Now that I’m on a PM shift, I’m often home when daytime TV is airing. Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, Judge Judy…all in SD 4:3. Now there’s a new show that just started called Father Albert, which is apparently a Dr Phil-type show hosted by a priest. Brand new, still in SD.
What gives?
The only two explanations I can think of are either these shows’ budgets are so low that they can’t afford HD cameras, or they think their average viewer is a trailer trash with a 20 year tv sitting on top of their 40 year old tv.
Most of these shows are distributed via satellite. The subscribing station records the show from a particular satellite at a particular time - used to be to tape, now to hard drive. Satellite time is sold based on bandwidth as well as length of programming, and they can use a lot less bandwidth for an SD show.
Either that, or they are creating and uploading the show in HD, but your local station has cheaped out and has not upgraded their acquisition and playback system, only passing the network feed in HD.
Exactly the broadcasters have to put something in HD, anything or people will feel like they bought and HD set for nothing. Outside of sports or nature programs HD doesn’t really add anything. Is the local news better? Do they suddenly cover more stories? Is Seinfeld funnier if you can see him clearer?
No, it’s about pushing HD so they can sell you more expensive sets.