On CBS.com it lists Survivor on their HDTV schedule. Watching it last night (Rogers) I am not convinced it is in HD but I could be wrong.

Does HD have to be 16:9 content or can it be higher quality 4:3 content?

I just got my HD service last night and besides the PREVIEW CHANNEL I am very unimpressed.

Go watch some football (on cbs) and Leno. If you are still unimpressed then damn, nothing will impress you.:)

The HDTV schedule on CBS.com is colour coded - only the programs in the lighter colour are in HD (which is most of them now). Survivor, however, is not done in HD.

Survivor is not HD. Too expensive to cover everything with HD cameras.

Try watching CSI Miami or Leno or football as has been mentioned. Trust me... beautiful. If you are a fan of reality TV, it is unfortunate that none of it is broadcast in HD. Even when the reality program revolves around one of the biggest HD supporters.

BTW, HD content technically does not have to be 16:9 but it pretty much always is. Content that is 4:3 is generally SD that has been upconverted to HD which is what Survivor would have been.

I do like CSI: Miami and cannot wait to see it.

I just thought that because Survivor was listed on the HDTV schedule that it was actually in HD (makes sense now that I see the different colors). It is really the only reality show we watch so it is not that important (but would be nice next season!).

We are going to give it a few months and see if there is more programming we watch on it.

The image on the PBS programming and the Preview Channel are amazing.

I am VERY impressed with HD....Shows like LOST, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, ALL 3 CSI, WITHOUT A TRACE, NCSI, JOAN OF ARCADIA, MOST COMEDIES ON THE U.S NETWORKS, lots of sports at various times of the year on all U.S networks, Shows on FOX like OC. North Shore, American Idol. The only thing is reality T.V but the quality of them on the HD channels are superior to the other channels....if i had my choice i would do away with all the other channels except the HD ones....

BTW, HD content technically does not have to be 16:9. Yes it does! All TV programmes produced for HDTV are 16:9.

Any programming that is not 16:9 was not produced for HDTV - ie it was 4:3 SD, or it was a movie created for the cinema and was in a different aspect ratio, like 2.35:1 for example, then converted.

Edit for clarification - Most cinema movies are of adequate "resolution" that, after an appropriate transfer, they can be considered HD, irrespective of the aspect ratio, while 480i material, obviously is not.

It might be more accurate to say that all HD formats in the ATSC standard are 16:9. The active video portion can be any ratio, really. For example, Eyes Wide Shut was meant to be presented full-frame 4:3. If it was shown in HD, it would be a 4:3 window within a 16:9 image. That would still make it true HD, but not 16:9.

Thanks JohnnyG. That's basically what I meant (i.e. the aspect ratio of the active video doesn't necessarily have to be 16:9) but you stated it much more clearly. :)

How about The Apprentice? Is it filmed in HD/16:9?

I don't watch it, but am a little curious about that...

It is not. The Benefactor supposedly was (Mark Cuban owns HDNet). But it hasn't been HD on ABC.

There are threads on these topics - simply do a search with the search engine using the title of the programme.

Also, many HD programmes are now "taped" (1080/24P) instead of "filmed" and then transferred to tape.

The Casino was fimed in HD. The Benefactor was a ratings bomb and the number of episodes have been reduced. It was filmed in HD and i'm sure Mark Cuban has the HD rights (perhaps ABC didn't?). I'm sure HDNET will show it but i don't too many people really care.

Gotta chime in on NFL in HD. Outstanding!!

Combine the perfect picture and great camera work AND the surround sound it is unbelievable. A couple of weeks ago I watched some of a Sunday evening game. A lot of times they tend to dampen the sound of the crowd but this game you could hear everything and I felt like I was there.
I could hear one guy whistling over my shoulder and at times even my subwoofer got into the act on a big play.

Simply outstanding! (I believe this was an ESPN broadcast over TSNHD)

Sunday night games are courtesy of ESPN HD. ESPN has slowly improved over time, including HD hockey (though i still find HDNET to be better).

Survivor is not HD. Too expensive to cover everything with HD cameras.

I don't really get this too expensive aspect. I mean, the show's costs must be pretty high to shoot on their locations so the added HD costs can't be that significant in the grand scheme of things for them. No to mention, Sony has released a $5k HD Camera for consumers - couldn't they just use these? Also, Mark Burnett is loaded and Survivor has got to pull in pretty good revenues, how can they not afford this to be in HD? In fact, with the beautiful locations you would think that HD would significantly enhance the viewing experience and be a draw.

So why is this kind of thing too expensive?

Here's a thread on the subject.

http://digitalhomecanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15793&highlight=survivor