As America reached an important (in our eyes, anyway) milestone this week by securing
100 high-def news stations, we began to wonder how many of you readers are actually close enough to tune into one of them. Here at Engadget HQ, we're lucky enough to be near
one of those stations, but with the ratio of citizens to
HD news outlets being so lopsided, we wouldn't be surprised to see the majority of you still in the dark (read: stuck with talking heads in SD). So, are you able to snag your local newscasts in HD? If so, do you even tune in to take advantage? Oh, and here's a bonus question you can answer in comments: are you close to more than one HD news station?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
T-bone @ Jul 26th 2008 12:13PM
2 stations in my area, watch primarily one because they are the best newscast out of all the stations (SD and HD)
THizzle7XU @ Jul 26th 2008 12:15PM
Here in Cleveland, OH, I all four major networks (Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS) are in HD and have been for some time. NBC has been for years.
Ty @ Jul 26th 2008 12:32PM
Here in the Dallas area I know CBS, ABC, and NBC have HD local news broadcast. I usually watch teh NBC broadcasts. Fox could be in HD too I just never checked.
JR007 @ Jul 26th 2008 12:34PM
Same here...Dallas locals are HD and I just love it!
Robert Kieffer @ Jul 26th 2008 12:34PM
I've been getting Fox, ABC, and NBC in HD for local news for a while now. NBC just doesn't want to make the upgrade, for whatever reason. They've lost my viewership.
Rob @ Jul 26th 2008 12:49PM
I get all major networks newscasts, local and national, plus PBS's Nova on 1080i HD. However, ABC is the only one broadcasting on 720p, sad.
seamus2514 @ Jul 26th 2008 1:00PM
Here in NYC, CBS 2, NBC 4, ABC 7, and CW 11 have news in HD. I'm still waiting for FOX 5 and My 9 to make the switch.
Lakeonaut @ Jul 26th 2008 1:20PM
the picture is fabulous...the content is pitiful
John @ Jul 26th 2008 1:42PM
Here in Boise, ID, we still don't even have an HD radio station.
However, it seems to me one network has invested somewhat in some
"digital" wide screen cameras for the local newscast. Although I'm
not convinced it is true HD, the picture is an improvement, and I
guess its better than nothing.
Squid7085 @ Jul 26th 2008 1:59PM
Here is Wichita, KS (Yes, there are large cities with electricity in Kansas) none of our locals have yet to go HD, and there doesn't seem to be much push, as Wichita residents are typically a few years behind tech wise. Although I have heard rumors that our CBS affiliate is in the works to get out HD broadcasts, since they own the Fox station too, I would imagine that might be next. However, it seems that when one station does something, the others don't take long to follow, so I would expect them all to be HD not long after the first one goes.
Squid7085 @ Jul 26th 2008 2:00PM
And as far as the closest HD station, I know Kansas City has more than one in HD, not sure about Oklahoma City, but those are the two closest "bigger" cities.
jamisona @ Jul 26th 2008 2:06PM
Here in Columbus, OH we have all five broadcasting in HD. (nbc,acb,cbs,fox,cw) Thats sort of a lie because the abc/fox are run by the same company and the cw runs a 10PM news produced by the cbs affiliate.
Galley @ Jul 26th 2008 2:27PM
I watch all my favorite shows online for free. I haven't even bothered to hook up an antenna to my HDTV.
PopWeaverHDTV @ Jul 26th 2008 5:44PM
Here in Western NC, we get local news from WSPA (CBS) in HD. In September, we'll be getting local news from WLOS (ABC) {and maybe its sister WMYA (MyTV)} in HD. WLOS is currently doing their newscasts from the newsroom while Devlin Design Group builds a $4 million HD News Studio. There's no word on when WYFF (NBC) or WHNS (Fox) will go HD with their local news.
Dayton Guy @ Jul 26th 2008 6:50PM
Yes... I have access to three!...
WHIO-DT in Dayton (CBS)
WBNS-DT in Columbus (CBS)
WCPO-DT in Cincinnati (ABC)
I have to turn the antenna around to get them but I do recieve three stations with local HD news.
paul34 @ Jul 26th 2008 9:38PM
Most of them are, however, the actual news segments and B-roll footage is rarely HD, although they appear to try to upsample and then proceed to sadly, stretch footage into 16:9 that is very obviously 4:3.
Hopefully one day, they can get news crews some true HD cameras to compliment the HD graphics and the HD cameras in studio (for the anchors).
Sean Bramlett @ Jul 27th 2008 1:06AM
I have to say that here in the Houston area, we are now getting all the three major networks in full glorious HD broadcasts now.
KPRC = Channel 2 =NBC affiliate
KHOU = Channel 11 = CBS affiliate
KTRK = Channel 13 = ABC affiliate
The other 2 networks with news have not switched as of yet.
KRIV = Channel 26 = Fox affiliate
KHCW = Channel 39 = CW affiliate
Not really sure when they planning on doing anything in HD.
The best out of the 3 major network channels I would say is: Channel 2 = NBC affiliate.
Glenn Gore @ Jul 27th 2008 5:40AM
Tulsa has one station doing local news in HD. None of the Oklahoma City stations are and no station in any other market in Oklahoma is. The only station that has said a word about doing HD newscasts is OETA, the statewide PBS network. They have plans to do HD local newscasts later this year ('08).
mam693 @ Jul 27th 2008 12:39PM
I'm in the New York Area and get WNBC (4) News, WABC (7) News, and WCBS (2) News, in HD. Not sure about Fox's (5) news (I have no idea what their call sign is) because I don't watch Fox. I don't think WPIX (11) does news in HD as we just got their HD feed and we don't receive a HD feed of WWOR (9) on Dish Network.
rendezvous65 @ Jul 27th 2008 4:00PM
In San Diego just 1 affiliate is HD and thats KFMB. KSWB (CW) is switching to Fox and they too will go HD when they switch to an in house news cast. However the KTLA morning show they air is HD but only broadcast the SD version for some reason. Fox 5 Morning news will replace the KTLA show. KGTV (ABC) is already HD but hasn't made the switch to HD broadcasting. KNSD which is mainly owned by NBC has yet to make the switch. They just started talking about it but there is no time line. XETV (Fox then going to CW) has no timeline for HD news either. KUSI will go HD by february.
The HD news situation here in San Diego.
nick c @ Jul 28th 2008 1:34AM
i do, indeed, get the local news in hd, but it looks absolutely terrible, although i know it shouldn't look like mojo or anything that beautiful.
AND on another note, does anybody remember watching the nbc nightly news (the national one if you don't know), and when it was first in hd it looked completely amazing, but now for some reason it looks really fuzzy and like someone is slacking off in the hd department, like they think that just because the resolution is there, the quality and sharpness don't have to be...
jay_jay @ Jul 28th 2008 8:39AM
Boston has WCVB/ABC (Hearst-Argyle) now and WHDH/NBC (Sunbeam) launching Tuesday.
I don't (and won't) watch either of them. When my preferred station WBZ/CBS (CBS Corp) launches, then I'll switch to the HD feed, of course.
NotATreoFan @ Jul 28th 2008 8:56AM
In Philadelphia, ABC, CBS, and Fox are broadcasting their news in HD. What I find funny is that NBC10, the most cutting edge station (their words), still broadcasts in SD. I used to watch them on a regular basis until I realized that even their SD signal is crap.
Achilles @ Jul 28th 2008 10:49AM
Yep, here in Houston, we are FINALLY getting our local newscast in full HD!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to agree with Sean, the NBC affiliate is the best by far...
Stephen Simpson @ Jul 29th 2008 3:15PM
Yes, I live a little south of Chicago, and I can receive:
Channel 5 WMAQ (NBC)
Channel 7 WLS-TV (ABC)
Channel 9 WGN (CW Affiliate)
The only other channels that are not in HD are:
Channel 2 WBBM (CBS)
Channel 32 WFLD (FOX)
However, cbs is planning on moving to their new state-of-the-art, most high-tech in the country broadcasting center. they were suppose to move into that at December 2007, but then pushed back spring of 08, but now it is pushed back yet again to Fall of 08. This is because of several budget problems, and strikes. But hopefully they will be in by the end of the year broadcasting in HD (This isn't great for OTA viewers because they have a very weak signal ( changing that in February)) Anyways, by the end of the year, we have a planned 4 out of 5 news in HD. Fox has yet to state whether they are switching, but WGN was unannounced, so maybe FOX is right around the corner.
Here is my question...were does chicago stand in terms of HD news. With 80% of the news being HD by the end of the year (at least 80%) is chicago number 1 in HD???
Stephen Simpson @ Jul 29th 2008 3:23PM
Sorry, I guess I got a little over anxious. So far clevend is 100% HD (only 4 channels that I saw). NYC I read has 4 as well. As sonn as FOX decides to make the plunge...maybe soon thanks to WGN's unannounced switch (they battle for nine o'clock news)...and CBS's planned switch by the end of the year will give us 5. Any body else have more???
Garst @ Jul 30th 2008 3:12PM
Only Fox remains in SD, but I'll survive.