Engadget HD went behind the scenes at a local television station that has recently upgraded all their hardware to support the creation of high-definition video streams. If you’re a wires and sockets nerd, there’s a lot to love, including lots of pictures like this one of shiny, expensive video routing hardware.
If you already work in video production it’s probably nothing you haven’t seen before, but for those of us on the emit side of the screen, it’s a fun peek.
What it takes to produce an HD newscast [EngadgetHD.com]
A lot of television stations claim that they are broadcasting their news in HD, but in reality they are only capturing the in-studio footage with the talent in HD. I haven’t seen any stations in my area (SF Bay Area) that shoot real HD on location, unless they’re using small cheap HD cameras like the Sony Z1. At least one local station broadcasts location news footage shot on what looks like low-end DVCAM intermixed with 1080i studio material. It’s a really awful combination.
Only one station is broadcasting in 16×9. Several stations advertise news in HD but only broadcast a 4×3 HD signal. Go figure.
I’m skeptical that news should be shot in HD. News footage is notoriously awful to look at if for no other reason than that the overriding concern is to capture live images as quickly as possible, with little or no concern for aesthetic qualities. We’ve become used to that in standard def, but in high def badly shot footage is terribly jarring and unpleasant to watch. Many stations are shooting their field footage with very cheap cameras, so the HD feel goes away as soon as the newscast cuts to a shot outside the studio.
@Art: Yeah, they mention in the article that their remote crews are still shooting SD. I wonder if the point-to-point systems they use for the remote trucks (I presume that’s what those monster telescoping antenna are for) can support the signal. I’d guess probably not.