fell into a divided contest between competing production standards
(which would in an analog world rule how it would be delivered and received). Those two
standards were known as the 1125/60 system from Japan and the 1250/50 system from Europe.
About the same time that this work was going on among the international technical
community Europe was seeking a way out of the dreary legacy of too many operating
standards for their old standard PAL and SECAM standard TV. Not only did PAL and SECAM
co-exist, but each country had put their imprimaturs upon each standard, and so to send a
signal across Europe one had dozens of variations to contend with. Very complicated and
always an expense.
To do away with that old legacy and expense (originally erected to protect boarders from
being crossed by signals from adjacent nations bent on polluting or conquering) satellite
delivery was promising. You could cover the entire continent with one standard and do away
with all of the variations IF you had an audience who was willing to do what they had to
to receive those satellite signals. Viewers would have to buy a box, and what would be the
reason? That would required a new antenna (dish) and a new receiver of some kind, be it a
set top box or integrated.
When HDTV appeared on the scene this satellite
movement was already underway and so Europe tried to tie HD to the new receiver technology
needed for satellite (MAC), calling it HD-MAC. But the new satellite operators, who were
investing heavily in programming services, didn't like the added cost of the bandwidth
that HDTV requires--particularly expensive from satellites--and so manipulated things
their way to accept a quasi-HDTV system made up by widening the existing lower bandwidth
625 line standard to the same shape as the HDTV screen-- the 16:9 shape. To scuttle the
public's interest in HDTV the press was fed the story that HDTV was only for the rich and
that it was an outrage to fund its development with hard earned European tax dollars. It
was only a "rich man's toy" and not something for the general welfare, they
said. Of course, those who love to get up in arms about partially understood social
injustices pounded the political bricks until there was nothing left of the HDTV
initiative in Europe...other than a small clandestine band of die hards in the bowels of
some research labs. There has always been HDTV supporters in Europe, even to this day, and
those who do are operating in a kind of political vacuum as if in some underground
political cell, always hoping that new reason will come to their land and give call to
their cause. Still, they see the HD-DVD coming along as a result of the American market
and the true die hards in Europe will soon be able to buy these HDTV sets abroad, or
domestically, and use them, if for little else, as play back devices for their
HD-DVD collections. Perhaps, they could even view the present widescreen 625 digital that
is now offered most everywhere in Europe and UK.
Because Europe had a higher TV line count in the first place (625 Vs 525 US) this addition
of the widescreen proved compelling enough that they could abandon the more costly HDTV
path along with its expensive bandwidth. The manufacturers decided that widescreen digital
625 was a good strategy since they were never going to catch up with the Japanese in HDTV
technology, though I think that fear has proven to be exaggerated. So, it was better to
use exiting reservoir of 625 digital technology to make up the next generation of TV than
a more cumbersome and costly HDTV. Some in high places say that Europe is basically stuck
with this "interim" low definition version of the future for a very long time.
Dr. Joe Flaherty from CBS in the USA reasoned and warned Europe that the US would go for
HDTV and if Europe did not and instead went to some half way measure they would get stuck
in that half way measure and always be behind the rest of the modern world, which are
moving to HDTV now or later with no interim steps. Market forces command, and to the
United States and Canada, Mexico and most of South America, HDTV is a major jump from what
we presently have (NTSC). Anyone can see the difference between the two systems and it is
highly appealing after any length of exposure to it. But Europe is presently populating
the landscape with TV sets that will not be able to deliver the true HD experience yet
close enough so that there is no great hunger to go further as long as expense is
associated with doing so.
In marketing parlance there is a measurement
unit called a JND (Just Noticeable Difference). It is generally accepted that ten JND's
are needed from your focus groups before a new product can supercede an old product. A
culture of people will not find 5, or even 8, JNDs compelling enough to complete a
transition from something old to something new. You would wind up straddled on a barbed
fence with two standards to run instead of one and more bandwidth required for both
instead of less. Right now you have a very good system in Europe--the digital DVB--but as
presently implemented to serve 625 based monitors it That is not as good as HDTV (the DVB
system does have provision for HDTV, but has no wide usage of that level).
The likelihood of the European audience equipped
with these new digital 625 based widescreen monitors whipping up enough passion to pay for
an upgrade to HDTV that is no more than a few JND from where they are is not in the cards.
The United States tried to market a widescreen standard resolution vision and that was
rejected. When HDTV came along a throng of enthusiasts sprung up to say that something
great was coming and we ought to back it.
About the same time as the DVDs showed up people started buying HDTV monitors in this
country for the improvement seen when playing their new 480p DVD collection. This fact was
both a blessing and shock to industry helmsmen. On one hand it did prove that at least a
certain number of new era widescreen HDTV monitors could be sold on the strength of
receiving a signal that did not challenging the set. In other words, the set could display
more (1080i X 1440) information than what the DVD had in it (480p X 720). Many speculate
that the anticipation of HDTV was part of the purchasing decision of the early adopters,
though I am not entirely sure. The early adopters will buy anything new. But it is
questionable to think that DVD quality can drive the widescreen business to completion in
this nation. "HDTV is the required standard for completing the digital
transition." Those are not my words, but the words of Rupert Murdoch said by him in
Congressional hearings in Washington, DC on the 7th of June.
2) What can you tell me about the American experience?
People love HDTV. The first time they get it operating in their homes is a joyous
experience. The first words they say to me when subscribing to my publication is, "I
love HDTV." That is the catch phrase that is going to sweep this nation, and it is a
phrase unlike any other I have heard for a home product. Usually, it is something about
the "new and improved" and the technical specifications of it over the old, but
in this case love actually enters into the market fabric. It is not overly speculative to
say that some broadcasters might pick up on this romance and deliver to the public
programming that will devote itself to the quality that only comes from loving the work
that made it. One thing I have been speeding around the nation is the notion that artists
can now deliver into the home environment a known experience. From camera to display there
is very little being lost. We have no ghosting, not ringing, no fuzziness, no restricted
color gamut, plus we have DD5.1 digital audio in this standard. Never before in the
history of mankind has the original looked exactly as the replica. There has always been a
loss from the artist's original creation when converted to mass production. That holds
true for prints and statues and everything else when mass produced. A good job can be done
in replications, but never quite what was intended in the originating medium. That is not
the case now with HDTV.
Whatever an artist sees and hears that is
created in the studio monitor/audio system is pretty much what the viewer is going to see
and hear in the home...and at known distance. The information as to the image and how it
fills the eye will be known for the first time by the artist. Someone will take full
advantage of that fact and delight us by moving us with stirring intelligence. I have
already seen some evidence of that at Discovery HDTV Theater. I was very impressed with
the quality of some recent programs, the treatment of sensitive subjects, and then how
they sequenced the next programming that may have had a augmentation to the previous
program and another look from another angle at what was underlying it all. It was all very
appealing in some kind of 6th sense way.
I hold out a great hope that the artist of the
world will come to view this medium as their chosen engine for expressing their most
profound inner thoughts. The value of fidelity is not lost on anyone highly creative and
what it means to what is being made. The great conductor Herbert Van Kariajian agreed to
turn his tape library of music over to the then new fledgling Sony Classical Music due to
his understanding and full support to the idea that a CD would extend the quality of life
as he has experienced when in his own conductor's pit, only now this cultural value can
extend to millions, perhaps billions of ears. It is said just recently in a study that
music is highly important to the environment.
We have that same spirit operating now and many
artists see the tremendous flexibility in the digital imaging world, and rejoice in
contemplating all that they can conceive to do and produce in it.That will come our way
soon enough. Their message or value may come in the form of a movie, a sporting event, a
drama, or live coverage of events--all of which can reach the audience as it was seen live
because it is far less filtered by anything other than the bandwidth saving compression.
If compression bothers us, dig deep brothers. We will have to have fiber to the home if we
want to drink in gigabits a second of data in compression free 1.2 Gig/second files.
Back to the presentation for a minute: Even in
film the pinpointing your audience--knowing where the are in relation to the screen-- has
never been fully known or a constant. A movie is made for a wide variety of viewing
conditions, but, something entirely built to exploit all of the power of HDTV viewing in
the home has few examples. If you think you have seen the apex of what HDTV is all about
in both hardware and software...well, I think more that we are still in the dark ages. We
are learning bits and pieces and incrementally it just starts to get better and better,
provided that people support it.
In a home you can be much more assured that the
viewer is close to the "sweet spot" -- that special location that is right for
experiencing the presentation optimally.
For the presentation of pageantry there is nothing going to equal HDTV. During the winter
Olympics many of my readers were brought to tears by the sheer beauty of the opening
ceremonies. Many like to use the phrase that having HDTV is as good as being there, but in
these opening ceremonies it was only obvious that the HDTV experience was better than
being there. You didn't have to shiver shoulder to shoulder with annoyed people and skid
your car along icy pavement to get to your over-priced hotel. If those are values you
treasure, then it is not as good as being there. But if you were mesmerized by the rich
detail and delicate textures with their vibrant colors which transported you into the soul
of the presentation, you had to say, hell, this is a LOT better than being there.
Movies are great on HDTV. It is only from the poorer transfers of film to video that don't
do the system justice. Some have said that movies are made for the big screen, which we
all know doesn't measure up entirely (on average) to the HDTV performance. Yes, some
theaters do tweak their projectors and audio to give a rousing experience, but not many.
And you can only be in the "sweet spot" if you get there early. Film
distribution is all about compromises of quality in order to achieve the affordable prints
and distribution. Those prints are made in high speed optical printing systems which have
the mechanical elements to govern their precise alignments. You may be able to hold to ten
one thousands of an inch in machining parts, but in electronics you can hold to a
millionth of an inch. You can transfer a movie to tape and color correct each frame--each
pixel--which you cannot affordably do in film. How many times have you seen the color
temperature change from reel to reel? With HDTV you have pin registration of the image in
the telecine so that it is perfectly still when scanned and in the end result is made to
be rock solid. In the film chain the movie is bobbing and weaving all over the place,
which impacts clarity. You can make a case that a movie will soon not have as good of a
technical presentation in a theater as it will be in the average home. That should be very
alarming to traditional distribution networks and highly exciting to innovative
entrepreneurs who see distribution opening up for them in a play for a big screen--in the
home.
I have never been part of any HDTV audience that did not become stimulated positively by
the experience of viewing a good program on it. The reason I have devoted the better part
of my life to encouraging and supporting HDTV is due to what I see as the accumulative
effect of that positive stimulation. I look out 50 or 100 years in an assumption that
finally everyone has access to HDTV in one way or the other and I then add up all of that
positive stimulation and enhanced enjoyment and wonder what wondrous effect that might
produce for all of our future generations? I suppose it could turn "dark" but
that would be more a reflection of the political times than from the experience of having
just enjoyed the heck out of few hours that can now be rightly called "quality
time." My bottom line view is that the world becomes a better place for having
embraced HDTV than if it doesn't. That is very compelling reason for support to anyone
with a social conscious. I am perpetuating this view in the United States--it is a true
one--and I believe that this view will give rise to an army of supporters who won't let
the cost of it be the death of it.
3) How long has it taken to get to the stage where HD was
recognized?
The beginning of HDTV was in the laboratories of the Japanese pub-caster NHK back in 1963.
At that time NHK was able to foresee the day when their monopoly status would be
challenged by deregulation, thus permitting more competition.
They were not confident that their programming
could succeed in open contests and so they darted to a technical solution, not unlike the
European strategy to block Japan. If NHK could be operating with a more costly new TV
system then the competitors would flounder under the capital requirements for meeting that
competition.
NHK could continue with its super-powerful
political position and pick up a pay check every month from every TV owned in Japan. In
those days the Japanese people were in league with the industrial sector and would buy
anything new to pay for its development and prepare it for cheaper foreign market
launching. NHK could intro a new system and the Japanese people, the theory went, would
rush to equip themselves and so leave the new broadcast competition in a very compromised
situation while at the same time preparing for greater conquests abroad.
Well, that thinking fell quickly but they had
started the project and were extremely well prepared financially to do a great deal of
pioneering work in imagery, tube making, and so on in the present and the future. So, they
continued, and that caught the attention of Joe Flaherty from CBS, who at that time in
1965 was out shopping for a TV system that would rival film (for archiving purposes). Joe
wanted to escape the costly habits being paid for by TV producers when using the old film
unions. They were using them more and more as TV production were being filmed for later
distribution when TV would be better (no one knew how much better).That added cost
stemming from those film union (the raw cost of film and its gear were non issues) and
their unreasonable contracts for the new business they were in related to the licensing
cost of a program to the networks. It was calculated that the cost of feeding the film
union their diet of "caviar" and perqs was $10,000 per program hour. Television
unions, on the other hand, were born of a lean and mean necessity. They held out for no
such ransom from their clients. So, Joe thought to himself, all I have to do is have a TV
system so the TV union can be hired in place of the film union and I save $10,000 per hour
for ever after. That adds up for every other network as well.
So, what could he do but to encourage
Japan--NHK, MITI, Minister of Post Telecommunications and any other government and private
agency involved--that the US had a use for their HDTV system. I can't tell you what a pea
and shell game this has been over the years because, contrary to what both the Japanese
thought, Joe Flaherty did not run CBS. He was and is a mighty asset and resource, but he
did not hold the power that Japan thought he did. Until there was network programming
being distributed and received by HDTV receivers there would never be enough demand for
cameras and post production equipment to get the cost down so that you could save that
money by changing unions. Just to say you want HDTV cameras for a few programs wouldn't
cut the cost as it has today. An HDTV camera then was $500,000, plus lenses and a
CPU, which added almost the same amount. With those staggering costs you could not save
any money due to the amortization of that equipment. You had to acquire it at a lower cost
and to do that you had to at least predict a big market.
To make that real to Japan we had to lead the
way to the consumer. In this case that meant we had to take a well working nationally
installed system which no one said was broken and introduce a brand new one at a cost of
untold billions of dollars with only the untested hope that, marketwise, it would work. It
had to have enough oomph to complete the transition. Nothing will leave a scar deeper than
having to pay one power bill perpetually that does nothing for you. Such a cost item could
be reduced by the promotional powers of the nation selling HDTV faster. It is horrendous
cost to broadcasters but they are still in the a 50% of gross profitable business.
The fact that HDTV has taken off pretty much as anticipated has, I think, been both a
surprise and pleasant shock to our national networks.
4) What have been the major stumbling blocks?
Cost of it and perceived value which is governed by program availability (or lack of
it)--that is the short answer. There are many hours of HDTV programming available every
day, but the distribution of all of it is still quite spotty. So, those fortunate may get
a full pallet of programs while others in less populated areas get next to nothing...yet.
Satellite distribution of some programs has eased this limitation and starting the first
of July will be eased even more when DirecTV takes on four more HDTV channels.
There has been a controversy about the
modulation scheme--the standard for transmission--that we adopted. Some have accused it of
being badly conceived for distribution/reception in places where microreflections occur.
On a straight line-of-sight it performs without any questions being raised, but in some
urban areas there is more work to do as present models tend to fail under a condition of
heavy and dynamic microreflections. I think this is somewhat understood by buyers, and
even more so by the retailers.
The retailers don't like to get these things
back. If the digital signal cannot be pulled in to some homes, that box comes back. It's
less risky not to sell one than it is to sell one.The retailers have not done the best of
jobs in selling the American public on HDTV nor done what is required to install it. There
are thousands of boutique dealers who specialize in home installations and if it were not
for them I think we would have no over-the-air services functioning except in Los Angeles,
where the towers stand high above the city on Mount Wilson. Most don't need an expert to
help them tune in the LA channels.
I think the fact that the old standard is paying
all of the bills in television has a great deal to do with things too. We had our up-front
markets recently where advertisers commit for broadcast advertising avails.They set
records--over $9 billion. But not one cent of that was due to HDTV. All of that money is
in support of the NTSC services. It was once said in a SMPTE meeting in San Francisco in
1988 by Max Berry, then VP for ABC, that the installed base of NTSC receivers is the most
valuable asset the broadcasters in America have. He was hooted down as a luddite, but a
truthful one. That remains the situation to this hour, and only through the temptation of
HDTV--the appeal of it--does it still ride the waves of the future.
5) Any Government support?
We have a government that must speak for all sectors, including the industrial sector. You
find the ideas that government might use to further HDTV stifled in committees or from
comments to regulatory agencies (like the FCC). The FCC has cleared the tracks for some
simple things like making the right to install an antenna of your roof no matter where you
live. They did, of course, set the standard, but certainly left it with all of those 18
formats (many say more if you count the variations in frame rates). The FCC did set a
deadline for converting all of the analog stations to digital, but left a line for
shutting down the analog services to be drawn by the marketplace, i.e., only when 85% of
the TV households in a market have a digital receiver to receive at least the NTSC grade
of the ATSC/FCC standard. That means that we could get stuck for years and years with 40
or 50% penetration and force the broadcasters to continue using both transmitters and
consuming costly power and bandwidth when doing so.
There are factions who believe that integrating the ATSC tuner with all TVs will cause the
transition to occur via a normal attrition. The public buys 28 million TV sets a year to
fill 105 million TV households. Right now only 12% of those 28 million sets going out the
door (at least this year) are HDTV capable. By forcing the tuner into the set the public
pays for a tuner they may not use for years, if ever, but the 85% figure is satisfied
quicker than if left solely to the public's buying discretion. That means broadcasters can
dump the costly second power bill sooner even if those sets never see one of their digital
signals. This move is favored by our National Association of Broadcasters and is opposed
by some in the manufacturing sector who see any added cost mandated as a market
impediment. They understand that when you add a dollar you may lose a thousand customers
out of the potential market pool for that product.That is a long standing rule in consumer
electronics and they don't look at added cost in any other way but seriously.
Hollywood production studios are obstructing HDTV decoder sales right now in that they
have not reached an accord on how to protect their products from illegal copying. They
fear with HDTV that you have a perfect replicable copy which can be put to a disk or tape
and passed on to relatives and friends, who, in turn, can copy and do the same. Each
generation in digital is as good as the first one. This "propagation fear" has
produced some very complex negotiations which seem only to be settled by some government
decree. The public is increasingly aware that there is some ambiguity left in these
standards that has to be resolved and the story circulating is that a person could be left
buying something today that is going to be obsolete shortly, or, at a minimum, will deny
them access to attractive high-value programming that may come along later. Some
broadcasters--namely CBS--have gone to the matt insisting that manufacturers agree to some
kind of control system so that their valued programming doesn't end up on the Internet,
especially odious when wideband reaches everyone and download times are not consequential.
To maintain a residual value in programming is thought essential by the content owners,
who never get full recovery of production costs from their first licensing with the
networks. They depend on after markets and if, like your photo on the Internet, it is
easily downloadable at any time from this point on to the end of time, you have a problem.
How to deal with it has not been settled. Again, government is being courted to find and
make an answer which won't cause a revolt somewhere else.
There are many micro-managing functions that the FCC has grappled with and while they are
germain to the technical functioning of the product, they have little impact upon
establishing a will within the market. In some cases broadcaster who are not sure of how
their market is going to behave have been using very low power. This has formed another
chapter in the chicken and egg question? "Is it before the audience is there or after
the audience is there that I go to full power? Do they need my full power signal at
retailers to sell the HDTV experience? If not, can my little 1 KW transmitter
suffice?"
The private sector has not done all that it can either. We have not mobilized the
publicity sector of the nation to herald the fact that HDTV is coming nor have we sold the
major American audience on the value of HDTV and its social promises. I doubt that doing
such is a government function but rather would be a function that certainly can ask of the
government some support. If, as a nation, we conclude that having HDTV is a benifit to the
general welfare of the nation we open the vaults of the largest charitable institutions in
the country to help. There is enormous wealth residing there which by charter has to be
earmarked for some recognized objective for the good of society. Once HDTV is declared a
card carrying member of that school PBS funding should be quickly achieved. They are
attempting to do that by saying the digital channel can be broken up into smaller segments
for educational programming. But those are niche values--important for sure--but pale when
considering that the entire nation is rising like a cake in the oven.
I think that a union or association of all of the stakeholders in the future of television
will finally come together to generically promote HDTV in awe-inspiring ways. Certainly,
the tiny bit of publicity about it now is not the answer for making a market come
completely to life.
We are at a point where the transition can no
longer be in doubt--we are on the way. The only thing left to do now is to make the best
out of it. That will mean stopping the confusion now being created by overly aggressive
competition and joining hands in one association with one voice to lead the public to the
big drink.
6) How have broadcasters and manufacturers collaborated to
bring HD to the public?
In years past the US maintained their own laboratories to lead their own destiny. RCA had
the famous David Sarnoff Research Center and CBS had their famous CBS laboratories. It was
at the CBS labs that Electronic News Gathering (ENG)--a camcorder--was first developed.
That camcorder was needed because, again, Joe Flaherty saw a cost savings in going to
video instead of film by way of this camcorder. So, they invented it. Today you have CNN
and just about every other news service using ENG. While saving money was the only mission
in Joe's mind, the point here is that he could effect that by using his own laboratories
plus the collaboration that comes naturally from the Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers. This later group continues to standardize the things which come from
both domestic and foreign invention. But US development stopped when the foreign
manufacturers grew stronger and began to introduce innovative products which were
attractive and competitive. If you didn't have the latest you might be lost.
HDTV came to America like a Tsunami--washing
over broadcasters and manufacturers alike. What was to be done? Who would do it? To this
day I believe there is a major communications gap between most American managers and
Japanese businessmen. They are of two different minds and its very hard to feel you are on
the same team when both are present. But without our own labs -- Sarnoff was actually
given away to another company--we fell dependant upon what was coming over the
international transom. If that wasn't good for our particular progress, we still had to
adapt to it. I think most broadcasters feel they are in a survival mode with this Tsunami
-- a natural overwhelming phenomena sweeping in from Japan. In the earlier days (in the
late 80s) it looked like Japan was going to rise up and rule the world in most all ways.
HDTV was seen by their government and MITI as a chief strategy to dominate global
communications from Japan and create the Japanse global era.
I looked at the enormous public benefit being brought to the American people from Japan
(and Europe to a lesser degree) and became a surfer of that Tsunami. I think our
transmission companies -- something the foreign interests still have yet to dominate --
were more collaborative with broadcasters. That was very important.
7) What has been the cost to broadcasters and consumers?
To date the consumers have spent a handy $11 billion on outfitting their homes with some
kind of HD ready device. The broadcasters are looking at a $20 billion price tag to get
them up to full power and to full studio HDTV. That is the tip of the iceberg since the
production facilities are now all investing in HDTV. The issue has become slightly less
aggravating of late because of the enormous cost reductions in most everything digital.
The digital domain offers such flexibility that is becomes a poor business decision to buy
anything but the high end of it--HDTV--in most all cases. You can always downconvert to
any standard being ordered. Right now you can buy a small $3,300 camcorder from JVC that
sports 1.2 million pixels. I mean, you have the makings for electronic news gathering in
HDTV with that device alone. You have things like Final Cut Pro for full editing in HDTV
in a lap top, and so on. So, cost is becoming more a matter of attrition than it is large
new investment. That is, of course, not true in the case of transmitters.
8) I spoke to SKY broadcasting here in the UK and they had
no interested in HD because they feel there is "no demand" for it. How would you
respond to that?
If I never gave you chocolate and asked you on a survey what you would pay for it, what is
your answer?
I will say that HDTV is an acquired taste. If you have any time in front of one you say, I
have acquired my taste and now I want to acquire my HDTV. In nations where cultural
divides are greater--a kind of class system-- you may have a societal grouping that speaks
only the party line. "Oh, deary, I wouldn't have one of those bloody big boxes in MY
living room!" might say the local town carrier of public attitudes. I noticed this in
Germany when attending the Funkenstellan -- a huge consumer electronics show that invites
both professionals and the consumers of Europe to attend. One could detect, at least by
appearances, that class distinctions dictated what the various members of the public were
interested in. Traditions run deep in Europe but not so deep here. A person might be from
the lower working class of our society but in later life still have all of the trappings
that were once reserved for people of rank. What I observed in Germany is that HDTV
appeared to be something not entirely friendly to the working class. The suited class
certainly were interested. It might be what we call in this country "putting on
airs" to own one in the commoner's part of town. At that show in Berlin HDTV looked
quite imposing and beyond normal reach in the various setting reserved for it. It looked
like it should be in a big palace, or at least a home of distinction. The average (from
appearance anyway) person always passed up a chance to look at the HDTVs on display at
that show. I was astounded and haunted for years by that observation. I mentioned earlier
how the news papers picked up the story saying that the EC's funding HDTV development was
no more than the poor funding the development of a rich man's toy. I think this idea is
one being reflected in what you found at Sky. Also, Sky would be severely compromised in
terms of competitive program choices if HDTV were to catch on. The amount of bandwidth
used for HDTV from a transponder is equal to what will carry five programs in standard
def. DirecTV faces the same dilemma here and have said to me (with a wink, of course) that
they are in trouble if HDTV really does catch on due to the scarcity of transponder
bandwidth. Cable is in better shape to deliver a wider choice or programs if all move to
HDTV.
9) Finally, What sort of figures and percentages are you
seeing over there in terms of take up of HD by consumers and how much content is in fact
being broadcast?
There is a great deal of content. We are leaps ahead of the same time in the color
transition. Unlike color, we are even incompatible with the old system. We have to
parallel broadcast all of the programs that are still being seen on the NTSC services with
the lone exception of one satellite service. That service--HDNet--started off as a HDTV
service only. They do not suffer from simulcast costs as the networks do. All scripted
episodic network television (about 55% of prime time) is being distributed now in HDTV.
Both Showtime and HBO--movies services--have HDTV channels which are distributed by both
satellite and a growing part of the cable infrastructure. There are few hours in a week
when you cannot access an HDTV formatted program. Some are better than others. The one
satellite service which launched as an HD-only service--HDNet--has recently acquired some
old evergreen television series shot on film. They are being retransferred to HDTV. Some
have said that HDTV makes everything new again. This is proving true, especially in the
better produced series. Had it been introduced on HDTV in the first place I think the
Bette Midler show would have gone on to be a major hit. Midler is too big for the little
screen and it didn't work. On the big screen she shines brightly. I will send you over my
HDTV program guide and you can see for yourself what is on today. I send out this guide to
thousands of HDTV fans every day who say to me that they will watch HDTV first before they
turn to anything else. My guide, like HDNet, is only about HDTV programming.
Hope that isn't too much to ask, but your thoughts would be
greatly appreciated as I would very much like to feature HDTV Magazine in my feature.
Hopefully we can get some more exposure to the cause of HDTV! Please feel free to be brief
or to answer whatever you can, I appreciate that is quite a few questions above. Either
that or you may someone else who can answer some of the questions.
I was glad to answer them and it all comes off the top of my head. I have been in this
campaign now for 20 years and starting to feel like I know a bit about it.
I will add that we have not come close yet to seeing the potential from HDTV. There have
been no more than two programs which have impressed me to say, YES, that is the future we
should expect. One of those was the opening ceremonies from Salt Lake City of the Winter
Olympics.That brought me to a new emotional level I didn't know existed in me and I take
it from comments I heard around the country that I was not alone. I personally hope that
all of the key stakeholders in the future of communications would come to realize that we
have something great here that is going to leave a major mark on life for the rest of
time, and that we had best join up together and produce the finest television service the
world has ever known as the only fitting thing left to do.
We need a beacon light for us to get out of the quagmire of competing world visions we
find ourselves in at the beginning of the 21st century. When something is as hard fought
for and wonderfully conceived of as is HDTV then you have to believe that there is a
higher calling for it. I don't want to get nailed to a particular position here other than
to say that the light to come from a well programmed HDTV system will do more for the
world than all of the bombs and torture chambers ever can. It was television--the
information it carried--that knocked down the Berlin Wall and most of Russia. The Iraqis
are now gobbling down as much TV as they can digest from newly allowed and acquired
satellite dishes. If we don't think TV is important in shaping the world then we probably
don't understand why Saddam sent people to prison for 6 months just for the crime of
having a satellite dish to see the rest of the world. If TV is important to our cultural
progress and well-being than better television has to mean we can expect a better outcome.
HDTV is the most perfect window we now have on the real world and through it we are able
to see more beauty and grace than we ever could with the old system. There was too much
filtration of the best part of the world and I think some of the present tensions now
festering have been exacerbated by the fact that old TV can only show us the courser
representation of things. HDTV can deliver to us the finer part of things. We have
suffered from filtration--the technically enforced censorship from NTSC-- long enough.
Please let me know if you would like any contact information to any of our readers who may
offer to you some additional comments and perspective.
Dale Cripps
HDTV Magazine and
The High-Definition Association of America
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