Did anybody buy a new HDTV for the Super Bowl?

[LCHIEN]

I had to laugh, if you bought a new HDTV, perhaps a 50" 1080P set, to watch the super bowl(TM) this last Sunday, you must have been sorely disappointed. I watched for a while on my HDTV projection system and gave up and went and watched downstairs on the old analog TV.

The HD pics looked just like a bad analog set. I saw blurry smeary images that looked like it was shot thru a gelatin filter (used by photographers to get soft focus, old-timey looks) and it had what looked like diagonal lines of interference what we used to call snow (or was it rain?) . Well, they were wide, though. Had spots, too.

Oh, was it raining?

I'll bet those people who spent $3000 on a their first new HDTV set were wondering what the heck they spent their money for.

[crokett]

I have an HDTV but don't have the HD DirecTV receiver so I just got the regular picture on my TV. I havent bothered upgrading because I don't have an HD satellite available. that will feed the local channels

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Hmmmm. Interesting. I don't know if it is possible or not, but could they have been using different types of cameras? Some action was awesome and some was less than stellar. We have ComCast HD tuner on 2 different sets. One is a 37" Dell LCD and one is a 50" Projection. We noticed that all the graphics seemed to be in HD. The commercials seemed to be in HD. SOME of the field shots were in HD and others weren't. Possible?

[LCHIEN]

Hmmmm. Interesting. I don't know if it is possible or not, but could they have been using different types of cameras? Some action was awesome and some was less than stellar. We have ComCast HD tuner on 2 different sets. One is a 37" Dell LCD and one is a 50" Projection. We noticed that all the graphics seemed to be in HD. The commercials seemed to be in HD. SOME of the field shots were in HD and others weren't. Possible?

Actually, I think the SB is unusual because the advertising time is so expensive and very high profile PR-wise, that spending a lot on ad production is not unusual. Almost all the ads are new made for SB prime time and all the world is watching both the game and the ads. Therefore probably all the SB ads were in HD, unlike most of TV in which I find the ads irritating to watch if the program was in HD and the ads in SD.

The field shots, if at long distance had the problems i mentioned, but the closeups and the overlaid graphics were of course clear and sharp. I was at least partly tongue-in-cheek; I have to admit that the whole SB thing was done under what must be horrendous production conditions what with the heavy and continuous rain. Most other outdoor sports call the game on account of rain. Hats off to CBS Sports.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I was amazed that the half time show went off that well with all that water. I can't believe those dancers didn't fall down with those 3" high heels and all that water. Prince was awesome though. The audio mix was terrible but hey when all you can hear is Prince vocals and guitar . . . . well thats all you need sometimes.

[TheRic]

Got a High Def LCD TV for Xmas (for wife), cable is still analog (they are suppose to start switching things any day) didn't notice anything different from past SB. Even tried several channels.

Can't wait to see what all the buzz is on the high def's.

I can see why the old commercial are still low def. Once more things go high def I'm sure the commercials will be high def also.

[Thalermade]

A lot is going on with all the technology. I beleive a few years ago the poor audio guys had to deal with 50 plus wireless mic.

As for the cameras, with all that rain, if the camera was not wired, there easily could have been interference.

I have never been a fan of Princes' music, though I certainly do have immense respect for his talent and artistry. I REALLY enjoyed the halftime show. Would have been interesting to hear him completely play All Along the Watchtower.

My wife was annoyed by the raindrops on the camera lense, but you got to admit, they looked almost lifelike.

[TheRic]

.....My wife was annoyed by the raindrops on the camera lense, but you got to admit, they looked almost lifelike.

LOL

If I didn't know better I would have thought it was raining there!!

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Can't wait to see what all the buzz is on the high def's.

It's pretty amazing.

So your cable company doesn't currently offer any digital channels? That stinks. I can't wait until Comcast is pure digital HD.

TheRic, I understand where you are coming from on the Prince thing. He is an incredible musician and song writer. I typically have a strong dislike for "pop" music but I have always enjoyed the complexity of Princes music.
Seeing as how All Along The Watchtower is the greatest song ever written, I think he did a decent job. I would have love to heard him do the whole thing. I remember after the Doors movie came out there was a rumor of Prince doing a Hendrix movie. There is a bit of height difference between Prince and Hendrix but I still think he would have done a great job. I heard the sound checks and he did the montage thing.

[TheRic]

The boondocks would be a metropolis around here

We finally got cell phone reception around here a couple of years ago. There are still a couple of brands that don't get reception around here.

[TB Roye]

We are planning on buying a 56" HDTV this fall after the washer, dryer, and Refrigerator are paid for (had to replace all 3 with in one month) I will be getting a HD/?DVR as a free upgrade from Dish Network at that time. LOML is move all the furniture in the family room, living, and dinning room and painting. So the living room will become the new media room the dinning room will become the reading room and the family room will be the new larger dinning room. Now we never us the Living room and the dinning room is to small for family gatherings and the family room is to small for big screen TV and when every one is watching TV. Me I am staying out of the way, this is LOML, her sister, my sister and Niece's project. All I might have to do is put wainscoting up in the new dinning room and some new base board.

Tom

[gjat]

For a real Floridian, that wasn't rain, that was a heavy misting or showers.
Rain is what drowns mice and small mammals.
I wonder if the people in Seattle even noticed the precipitation.

[Ken Massingale]

We got a Samsung LN-S4051 40" 1080i LCD set in Dec.
Also we have the DirecTV HR20-700 HD receiver. Network locals are still via an antenna, but fed through the HR20, so we can record network shows in HD.
Now, about the game. CBS sports suck in HD. NBC, ABC and Fox, even ESPN are awesome. The picture quality during the Superbowl was very good, not excellent, except during close-ups of action shots, then there was some blurrying. Also, there was the rain. Apparently CBS didn't see the forecast and didn't have the right equipment for a rain game. The other networks have broadcast rain games and there was none of the rain induced out-of-focus imaging as CBS had.
Although the HD quality wasn't perfect, it was miles above standard definition. CBS Hi-Def is fine, except for sports.

[nadz]

DLP for the superbowl

i bought a 50" samsung 1080, not for the superbowl, but my old CRT tv died, so i took advantage of sales and rebates...

the SB coverage was split, some of the cameras seemed to be foggy and whatnot, and some of them seemed clear as a bell...

all in all, i was not disappointed

[430752]

some was crisp

I agree that some was truly HD, but others were not, or were, but were masked by rain. I didn't buy an HDTV for the game, but bought one for last year's World Series (the true championship of sports). So, I only have a 780p, not 1080p.

Early on it was all really good. Then, only the close ups and on-fields cams were good, I guess cuz they can focus around the rain. But the high up cams were not so good, presumably cuz they used a three year old oily rag to clean the lens.

Now, lets see. Any average person knowing they're likely to record in the rain, say for a kids sports game, brings an umbreller, plastic wrap, plenty of clean, lint free towels, etc. However, if you're a major netowrk and plan on shooting the biggest game of the season, you bring only one, oily, dirty rag to clean the wide angle camera and only use it only every 10 minutes. Smart!

I just read, by the way, that CBS lost several cameras to the rain during the event. One overheated when they covered it in canvas (?!), the overhead one on wires had to come down for safety, etc.

And this after everyone and their brother knew rain was forecast for at least a week in advance!

well, whatever.

curt j.