To HD or not to HD?

For a while now, the only local newscasts that have been on the air in high definition (HD) are WSB-TV and 11 Alive (WXIA-TV). 11 Alive came into the ATL HD scene first - coming online back in 2006 with WSB-TV coming on board in either late 2006 or early 2007 (if memory serves me right).

This leaves Fox 5 (WAGA-TV) and CBS 46 (WGCL-TV) still hanging out in standard-definition land. But where does that leave these two non-HD stations come February 17, 2009 when analog broadcast signals will sign off for the final time rendering many people's TVs useless*? Actually, these two stations will be just fine because they've been broadcasting digitally for quite some time now.

See, a lot of people don't realize that HDTV and digital broadcast signals are not necessarily synonomus. It works like this. An HD broadcast can only be carried by a digital broadcast signal. But a digital signal doesn't have to carry an HD broadcast.

HDTV refers more to the resolution of the images that the TV signal is carrying. In fact, when you watch an HD event such as a newscast, NASCAR race or football game, it's really more about the HD quality of the cameras used to shoot the event than the signal that is carrying it to your home (though if it's HDTV, you are inherently getting a digital signal - confused yet?).

Back to the point. At this point, I'm sure both Fox 5 and CBS 46 have at least loose timelines for when they will convert their newscasts to HD, but the point is that there's no hurry. Their digital signal is up there, already beaming out to your TV set.

Of after all this explanation, it's probably worth noting that most of us aren't picking up that signal anyway, since we get our TV from Dish or Cable. Hopefully that means this whole post wasn't for nothing.

Stay tuned.

Scott H.

*Actually, regular old TVs aren't useless if you have digital cable or satellite