Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Do You Care About HD?

According to Broadcasting & Cable, HD programming will be available in more than half of U.S. homes for the first time ever come this Fall season.  DAYS OF OUR LIVES will be included in this transition:

There have been some standard-def holdouts, however, and the news is that this number will soon diminish, as some shows make the transition in the 2010-2011 season. On Nov. 8, NBC's Days of Our Lives will celebrate its 45th anniversary by moving to HD. Despite the fact that it will be "an expensive transition in the seven figures," series execs felt it was important to continue "to produce and deliver a contemporary show with the most up-todate look," Greg Meng, executive in charge of production at the soap and senior VP of Corday Productions, wrote in an email.

Yet I wonder if soap audience really care about HD, and if this would increase the chances of a someone watching a show.  Tell me, We Love Soaps readers, does it matter to you if your show is in HD? Are you more likely to watch a soap in HD than not?

11 comments:

  1. I actively have come to avoid non-HD stations. They simply look bad on an HD TV. This would increase the visual appeal of the shows and ... yes ... I do believe it would help catch and retain a handful more younger eyeballs.

    HD also brings "value added" back to the TV broadcast. Internet downloads, etc., simply can't give the fidelity of an HD cable/satellite broadcast. That brings some viewers back to the network feed, and maybe helps boost the all important first-run rating.

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  2. It's tough enough to look good on camera, day after day. HD just makes it even more challenging!

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  3. With soaps it doesn't really sway me because I watch the shows I like. Given that just 'One Life' and 'Bold' will be the only 2 not in Hi-Def, it would be nice for them both to move to it. However, I won't stop watching Bold just because it's not in HD.

    With non-soaps, al bets are off. Either HD or no viewing for me.

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  4. @Nelson: Someone wise once said "HD's a bitch, isn't it?"...or something to that effect.

    @retrograde: You are right. I'd never stop watching a soap because it was lo-def. Only unsustainable depths of stupidity (which both B&B and OLTL have sunken to, on occasion) would get me to stop watching.

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  5. Did you ask that question when the ABC soaps went HD? I understand the Y&R has been HD for years. So why, does the loan NBC soap get a does anyone care headline?

    So are you saying it a technological advance soaps should just pass on?

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  6. I really don't care either way when it comes to soap operas. I only have the networks in HD so a lot of shows I still have to watch in SD unless I wait for the blu-ray release. It is difficult for me to watch sports now in low-def though.

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  7. Interesting thoughts everyone. I personally have little interest in HD as long as the writing is strong. Some of those reruns of Ryan's Hope are in TERRIBLE condition yet are still captivating fascinating drama.

    I completely support shows doing what they feel need to do to survive. I simply wish some of that $$ would go toward talent versus aesthetics.

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  8. I watch what I'm going to watch, but then I had a fairly early Sanyo Beta which taped the whole NBC soap line-up, every day! Now I can DVR 4 feeds, 2 in HD, in std. Of course I set everything up on HD. When there's a conflict, I fix it. And, it is very enjoyable to watch programming in HD. Frightens me what the cost will be to DOOL, etc. I'd rather keep good actors over getting HD. But, if NBC is going to play an active part with Corday, they've worked through some thorns in the past.

    And, Mark, I can see more HD broadcasting keeping fans on the tube. But, people who are already watching lots on the other tube, the newer one, LOL and have a comfort level there, are not going to be brought back home. (In general and In my opinion, of course.)

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  9. I don't have an HDTV, and I'm in no hurry to get one, so it makes no difference to me. Friends of mine have HDTV, of course, and I appreciate the higher picture quality – but the "lag time" when changing channels, compared to analog TV, drives me nuts. And I do not want to give up my picture-in-picture function.

    Don't even get me started about 3-D TV.

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  10. HD was great in the beginning but, the affiliates got greedy and split their signal up to four ways here in NC. This downgrades the overall signal strength and makes reception a joke.

    At least with analog we didn't have to worry about losing the entire picture.

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  11. Well as I don't watch anything on a regular television anymore, I would say yes, I care about HD.

    I watch shows such as Venice online or even regular broadcast programming such as Covert Affairs online and HD definitely makes a difference. If I'm watching just news or sports, it doesn't matter to me.

    The most important thing for my soap is story though. Give me a good story and I'll watch anything.

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