HD musings (part 2)
One of the most interesting things that HD programming offers is something that I was completely unaware of prior to getting an HDTV. When I thought of things being in “HD”, I thought only of new programs created specifically for this medium. I knew the shows on ABC, or ESPN were being broadcast in High Definition, filmed with special cameras that allowed the subjects to be captured in the higher detail.
What I didn’t know was that basically ANY movie that was shot on film can potentially be made into an HD program. Film is able to capture extremely high amounts of detail, much more than could be shown on televisions.. it is why movie snobs have always stressed the importance of watching movies in theaters where all the detail is visible.
With today’s technology, old films can be ran through high resolution scanners, giving us a digital version in high definition. What this means is that old movies, made decades before HD technology, can now be shown in high def, and preserved in a digital format.
One of the most impressive examples of this is shown often on INHD. THey broadcast film of the Olympic games of the 50’s and 60’s, shown with details that haven’t been visible since these shows were perhaps shown in some theaters decades ago. I think my favorite one was a show of the 1964 summer olympics in Tokyo, which was shown with no narration.. but the expressions of the athletes, coaches and crowd spoke volumes. It’s beautiful to be able to see such detail that even the threads in the flags are visible. (On a side note, I think it is remarkable that I just saw the 1956 Olympics, and while they’re showing the athletes during their off time, you can see some of them smoking cigarettes while at dinner. Sign of those times I guess..)
The wider angle of movies is mostly kept with HD programming (although a lot of movies are shot at an ultra wide angle, so a bit of letterboxing is still present). HDnet and INHD along with HBO and others show many full movies, and HD is the best way to see them. Remember, HD is higher resolution than dvd, so it shows clearer detail. Until HD-DVD or Bluray become more accessible, HD broadcasts are the best way to see movies in HD.
One of the coolest HD presentations is coming in a few days.. Cinemax will be showing all six Star Wars films, in order (I through VI) in High Definition. The only other way to see the movies in that detail is in a movie theater. Too bad I don’t get Cinemax!