Just in time for the start of the NBA season, NBA TV HD launches on both DirecTV and DISH Network. Every major sports league needs their own channel and now NBA steps up to HD, bringing over 70 national HD games to their subscribers. In addition, they'll have 24 hours of programming, but who knows how much of that will actually be HD. At this point we've lost count of how many HD channels these two providers carry and wonder how many big time NBA fans are going to give up on their cable provider -- assuming they haven't already.

As we told you about previously, the NBA debuted a whole new way of broadcasting their game last night for HDTV owners. I caught it and came away pretty impressed. The angle provided by the two SkyCams was far superior to the usual camera angles used. It brought you in a lot closer to the floor and made it feel like sitting close to courtside instead of simply being in the arena way up in the upper deck.

One of my complaints about NBA broadcasts in high definition in the past has been how far out the cameras zoomed. There was often too much empty court or stands in the view and the players seemed small and far away (although amazingly detailed). Maybe having a bigger TV would have helped, but I don't and so I'm complaining. With these new camera angles I did not have that complaint at all.

(Sorry about the painfully SD screenshot, but hopefully you can get an idea of the angle as Chris Wilcox goes in for a dunk)

For the first time, an NBA game will utilize two "SkyCams" during the April 11th meeting between the Seattle Supersonics and the San Antonio Spurs (lot of Ss there). Instead of using two center court cameras like most NBA games, they will use the suspended high definition skycams to give the impression of sitting about 10 rows up from the floor.

Two robotic high definition cameras above each backboard plus one at center court on the scorers table will give a unique "you are there" perspective for this game. For the audio, it will be in 5.1 surround, with the focus given to on court and arena sounds, much like the recent "silent game" in Orlando. Rick Kamla will host the game, checking in from various spots around the arena as well.

This is great, I really feel like the NBA "gets" high definition and are looking to build around it for better quality broadcasts. The only real complaint I've had so far is that the camera angles don't seem to take advantage of HD's aspect ratio and detail enough, and I hope that these changes will enhance the experience. All we need now is for ESPN, ABC and TNT to take the hint, shut up blabbering on-air personalities and give us just basketball, raw and uncut.

I woke up excited to check out the basketball games today. The stars are out:, Lebron James, Steve Nash, Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups and more, but despite an excellent first game to the triple header, today is definitely a bust.

Three games: Cleveland vs. Phoenix, Houston at Miami, and Pistons vs. Lakers, but I'm only going to see one of them in high definition, and if you don't live near one of the home teams, you may not even get that. The Detroit Pistons game will be broadcast locally in 1080i by WB20, as many of their home games are, but it will also be available nationally on ESPN, however not in HD. Neither of the two earlier games were broadcast in high definition on ABC.

I don't know if this is due to local licensing agreements (what I suspect keeps ESPN from broadcasting the Pistons game in HD tonight) or what, but David Stern needs to take care of this.  With no NFL on this weekend, the NBA is the only game in town.  Sports fans love their high definition, but with none available my attention is wandering over to the X-Games and Arena League football.  If I want to catch some HD sports, my best bet at the moment is probably Gotham TV on my Xbox 360.

With all the expenses paid to broadcast and view games in high definition, how professional basketball can simply ignore national high definition broadcasts is a mystery to me. It seems the NFL is taking a page from the NBA's book and broadcasting some games themselves, but maybe more is needed for professional basketball to continue to grow as HDTV adoption does.

Update: Apparently the NBA is more on the ball than I thought, the Miami game switched to HD later on, and the Pistons - Lakers game is available in high definition on both WB and ESPN, unlike games earlier in the season which were nationally broadcast only in SD.  More later, I'm watching the game. (Go Pistons)

Old school meets new school February 26 when the Orlando Magic face the Houston Rockets at home. The NBA will broadcast a "silent" game with no announcers, only sounds from the court and the arena announcer. The game will be available on NBA TV in high definition and surround sound, and should really provide a "you are there" experience for the viewers.

The Magic will wear uniforms from their inaugural 1989 season, and music from the 70's will be played only during game stoppages.

This all sounds well and good, but if they're going to do a 70's style broadcast, why not show two teams that were around in the 70's?