# The Price is Right in HD



## bbaleno (Aug 1, 2007)

I noticed watching the "price is right", I think the first drew carey one, that they are using HD cameras (at least it had a HD Sticker on it) but on my local CBS it is 4:3. is this Show in HD anywhere?


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

I saw the exact same thing.. HD cameras on The Price Is Right, although my local station only shows it in 4:3 SD. 

Something else I've noticed is Jeopardy.. the guide shows it in HD in the guide, although my local station (WHP) only shows it in SD (4:3). I know this show is syndicated and various stations show this one, just like Wheel of Fortune.

I am going to write to my local CBS station and see what they say...


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

TPIR is syndicated to local broadcasters, and whether it is broadcast in HD or SD
is to up to the station. "Wheel" has ben offered in HD for more than a year now,
and I still get it in SD.

Contact your local station.


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## bbaleno (Aug 1, 2007)

I wonder if it being syndicated, are the locals are only buying the sd versoin, and simulcasting it.

hmm


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Nick said:


> TPIR is syndicated to local broadcasters, and whether it is broadcast in HD or SD
> is to up to the station. "Wheel" has ben offered in HD for more than a year now,
> and I still get it in SD.
> 
> Contact your local station.


The Price is Right is a CBS program, not a syndicated program.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Thank you, Tony. I sit corrected! :grin:

In my own defense, I never watch TPIR, so what do I know? _(Not much, apparently. :shrug_


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## say-what (Dec 14, 2006)

Wheel and Jeopardy are both shot in 16:9 HD. However, the ability of your local affiliate to broadcast it in 16:9 depends on the recording equipment they have to receive the syndicated content. If they haven't upgraded their recorders, then all they're going to show is the pillar boxed versions. My local FOX station holds the rights for both shows and is supposed to be upgrading their equipment soon.


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## kirkusinnc (Apr 24, 2006)

Wheel and Jeopardy are both in hi-def here in Raleigh-Durham.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

I contacted the local CBS station's dir. of engineering. He said CBS does not provide an HD feed of TPIR, and didn't even know they used HD cameras. I told him to watch the show and he observed the HD cameras.

Locally, we only get Wheel and Jeopardy in SD, although the guide and logo at the beginning of the show says HD. The local guy said the station's automation equipment does not do HD currently, but that will change in 2008. Just depends upon what affiliate you are watching...


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

It's possible they don't have the specifics of the HD feed nailed quite yet but the HD cameras are for future-proofing. I'm not so sure I want to see some of that content in HD quite yet anyway...


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## bills976 (Jun 30, 2002)

The reason Price isn't shot in HD is because of staging. They've been using the same positioning for games the last 35 years. If you've ever been to the show you'd know how small that stage is - going to widescreen would force them to change the staging of their 70+ games to accomodate the new aspect ratio.

Also, some of the set pieces are really dinged up - paint chips, scratches, etc. You can't see that stuff in SD but it'll show through on an HD broadcast.


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## ECUPirates (Jan 25, 2007)

I saw this question posted somewhere on another board a while back. The "answer" given there in regards to the HD seen on the camera was that the lens was an "HD" lens, but the camera itself was not HD. You can have an HD lens but not an HD camera.
I noticed the "HD" sticker on the camera myself on Monday. It was on the very end of the camera where the lens is.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

bills976, I presume you've been on set and seen it for yourself?


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

bills976 said:


> The reason Price isn't shot in HD is because of staging. They've been using the same positioning for games the last 35 years. If you've ever been to the show you'd know how small that stage is - going to widescreen would force them to change the staging of their 70+ games to accomodate the new aspect ratio.
> 
> Also, some of the set pieces are really dinged up - paint chips, scratches, etc. You can't see that stuff in SD but it'll show through on an HD broadcast.


Heck, just watching Monday's show in 4:3 SD, I noticed people standing off stage behind curtains.. must have had a few camera operator trainees or something. Stuff you never used to see before. Just imagine how much more 'secret' stuff you would have seen in wide screen format.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

So the Million Dollar Spectacular is in HD, why isn't the regular daily show in HD yet? They obviously have the cameras set up for it.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

No idea.. they've been using HD cameras for a while, but apparently CBS doesn't send the daytime show to their affiliates in 16:9 HD yet. Only SD at this time.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I don't know if the daytime version is technically network programming, meaning that it's broadcasted on the network feed and the stations just forward it on, or if there's some flexibility on the part of the stations on when they broadcast it. 

If it's sent to the affiliates ahead of time it would make sense for it to be in SD since a lot of them don't have the ability to record HD feeds for rebroadcast.


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## lwilli201 (Dec 22, 2006)

The difference in getting it in HD or SD is probably because if the station time shifts the program, they can only record it in SD. If it is shown at the same time it is coming down off the sat, then it will probably be in HD. Most stations do not have HD recorders, but they can pass through HD programming. IMHO


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## jimbo713 (Aug 23, 2006)

Yep - the prime time PIR special was in HD


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## djzack67 (Sep 18, 2007)

Looks Great in HD, I love how you can see off stage sometimes. Kinda like the behind the magic.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Remember that a lot of places have had HD or better cameras for years, but that does not mean they broadcast anything in HD.

Many studio cameras are better than HD quality and have been for years before HDTVs even first came into wide consumer market interest. 

In fact, VHS in HD was a fact of life in many studios even though they never could/did broadcast in HD


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## boggaf05 (Oct 4, 2007)

lwilli201 said:


> The difference in getting it in HD or SD is probably because if the station time shifts the program, they can only record it in SD. If it is shown at the same time it is coming down off the sat, then it will probably be in HD. Most stations do not have HD recorders, but they can pass through HD programming. IMHO


True, but during the daytime TPIR is only broadcast from CBS in SD, both CBS stations in our area show it at the same time CBS broadcasts it and both show it in SD, it probably has to do with the commercial slots during the show, most are commercials that have been on the air for 5+ years, so maybe since no one is willing to buy many HD commercial slots they are not going through the extra expense to broadcast daily in HD, I only believe this because when the Young & the Restless airs at 12:30 it is in HD but you have many high paying commercial slots for those "miracle" beauty products which air at every commercial slot duing the show.


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## Phouchg (Nov 27, 2007)

TPIR is distributed on the CBS network at 11AM CNYT/10AM CPT. I do not know if it is available in HD.

Jeopardy/Wheel ARE available in HD, but most stations do not have the playback facilities for HD programming (beyond what is offered by the network). I know at my stations the only HD programming we offer is ABC/FOX HD programming - the costs for getting HD playback servers is quite prohibitive right now...


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## jeffandgina2000 (Jan 6, 2008)

n3ntj said:


> No idea.. they've been using HD cameras for a while, but apparently CBS doesn't send the daytime show to their affiliates in 16:9 HD yet. Only SD at this time.


Why is this such a drawn out issue?


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Seems to be because the affiliates don't have the capability to store HD content from satellite.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Are you saying the CBS affiliates do not pass along TPIR 'live' from CBS, but rather, they 'tape delay' it essentially from when CBS sends the program to them via satellite?


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## Phouchg (Nov 27, 2007)

Most CBS affiliate air it "live" off the network feed at 11am CNYT (CBS New York Time) or 10am CPT (CBS Pacific Time). I don't know how many stations air it in a different time period. For a time in the late 90's KCBS in Los Angeles tape delayed it to 3pm, but that only lasted about 6 months or so after ratings dropped.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Just curious why you call it CNYT instead of Eastern Time? Aren't they the same thing?

If most of the affiliates air the show 'live' from CBS' feed, why not pass along the HD feed at 11am ET, just like they do for prime time CBS shows or weekend sporting events in HD?


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

Stuart Sweet said:


> Seems to be because the affiliates don't have the capability to store HD content from satellite.


Then how do they do their primetime stuff? I guess this doesn't apply to all CBS stations then.


n3ntj said:


> If most of the affiliates air the show 'live' from CBS' feed, why not pass along the HD feed at 11am ET, just like they do for prime time CBS shows or weekend sporting events in HD?


Exactly. So I wonder how they do Y&R if some of them can't record the HD feed?


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## jacksonm30354 (Mar 29, 2007)

theratpatrol said:


> Then how do they do their primetime stuff? I guess this doesn't apply to all CBS stations then.
> 
> Prime time in the Eastern/Central/Pacific is a live feed from CBS. Mountain Time from what I have read took longer to broadcast HD in many cases as they had to have equipment that would record the Eastern/Central Feed and show it an hour later. That's why shows are usually advertised, "Mondays at 8/7 Central/Mountain" It's at 8 Eastern & Pacific, 7 Central (the live 8 Eastern Feed), and 7 Mountain (the tape delayed Eastern feed).
> 
> ...


Maybe they have 2 Y&R feeds. If you live in Eastern Time Zone I think most stations broadcast TPIR at 11AM, Local News 12-12:30, then Y&R at 12:30.

When you get into the Central Time Zone, they still would like to have Noon news, so they USUALLY air Y&R at 11AM Central. TPIR usually is shown at 10AM. Given that most follow that schedule it doesn't make sense why TPIR couldn't be aired in HD - it would be live in both Central and Eastern. Mountain again would be an issue.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

theratpatrol said:


> Then how do they do their primetime stuff? I guess this doesn't apply to all CBS stations then.
> 
> Exactly. So I wonder how they do Y&R if some of them can't record the HD feed?


They can flip a switch and pull stuff from the satellite live. This allows all stations with HD capability to pass through HD network programming.

This is completely different from being able to download and store HD programming for later retrieval.


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## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

jacksonm30354 said:


> Maybe they have 2 Y&R feeds. If you live in Eastern Time Zone I think most stations broadcast TPIR at 11AM, Local News 12-12:30, then Y&R at 12:30.
> 
> When you get into the Central Time Zone, they still would like to have Noon news, so they USUALLY air Y&R at 11AM Central. TPIR usually is shown at 10AM. Given that most follow that schedule it doesn't make sense why TPIR couldn't be aired in HD - it would be live in both Central and Eastern. Mountain again would be an issue.


Wonder how they do it in the Mountain time zone then, because here in Phoenix we get TPIR at 9am and Y&R at 11am. We are in the Mountain time zone right now, and in the Pacific time zone during the summer time, we don't change our clocks.


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## Phouchg (Nov 27, 2007)

n3ntj said:


> Just curious why you call it CNYT instead of Eastern Time? Aren't they the same thing?
> 
> If most of the affiliates air the show 'live' from CBS' feed, why not pass along the HD feed at 11am ET, just like they do for prime time CBS shows or weekend sporting events in HD?


That is the nomenclature CBS uses in their internal reports, program booking orders etc. apparently this usage dates back to the early radio days and CBS had to report a consistent time (that takes into account daylight saving time).

And yes, there are several clearance patterns for daytime that stations can do (with approval from CBS). There are 3 feeds of Y&R at 12pm, 1230pm and 2pm CNYT for use in various time zones/feed patterns.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

Phouchg, you are the master of all things broadcast.


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