CBC summer movies... real HD or just DVD broadcast?

CBC has a great summer line-up of movies... I've already enjoyed 'The Last Samurai' and 'Master & Comander' both WS, claimed to be HD. But the perception I have is that it's about DVD quality compared to the football game perviously shown... I'm getting the signal direct OTA

So even if HD is broadcast... most movies will be DVD's played back?

CBC has a great summer line-up of movies... I've already enjoyed 'The Last Samurai' and 'Master & Comander' both WS, claimed to be HD. But the perception I have is that it's about DVD quality compared to the football game perviously shown... I'm getting the signal direct OTA

So even if HD is broadcast... most movies will be DVD's played back? movies that were NOT shot in hidef r upconverted to 480p which is considered hidef.

CBC has a great summer line-up of movies... I've already enjoyed 'The Last Samurai' and 'Master & Comander' both WS, claimed to be HD. But the perception I have is that it's about DVD quality compared to the football game perviously shown... I'm getting the signal direct OTA

So even if HD is broadcast... most movies will be DVD's played back?

Broadcasters such as CBC, CBS, ABC and Fox broadcast movies in HD quite often. They do not use the standard DVD version. They get a digital version of the filmed version from the movie studio in the appropriate resolution for their broadcast and in anamorphic 16:9 aspect most of the time but on occasion we see the original 2:35:1 aspect.

When you compare an HD movie vs football in HD, you are comparing apples to oranges, filmed cinematography vs video imagery.

You may prefer digital video imagery, say for sports or direct studio broadcast, such as David Letterman, but with today's digital technology, one cannot match film as a master for dark scenes and most movies have tons of dark scenes.

... and then you have the case of CityHD channel,

each day at 1:00 PM they broadcast a SD movie on their HD channel in pillar box aspect. But recently, they had movie "The Hunt for Red October", one of my favorites ever (and I have the DVD). My Toshiba CRT RPTV displays SD (and standard DVDs) in 540p. As broadcasted on CityHD, the picture was in letterbox (same as the DVD's 2:35 aspect) and the resolution, 1080i for that channel, gave me the very same PQ result as my DVD in 540p display. In this case, I would bet that they used the DVD (no doubt with permission and with royalties paid).

FoxHD has SD movies quite often this summer. But most movies on CBSHD and ABCHD are in HD. I once recorded "Chicago" in HD from CBCHD and that was outstanding for PQ.

this is new to me.. i never knew HD channels still showed SD stuff!!?!?!? thats insane?.. i know that the commercials are in SD but i thought ALL the movies/shows (non-commerical stuff) was always in HD by either being shot in HD or just converting to HD from the station itself.. why would they broadcast SD stuff on a HD channel!? thats why they have a SD channel for jeezz! (fox=SD stuff, foxHD=HD stuff)..

this is new to me.. i never knew HD channels still showed SD stuff!!?!?!? thats insane?.. i know that the commercials are in SD but i thought ALL the movies/shows (non-commerical stuff) was always in HD by either being shot in HD or just converting to HD from the station itself.. why would they broadcast SD stuff on a HD channel!? thats why they have a SD channel for jeezz! (fox=SD stuff, foxHD=HD stuff)..

DiscoveryHD is the only channel in Canada that carries HD 24/7.
PBSHD have about 50% HD, but in their case, SD material is in Widescreen.

This fall, SRCHD (French network) will have about 25% programs in HD and like PBSHD, the rest in SD will be in Widescreen aspect.

US channels, ABCHD, NBCHD, CBSHD and FoxHD, will have HD programs in Prime Time and the rest in SD pillar box aspect.

As for CBCHD, CTVHD, I would expect more HD starting this fall. But I don't expect much from CityHD.

For sports, TSNHD already carries CFL football and NHL hockey in HD as will CBCHD. RSNHD has the Memorial Cup in HD each year, they do the Blue Jays home games in HD and they did the bulk of the Mondial soccer games in HD recently. And RSNHD do their Sports Center reports in HD and so will its sister channel TSNHD this fall.

wow, thanks for the run down in terms of numbers mfabien!!... so when a HD channel like CityHD for example has a show running that is actually NOT in HD, is it actually being broadcasted in SD like the normal city channel or is the SD being upconverted to HD by the station!?! ..

wow, thanks for the run down in terms of numbers mfabien!!... so when a HD channel like CityHD for example has a show running that is actually NOT in HD, is it actually being broadcasted in SD like the normal city channel or is the SD being upconverted to HD by the station!?! ..

The SD program broadcasted on CityHD is upconverted in 1080i. The problem is that if you want to get rid of the pillar box aspect and use your entire screen, you lose resolution by zooming or you lose picture details top and bottom by using a widescreen aspect with the TV.

In fact, I prefer looking at the same SD program on it's SD channel for which my TV provides a better Widescreen aspect. And with my Toshiba CRT RPTV, the 480i signal is upconverted to 540p.