MSNBC HD?

2965 Views 22 Replies 18 Participants Last post by n3ntj, Aug 26, 2008

StephenK1025

Discussion Starter · Aug 25, 2008

So I know that they're supposed to be launching this thing "soon", but seriously, come on. They've had an HD set for about a year, presumably with an HD control room given they're literally right next to the HD Nightly News, it's a highly viewed channel compared to things like Biography and Planet Green, the conventions are starting up, and DirecTV has a new, operational satellite.
So what's the hold up? All indicators show this should be an HD channel, so why isn't it??

And yes, I do understand Fox News is in the same position. Let's join forces and rally together! =)

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

Stuart Sweet

· #2 · Aug 25, 2008

Great question. One thing is certain, it's not DIRECTV holding it up.

miketorse

· #3 · Aug 25, 2008

I don't know much about how it works, but do you think NBC could've been waiting for the Olympics to end to launch MSNBC HD?

Balestrom

· #4 · Aug 25, 2008

StephenK1025 said:
So I know that they're supposed to be launching this thing "soon", but seriously, come on. They've had an HD set for about a year, presumably with an HD control room given they're literally right next to the HD Nightly News, it's a highly viewed channel compared to things like Biography and Planet Green, the conventions are starting up, and DirecTV has a new, operational satellite.
So what's the hold up? All indicators show this should be an HD channel, so why isn't it??

And yes, I do understand Fox News is in the same position. Let's join forces and rally together! =)

This is crazy. The DNC starts today and the RNC starts next Monday and the only thing in HD is CNN.

I watch Fox most of the time and if I change its to MSNBC to see what they have to say. CNN is my least watched station. This is going to be very SD convention coverage to this DirecTV viewer.

I am not sure who is really at fault, but in the case of Fox News, they have HD. I don't know about MSNBC.

If DirecTV can find a way to cobble together the olympics in HD, they ought to be able to do so with news channels that broadcast in HD in the run up to the election. :nono2:

Oh well... DirecTV still is the best out there.

tvjay

· #5 · Aug 25, 2008

I thought I heard somewhere that MSNBC was suppose to be HD by the Olympics.......guess not!

generalpatton78

· #6 · Aug 25, 2008

Balestrom said:
This is crazy. The DNC starts today and the RNC starts next Monday and the only thing in HD is CNN.

I watch Fox most of the time and if I change its to MSNBC to see what they have to say. CNN is my least watched station. This is going to be very SD convention coverage to this DirecTV viewer.

I am not sure who is really at fault, but in the case of Fox News, they have HD. I don't know about MSNBC.

If DirecTV can find a way to cobble together the olympics in HD, they ought to be able to do so with news channels that broadcast in HD in the run up to the election. :nono2:

Oh well... DirecTV still is the best out there.

I agree these guys should start moving it now, but years of waiting for HD has taught me patients for this stuff. These guys don't move fast on anything and they take the time to make a plan for upgrades that sometimes can take 3 or 4 years to complete. On the other hand CNN has always been the leader in news and the amount they spend to cover the news on cable. They are a central part in the Time Warner brand and that's a big reason why we saw them upgrade as soon as they did compared to the others. They make it a point to be the "leader" and in this case it worked out well for us.

Meanwhile Fox news is certainly VERY big but with the way Fox initially treated HD I'm not surprised. For those who don't know Fox initially supported 720x480 instead of HD. They quickly realized their error and went to 720p support several years ago. Even with that said it doesn't explain why we have Fox Business in HD but not Fox. My only guess is it's taking more time to build the infrastructure and probably trying to keep costs down at the same time. Which is probably why they choose 480p over 720p at first anyway.

Then you have MSNBC and in IMHO it has the best political team and it kills me they are still SD. The move to the new location was a cost cutting move from what I've read and I hope they get things together sooner rather then later. I'd say the big hold up is execs being forced to stay in a budget and possibly simply waiting for parts to come in.

BTW PBS HD has several good news shows in HD and usually covers the convention well.

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Piratefan98

· #7 · Aug 25, 2008

Will Planet Green or ABC Family be carrying any convention coverage?

:lol:

Jeff

LarryFlowers

· #8 · Aug 25, 2008

NEWS FLASH....

Re: the Conventions

Summary of Democratic Convention: Obama picks Biden as running mate

There, now I saved you hours and hours of wasted time.

As soon as McCain decides which group of conservatives he will infuriate and choose his running mate, I'll post it here and you can skip the Republic Convention too.

That is unless you just love to hear "The Great State of (Insert State Name Here) Nominates....

levibluewa

· #9 · Aug 25, 2008

MSNBC would have been prepared to go HD by today. CNN definitely has the edge at this point. I haven't seen any reports that MSNBC has a date to go HD. Sorta like KNBC didn't make a big issue of going HD, maybe because they lagged behind their competition (KCBS and KABC). I'm surprised though. Of course, I was also surprised that Directv didn't make more of an HD splash after getting D11 operational. Guess we're back to "coming soon" on both accounts

jpl

· #10 · Aug 25, 2008

generalpatton78 said:
I agree these guys should start moving it now, but years of waiting for HD has taught me patients for this stuff. These guys don't move fast on anything and they take the time to make a plan for upgrades that sometimes can take 3 or 4 years to complete. On the other hand CNN has always been the leader in news and the amount they spend to cover the news on cable. They are a central part in the Time Warner brand and that's a big reason why we saw them upgrade as soon as they did compared to the others. They make it a point to be the "leader" and in this case it worked out well for us.

Meanwhile Fox news is certainly VERY big but with the way Fox initially treated HD I'm not surprised. For those who don't know Fox initially supported 720x480 instead of HD. They quickly realized their error and went to 720p support several years ago. Even with that said it doesn't explain why we have Fox Business in HD but not Fox. My only guess is it's taking more time to build the infrastructure and probably trying to keep costs down at the same time. Which is probably why they choose 480p over 720p at first anyway.

Then you have MSNBC and in IMHO it has the best political team and it kills me they are still SD. The move to the new location was a cost cutting move from what I've read and I hope they get things together sooner rather then later. I'd say the big hold up is execs being forced to stay in a budget and possibly simply waiting for parts to come in.

BTW PBS HD has several good news shows in HD and usually covers the convention well.

That may explain why Fox was a little slow out of the gate with FNC HD, but that doesn't explain why DirecTV doesn't currently carry it. FiOS has it in a few markets - very soon to be all.

Tom Robertson

· #11 · Aug 25, 2008

DIRECTV won't carry a channel before it's ready. And that means picture quality, reliability, stability.

Oh, yeah, and those little things like contracts need to be ready first.

Cheers,
Tom

Piratefan98

· #12 · Aug 25, 2008

Tom Robertson said:
DIRECTV won't carry a channel before it's ready. And that means picture quality, reliability, stability.

Cheers,
Tom

Well, it's the definition of "ready" that's a little perplexing. Was MTVHD "ready" when D* lit it up? Given that there is absolultely no HD programming on MTVHD, I'd really question whether it was "ready" to be part of D*s lineup when it was activated. And then, to count it as an HD channel in the overall HD channel count .... well that goes beyond silly, IMO.

Jeff

Tom Robertson

· #13 · Aug 25, 2008

Understand the comment, but DIRECTV didn't look at the content so much as the picture quality of the channel.

(Like stretch-o-vision, lack of HD-o-vision, etc.) I suspect everyone, including MTV, expected more HD content on MHD by now...

Cheers,
Tom

tcusta00

· #14 · Aug 25, 2008

LarryFlowers said:
NEWS FLASH....

Re: the Conventions

Summary of Democratic Convention: Obama picks Biden as running mate

There, now I saved you hours and hours of wasted time.

As soon as McCain decides which group of conservatives he will infuriate and choose his running mate, I'll post it here and you can skip the Republic Convention too.

That is unless you just love to hear "The Great State of (Insert State Name Here) Nominates....

:lol: I've never quite understood the allure of the conventions either. It's just a giant "rah rah <pick your party>" fest with big name politicos, pundits or hollywood-types spewing the same garbage we've been hearing all our lives. I think the bigger motivator for the news channels to go HD will be the debates, but there again, who needs em. Most people have their minds made up. :shrug:

LarryFlowers

· #15 · Aug 25, 2008

tcusta00 said:
:lol: I've never quite understood the allure of the conventions either. It's just a giant "rah rah <pick your party>" fest with big name politicos, pundits or hollywood-types spewing the same garbage we've been hearing all our lives. I think the bigger motivator for the news channels to go HD will be the debates, but there again, who needs em. Most people have their minds made up. :shrug:

I don't get it either... it's like being forced to watch an endless commercial... worse an endless political commercial... Now if you want to make it interesting.. force everyone at the podium to wear a lie detector with a giant gauge on the platform behind them... connected to a Gong Show Gong!! :lol: :lol:

Tom Robertson

· #16 · Aug 25, 2008

Let us not stray into forbidden topics of discussion. For that matter, let us return to the topic at hand, MSNBC in HD... :backtotop

Thanks,
Tom

Balestrom

· #17 · Aug 25, 2008

tcusta00 said:
:lol: I've never quite understood the allure of the conventions either. It's just a giant "rah rah <pick your party>" fest with big name politicos, pundits or hollywood-types spewing the same garbage we've been hearing all our lives. I think the bigger motivator for the news channels to go HD will be the debates, but there again, who needs em. Most people have their minds made up. :shrug:

Staying off of poltical leanings or debating, I am a political junky so I love watching these things. For example, one of the current nominees gave a key note address in the last convention that launched that person's career, and such has happened with other key note speakers in the past. So, you get a feel for the rising stars or falling starts based on speaches, feedback etc... Its kind of like watching the "Futures Games" in minor league baseball.

Also, the conventions provides clues to understanding the directions the candidates and party will chose to go leading up to November, the so called "story line" they want to get across (perhaps sell) to the voters.

You get to see what sticks, what doesn't, what flub ups occur, what the headlines will be made. Where the media will go with the stories.

I certainly can understand why they'd bore the heck out of some people and don't blame them for being bored. Golf bores me, but I have friends who love the sport, so I can understand. I happen to find the conventions fascinating. They'd be even more fascinating in HD.

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Athlon646464

· #18 · Aug 25, 2008

MSNBC currently has made no announcements about HD.

FNC is currently controlling who it allows to carry their HD feed, and there have been no announcements about when they will expand, other than that they are installing new equipment as I write this. The new HD equipment is being installed while most of them are in Denver now and at the RNC next week - away from the studio. (Makes sense.)

:flag:

Stealth87

· #19 · Aug 25, 2008

Yesterday I left NBC on when I left for work. When I came home I turned on my TV and in the left corner of the screen there was a MSNBC.com logo. I thought D* had launched a new channel but soon released I was on my local NBC feed. :grin:

inkahauts

· #20 · Aug 25, 2008

Balestrom said:
This is crazy. The DNC starts today and the RNC starts next Monday and the only thing in HD is CNN.

I watch Fox most of the time and if I change its to MSNBC to see what they have to say. CNN is my least watched station. This is going to be very SD convention coverage to this DirecTV viewer.

I am not sure who is really at fault, but in the case of Fox News, they have HD. I don't know about MSNBC.

If DirecTV can find a way to cobble together the olympics in HD, they ought to be able to do so with news channels that broadcast in HD in the run up to the election. :nono2:

Oh well... DirecTV still is the best out there.

There is always your local stations too....

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