Post by Skaggs on Feb 14, 2011 9:33:19 GMT -5
Swanni: The 10 Best HDTV Channels
By Swanni,link
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2011) -- Ten years ago, I started a web site named TVPredictions.com. The site was designed largely to be a promotional vehicle for a book I had just written called, 'TV Dot Com.'
However, over the years, TVPredictions.com has become much more, allowing me to offer daily news, analysis and predictions on new TV technologies, particularly in the category of consumer electronics such as High-Definition TV, DVRs and, in recent months, 3D TVs and 'Smart TVs.' The site has become a full-time job, for which I am very grateful, and it has often put me in the media spotlight in ways I could not have predicted. (And making predictions is my specialty.)
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of TVPredictions.com, over the next several months I plan to publish a series of features honoring what I think represents the best in the field of TV technologies. (And in some cases, 'Worst' articles will expose companies and people who I think are failing to strive toward excellence, or, in some cases, not even making a serious effort to satisfy their customers.)
Because of the 10th anniversary of the site, each feature will revolve around a '10' theme, such as '10 Best" HDTV movies; '10 Best' HDTV Shows; '10 Best & Worst' TV Providers; '10 Best' New TV Technologies, and so on.
And our first feature will be, 'The 10 Best HDTV Channels.'
My criteria for selecting a channel for the list is simple:
1. Is the channel's HD picture quality consistently good, if not great?
2. Is the channel's programming lineup consistently compelling?
So, that said, here are 'The 10 Best HDTV Channels,' starting with number 10:
10. The MLB Network
The network, which is owned by Major League Baseball, offers a mix of lively studio shows, insightful documentaries (often hosted by Bob Costas) and live broadcasts of both spring training and regular season games. MLB Network's HD picture quality is always dazzling with vivid colors and sharp, precise details. I would have placed the network higher on the list, but it's a one-topic channel that probably bores some people silly. However, if you like baseball and High-Definition TV, you will love the MLB Network.
9. The CW
With young female-centric shows like Gossip Girl, Nikita, Vampire Diaries and Hellcats, the network largely appeals to females between 18 and 30. And the content can be a bit silly and implausible at times. But there's no denying that the network takes HD seriously, serving up a delicious picture for all that eye candy on the screen.
There's no surprise that CW stars such as Blake Lively and Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Aly Michalka (Hellcats) are rapidly becoming movie stars; they look great in HD on the CW and Hollywood has noticed.
8. ESPN
You might think that a major sports network that broadcasts hundreds of games each year in high-def would be higher on the list. But ESPN's HD picture is annoyingly inconsistent. SportsCenter and other studio shows are usually acceptable, but the live game broadcasts sometimes barely look like HD. I sometimes wonder if ESPN has stretched itself thin by showing so many games in high-def; perhaps they just don't have the resources to offer top quality HD every time.
7. ABC
Likewise, ABC, ESPN's sister network, could do a better job with live sports; the picture is often too soft, lacking the detail you expect from a major network. As for ABC's primetime shows, they usually offer vivid colors, although again, the details can be a bit soft at times. (Lost, which the network wrapped last May, was an exception; set in gorgeous Hawaii and photographed with a loving eye, it might have been the best show in HDTV of all time. Pictured above: Evangeline Lilly of Lost.)
6. Fox
Fox is almost like two networks. The primetime shows look awesome; they are so sharp that you can even see facial muscles clenching in close-ups on shows such as House. You couldn't ask for a better HD picture; it's so intimate that it can make even an average drama seem absorbing.
But Fox's sports broadcasts are another matter. The production quality seems to vary from game to game, often resulting in blurry pictures that look more like standard-definition than High-Definition. By example, Fox's coverage of last year's Major League Baseball playoffs was an embarrassment.
5. MGM HD
The studio-owned network has taken roughly 1,200 films from the MGM library and remastered them for High-Definition; they are also uncut and presented in their original aspect ratio. Consequently, films from the 1950s (such as Stanley Kubrick's The Killing) 1960s (The Misfits with Marilyn Monroe and Clark Cable) and later decades look better than the day they were first shown in the theater. The network is must-see for film buffs.
4. HDNet
There isn't a network on the planet that takes HD picture quality more seriously than the Mark Cuban-run HDNet. Even when viewed on a cable or satellite service that's compressed the picture to make room for more channels (compression dilutes picture quality), HDNet still looks magnificent; watching HDNet is like looking through a window.
My only problem with the network is that its programming lineup is uneven. For every compelling, adult show like Dan Rather Reports or HDNet World Report, there's a junk program like Drinking Made Easy that seems designed to appeal to people, who, well, are drunk. I'm also not a fan of HDNet's overabundance of Mixed Martial Arts shows; you have to be drunk and hopped on steroids to find them interesting. (Sorry, guys.)
I would love to see HDNet go to the next level and invest in higher quality, original programming; with its incredible picture, and Cuban's leadership and resources, it could easily become the best HDTV channel ever.
3. HBO
I once chided HBO for its lack of commitment to High-Definition TV; not that many years ago, the premium network failed to produce roughly half of its original shows in high-def. But HBO has finally caught up; now, original shows like Boardwalk Empire, Big Love and The Pacific are just eye-popping, a true pleasure to behold.
In my view, HBO still lacks that 600-lb. gorilla of a show after The Sopranos' exit. But something tells me that the network will find it soon -- and it will look fantastic in high-def. (Pictured: Public Enemies, a movie often shown on HBO.)
2. NBC
Under former CEO Jeff Zucker's leadership, NBC was a big disappointment to HD viewers for several years. Some primetime shows were not produced in high-def and the picture quality on shows that were often lacked consistency. But when the Comcast merger was announced, Zucker's influence started to wane and things started to get better for high-def enthusiasts. Suddenly, NBC's primetime reality (The Biggest Loser) and news shows (Dateline) switched to HD and the primetime HD dramas somehow got sharper and more vivid. Now, NBC's primetime lineup is a feast for the HD viewer.
Plus, whether it's Sunday Night Football or The Olympics, NBC Sports does a great job with HD.
1. CBS
I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of CBS' primetime lineup. Too many inane sitcoms and lowest common denominator dramas. But I can't deny that the shows look great in HD. (You also can't argue with the ratings; the network has a lot of hits). CBS clearly takes great care with the production of each program.
And, in my view, CBS Sports has the best HD production team in the business. From college basketball to NFL football, the CBS picture always makes you feel like you're there. It can't be beat, which is why CBS is my number one HDTV channel.
By Swanni,link
Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2011) -- Ten years ago, I started a web site named TVPredictions.com. The site was designed largely to be a promotional vehicle for a book I had just written called, 'TV Dot Com.'
However, over the years, TVPredictions.com has become much more, allowing me to offer daily news, analysis and predictions on new TV technologies, particularly in the category of consumer electronics such as High-Definition TV, DVRs and, in recent months, 3D TVs and 'Smart TVs.' The site has become a full-time job, for which I am very grateful, and it has often put me in the media spotlight in ways I could not have predicted. (And making predictions is my specialty.)
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of TVPredictions.com, over the next several months I plan to publish a series of features honoring what I think represents the best in the field of TV technologies. (And in some cases, 'Worst' articles will expose companies and people who I think are failing to strive toward excellence, or, in some cases, not even making a serious effort to satisfy their customers.)
Because of the 10th anniversary of the site, each feature will revolve around a '10' theme, such as '10 Best" HDTV movies; '10 Best' HDTV Shows; '10 Best & Worst' TV Providers; '10 Best' New TV Technologies, and so on.
And our first feature will be, 'The 10 Best HDTV Channels.'
My criteria for selecting a channel for the list is simple:
1. Is the channel's HD picture quality consistently good, if not great?
2. Is the channel's programming lineup consistently compelling?
So, that said, here are 'The 10 Best HDTV Channels,' starting with number 10:
10. The MLB Network
The network, which is owned by Major League Baseball, offers a mix of lively studio shows, insightful documentaries (often hosted by Bob Costas) and live broadcasts of both spring training and regular season games. MLB Network's HD picture quality is always dazzling with vivid colors and sharp, precise details. I would have placed the network higher on the list, but it's a one-topic channel that probably bores some people silly. However, if you like baseball and High-Definition TV, you will love the MLB Network.
9. The CW
With young female-centric shows like Gossip Girl, Nikita, Vampire Diaries and Hellcats, the network largely appeals to females between 18 and 30. And the content can be a bit silly and implausible at times. But there's no denying that the network takes HD seriously, serving up a delicious picture for all that eye candy on the screen.
There's no surprise that CW stars such as Blake Lively and Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Aly Michalka (Hellcats) are rapidly becoming movie stars; they look great in HD on the CW and Hollywood has noticed.
8. ESPN
You might think that a major sports network that broadcasts hundreds of games each year in high-def would be higher on the list. But ESPN's HD picture is annoyingly inconsistent. SportsCenter and other studio shows are usually acceptable, but the live game broadcasts sometimes barely look like HD. I sometimes wonder if ESPN has stretched itself thin by showing so many games in high-def; perhaps they just don't have the resources to offer top quality HD every time.
7. ABC
Likewise, ABC, ESPN's sister network, could do a better job with live sports; the picture is often too soft, lacking the detail you expect from a major network. As for ABC's primetime shows, they usually offer vivid colors, although again, the details can be a bit soft at times. (Lost, which the network wrapped last May, was an exception; set in gorgeous Hawaii and photographed with a loving eye, it might have been the best show in HDTV of all time. Pictured above: Evangeline Lilly of Lost.)
6. Fox
Fox is almost like two networks. The primetime shows look awesome; they are so sharp that you can even see facial muscles clenching in close-ups on shows such as House. You couldn't ask for a better HD picture; it's so intimate that it can make even an average drama seem absorbing.
But Fox's sports broadcasts are another matter. The production quality seems to vary from game to game, often resulting in blurry pictures that look more like standard-definition than High-Definition. By example, Fox's coverage of last year's Major League Baseball playoffs was an embarrassment.
5. MGM HD
The studio-owned network has taken roughly 1,200 films from the MGM library and remastered them for High-Definition; they are also uncut and presented in their original aspect ratio. Consequently, films from the 1950s (such as Stanley Kubrick's The Killing) 1960s (The Misfits with Marilyn Monroe and Clark Cable) and later decades look better than the day they were first shown in the theater. The network is must-see for film buffs.
4. HDNet
There isn't a network on the planet that takes HD picture quality more seriously than the Mark Cuban-run HDNet. Even when viewed on a cable or satellite service that's compressed the picture to make room for more channels (compression dilutes picture quality), HDNet still looks magnificent; watching HDNet is like looking through a window.
My only problem with the network is that its programming lineup is uneven. For every compelling, adult show like Dan Rather Reports or HDNet World Report, there's a junk program like Drinking Made Easy that seems designed to appeal to people, who, well, are drunk. I'm also not a fan of HDNet's overabundance of Mixed Martial Arts shows; you have to be drunk and hopped on steroids to find them interesting. (Sorry, guys.)
I would love to see HDNet go to the next level and invest in higher quality, original programming; with its incredible picture, and Cuban's leadership and resources, it could easily become the best HDTV channel ever.
3. HBO
I once chided HBO for its lack of commitment to High-Definition TV; not that many years ago, the premium network failed to produce roughly half of its original shows in high-def. But HBO has finally caught up; now, original shows like Boardwalk Empire, Big Love and The Pacific are just eye-popping, a true pleasure to behold.
In my view, HBO still lacks that 600-lb. gorilla of a show after The Sopranos' exit. But something tells me that the network will find it soon -- and it will look fantastic in high-def. (Pictured: Public Enemies, a movie often shown on HBO.)
2. NBC
Under former CEO Jeff Zucker's leadership, NBC was a big disappointment to HD viewers for several years. Some primetime shows were not produced in high-def and the picture quality on shows that were often lacked consistency. But when the Comcast merger was announced, Zucker's influence started to wane and things started to get better for high-def enthusiasts. Suddenly, NBC's primetime reality (The Biggest Loser) and news shows (Dateline) switched to HD and the primetime HD dramas somehow got sharper and more vivid. Now, NBC's primetime lineup is a feast for the HD viewer.
Plus, whether it's Sunday Night Football or The Olympics, NBC Sports does a great job with HD.
1. CBS
I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of CBS' primetime lineup. Too many inane sitcoms and lowest common denominator dramas. But I can't deny that the shows look great in HD. (You also can't argue with the ratings; the network has a lot of hits). CBS clearly takes great care with the production of each program.
And, in my view, CBS Sports has the best HD production team in the business. From college basketball to NFL football, the CBS picture always makes you feel like you're there. It can't be beat, which is why CBS is my number one HDTV channel.