Shows in HD?

[justapixel]

Direct TV will hook up my HD on the 28th. What shows are presented in HD? Is there a list somewhere so I know what to record in HiDef and what to record on my old TiVo?

Or, is this something that becomes obvious once you have the new HD DVR?

[zeeway]

All will become obvious, grasshopper.

[spikedavis]

Direct TV will hook up my HD on the 28th. What shows are presented in HD? Is there a list somewhere so I know what to record in HiDef and what to record on my old TiVo?

Or, is this something that becomes obvious once you have the new HD DVR?

There will be selected channels your cable company will give you that are designated HD. Everything else is Standard Definition. The major networks like NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX have HD channels as well as ESPN, HBO (if you have HBO of course), DISCOVERY . There are other HD channels that may vary from cable company to cable to cable company.

I recommend Discovery HD. The first time I saw it my jaw was on the floor.

[jimborst]

Discovery HD Theater (If that's how Directv labels it-I have Dish)is the best, all shows in HD. Not to be confused with the normal Discovery channel which is in HD but not all shows are, older Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs are not. Stay away from TBS as I don't think they have one show in HD. Shows that I like in HD on networks are pretty much all done with new episodes because of the strike, but watch all you like because the HD makes a big difference even though they are reruns.

Also shows like David Letterman and Jay look good, but because of the strike Dave has put some old reruns on (before HD), I think Jay may have done the same.

[Amnesia]

On major networks (ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox/CW), all dramas/sitcoms are in HD. Most reality and game shows are in SD, except for some of the singing shows on Fox.

On HD cable networks, most new shows are in HD, most syndicated repeats are in SD. (There are a few exceptions, but that's the general rule.)

[efilippi]

I don't know if it's like this everywhere but here, in Chicago area, HD is on its own channels. So if I want to record ER and do a tivo search, it will inevitably point me to NBC Chicago, Channel 5. My instinct was to then put a season pass on that item, but doing so gets the show in SD, not HD. I found that I had to click the "show all future showings" button (or something like that) to find that the show is also on NBC channel 185 and that's the hd one. I had to learn to pay closer attention when recording something, is my point.

[super dave]

Lost is great in HD, but the top show too LOOK at is CSI Miami, sharp, crisp and very colorful.

[wmcbrine]

HD shows are tagged as "HD" in they guide, and you can use it as a category in searching (at least on a Tivo). Not every show on an HD channel is HD; many are "upconverts", i.e., SD material resized to HD resolution, so it takes up more room but doesn't look any better. But the "HD" tag isn't totally reliable, either -- you'll see some upconverts with the tag (prime example: TNT, which tags everything but mostly shows ugly, stretched upconverts), and some true HD shows without it.

[Amnesia]

I don't know if it's like this everywhere but here, in Chicago area, HD is on its own channels. Yeah, but it's not that simple.

For example, there's a HD CBS channel and The Amazing Race will be shown on it tonight in (upconverted) SD.

[efilippi]

Yeah, but it's not that simple.

For example, there's a HD CBS channel and The Amazing Race will be shown on it tonight in (upconverted) SD.

That must happen a lot, else those HD channels would go dark for varying portions of the day, when no hd is available. And I doubt that ever happens, going dark, I mean.

[Johnny Dancing]

Amazing Race and Survivor don't do HD because of filming conditions. I guess HD equipment is more expensive and fragile.

What other regular network shows aren't in HD? Seems all that I watch are in HD.

[newsposter]

Direct TV will hook up my HD on the 28th. What shows are presented in HD? Is there a list somewhere so I know what to record in HiDef and what to record on my old TiVo?

Or, is this something that becomes obvious once you have the new HD DVR?

helpful hints for new hr20 owners

1. press guide 2x and there is a filter and you can do HD stuff only (and other filters too of course)

2. good lists of the HD channels to print out (below). What I do is record 'all' possible on the HD channels even if it's in SD. It's probably because of my type of tv (CRT Rear projection) and i know you dont have the same thing i do, but all SD looks noticeably better on my tv on the HD channel. I'd try one show you know is SD and record it on the HD channel to see if there's any difference or not.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=97211

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=9937&d=1189317936

[trainman]

For example, there's a HD CBS channel and The Amazing Race will be shown on it tonight in (upconverted) SD.

A slight correction to the terminology here: over-the-air television stations are now broadcasting both an analog channel and a digital channel. Digital channels have enough bandwidth for HD broadcasts, which is of course something they're taking advantage of with a good proportion of their programming, but there's nothing inherent in them that they have to be "HD channels."

When they stop broadcasting on their analog channels in February 2009, it doesn't mean that everything will all of a sudden be in HD. :D

[Amnesia]

A slight correction to the terminology here: over-the-air television stations are now broadcasting both an analog channel and a digital channel.I was referring to cable. There's a SD CBS channel and a HD CBS channel here in Boston (via Comcast).

[midas]

If you have the room I would suggest you record everything from the HD version of the channel. Even if the show isn't in HD, the picture quality will be much better.

[cwerdna]

Although I have no HD, I'd try using the TV listings at http://www.titantv.com. Put in your zip and select DirecTV from the drop down on the left.

[efilippi]

If you have the room I would suggest you record everything from the HD version of the channel. Even if the show isn't in HD, the picture quality will be much better.

Why should that be? Comcast delivers me two channels for each network, one sd and one hd. What technical reason would cause the non-hd portion of the content to be better on one than the other?

[Peter000]

Why should that be? Comcast delivers me two channels for each network, one sd and one hd. What technical reason would cause the non-hd portion of the content to be better on one than the other?

I don't know the technical reasons for it, but I think the source upconverts it to digital before it goes to comcast, and it stays in analog along the route to comcast for the SD signal. The HD picture definitely looks better.

[spikedavis]

I don't know the technical reasons for it, but I think the source upconverts it to digital before it goes to comcast, and it stays in analog along the route to comcast for the SD signal. The HD picture definitely looks better.

Absolutely. There have been instances where I recorded something on both channels by mistake-but even though the content is "Standard Defintion" it looks much more (noticably) better on the HD Channel. This is true with stuff like The Amazing Race, Survivor and Biggest Loser which aren't filmed in HD.

[newsposter]

Absolutely. There have been instances where I recorded something on both channels by mistake-but even though the content is "Standard Defintion" it looks much more (noticably) better on the HD Channel. This is true with stuff like The Amazing Race, Survivor and Biggest Loser which aren't filmed in HD.

don't forget simpsons :) I saw colors I never saw before when i got it off the OTA station. Was amazing.

So this is universal then with all TVs not just my crt? I thought lcd, plasma etc wouldnt show as noticeable an improvement on the digital channel as with my kind of tv since it's older technology

[super dave]

Why should that be? Comcast delivers me two channels for each network, one sd and one hd. What technical reason would cause the non-hd portion of the content to be better on one than the other?

Not everyone has a digital box yet, there are still folks, like my mom, using their old CRT, boxless, no ability to decode digital.

[efilippi]

I'm happy to say I've learned something and will begin using my "HD" channels wherever possible. Thanks.

Now, I wonder if they carry the same things? I know that my local PBS station has different content on its hd channel.

[newsposter]

I'm happy to say I've learned something and will begin using my "HD" channels wherever possible. Thanks.

Now, I wonder if they carry the same things? I know that my local PBS station has different content on its hd channel.

hgtv and food are different..if you see -1 on the HR20 it's a different channel. If you just see the channel number, it's hd on the top most channel and is the same as the SD channel

pbs is coming next year for those that didnt hear of it.

[midas]

Now, I wonder if they carry the same things? I know that my local PBS station has different content on its hd channel.

There a multiple sub-channels on many of the stations. In the case of your local PBS station they have 3 of them, 11-1, 11-2 and 11-3. 11-1 is the HD channel broadcasting in 1080i. 11-2 and 11-3 are digital and technically HD but they broadcast at 480p. Now I don't know if Comcast gives you all 3 of those channels, but I get them OTA. 11-2 programming is a simulcast of the regular channel 11.

The other channels in the area all simulcast in HD on their -1 channel. Channels 5 & 7 have continuous weather on one of their sub-channels. Channel 26 simulcasts channel 23 on one of the their other sub-channels.

Yes, it can all get a little confusing. I basically just take out all the analog channels from my guide.

[LoadStar]

There a multiple sub-channels on many of the stations. In the case of your local PBS station they have 3 of them, 11-1, 11-2 and 11-3. 11-1 is the HD channel broadcasting in 1080i. 11-2 and 11-3 are digital and technically HD but they broadcast at 480p. Now I don't know if Comcast gives you all 3 of those channels, but I get them OTA. 11-2 programming is a simulcast of the regular channel 11.

The other channels in the area all simulcast in HD on their -1 channel. Channels 5 & 7 have continuous weather on one of their sub-channels. Channel 26 simulcasts channel 23 on one of the their other sub-channels.

Yes, it can all get a little confusing. I basically just take out all the analog channels from my guide.

480p is not considered high definition. 720p, 1080i, and 1080p (and above, once they're developed) are the resolutions considered high definition. 480p would be typically referred to at best as "extended definition."

And yeah, PBS stations seem to be an odd case. Here in Milwaukee, we have two co-owned PBS stations, 10 and 36 (WMVS/WMVT, known collectively as "MPTV").

Since they went on the air, the digital channel 36 had an all HD programming schedule, one that was completely different from the analog channel 36. The digital 10, instead of simulcasting analog 10, multi-cast a variety of different channels (MPTV Kids, PBS Create, MPTV World, etc.) As the "analog cut-off" grows near, the schedule on 36-1 has switched to simulcast analog 10, whether or not the program is available in HD or not.

(They have never, and still don't, simulcast channel 36 in digital format, though most of the programs on 36 are available on one of the digital channels at some point.)

[Bierboy]

480p is not considered high definition. 720p, 1080i, and 1080p (and above, once they're developed) are the resolutions considered high definition. 480p would be typically referred to at best as "extended definition."....
That's more commonly referred to as Enhanced Definition TV not "extended".

[LoadStar]

That's more commonly referred to as Enhanced Definition TV not "extended".

D'OH! :eek: You're right, of course. Brain fart. My mind must be elsewhere. :)

[Sandlapper]

Why should that be? Comcast delivers me two channels for each network, one sd and one hd. What technical reason would cause the non-hd portion of the content to be better on one than the other?

I think it's because one is digital and the other is an analog channel. All I know is the HD channels that show "SD" shows absolutely look better.

[justapixel]

I don't know how much room the HR20 will have to record.

If you knew how many SPs we have....in the 80 range.... :eek:

So, I am going to have to choose, that's why I asked. I can't record everything in HD, or on the HD channel, even if it looks better. So, I want to prioritize.

Stuff like CSI Miami, which I watched in HD with rabbit ears, no less, is incredible!

I do get HBO and discovery, etc. Anything on those channels will be in on the HR20. My favorite shows, even if not recorded in HD (like TAR) will still go on it for the crisp picture. But, some stuff is going to have to be left off....just curious what it should be.

I guess maybe I'll revisit the thread after I get my new HD DVR and see.

[newsposter]

some of my 1 hour shows take up 3% of available space ..some less. (love that meter!) You will get to know after recording for a bit and adjust to suit.

[jamesbobo]

I simply removed the SD versions of CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, HBO and Showtime from the channels I receive menu. This way whenever I did a title search for any show on those channels I would only get the show recorded on the HD channel, even if it wasn't an HD show.

But if you don't want to go this route, a rule of thumb for network shows is drama or sitcom=HD, animation or reality=SD (American Idol is an exception.)

[newsposter]

some of my 1 hour shows take up 3% of available space ..some less.

re reading this i realize it may not translate to the 30-35 ish hours of HD total on the drive (3x30 or 35) that i meant