CBS - Golf in HD.

[NCGolfer]

Well, I've seen a few of the majors in HD and now - it seems - CBS will be doing the regular tournaments in HD as well. I was surprised, and very happy, to turn on the TV and see the broadcast in full HD.

Very, very sweet. I didn't expect this from CBS as they couldn't broadcast every NFL game in HD (Fox managed to though). My guess is that they have such a large array of other sports during that time (College Football, basketball, etc.) that keeps the crews from making it to the NFL games.

Anyway, I'm stoked. I'll watch even more golf now!

[ipark1303]

Not only the image quality was superior, bu also the announcing team was superb.

Jim Nantz is fantastic and by himself can wipe out the whole crew of golfchannel!

[sandshanker]

Well, I disagree on CBS. I don't watch the telecast to see or hear Jim Nantz. In fact, I think he talks way too much. Do you notice that every two minutes, Jim Nantz is plugging other CBS shows, 25 years anniversary of David Letterman's show (who cares), talking about future golf coverage, and everything else BUT the actual coverage of GOLF shots. When I compare CBS to the Golf Channel's coverage, I do agree, the CBS announcers are more polished but, I really noticed that the Golf Channel' philosophy is to show more golf shots. For instance, today, after Tiger made a putt, they just stayed there with a zoom in of Tiger's face for a long time, then went to commercial. The Golf Channel shows Golf Shots. I thought Faldo did better with Kelly Tilghman than with Nantz. How about that weird opening where Faldo grabbed Nantz's coat lapels (with both hands) and pulled on them multiple times. That was strange. Again, though, what I want is to see golf shots, not Tiger's face, not Tiger walking down the fairway, but hitting shots.

[NCGolfer]

How about that weird opening where Faldo grabbed Nantz's coat lapels (with both hands) and pulled on them multiple times. That was strange.

That

was wierd. No clue where that came from. I wouldn't put the CBS programming push on Nantz though. That's not his call. He does talk a lot, but I still like him and Faldo more than Miller. Miller does talk about golf, but he's too arrogant in my book. (Note to self: don't turn this into a Miller-bashing thread.) I'll be curious to see if NBC does HD as well (outside the Open).

[GoingfortheGreen]

The HD images were quite outstanding - having a HD TV for the first time really makes you appreciate the coverage from a different angle.

That said, I would agree that TGC shows more golf shots that CBS - this surprised me. I always thought TGC was some "commercial-minded", with all their infomercials.

Did anyway else catch that once Tiger holed out, the coverage of the final group was not shown? I think that was just wrong! Sure they had no chance to win, but c'mon, it's still the final group

[iacas]

The HD images were quite outstanding - having a HD TV for the first time really makes you appreciate the coverage from a different angle.

Indeed. This was the first golf tournament I got to watch in HD, and I was happy. I don't think the TNT semi-HD upscaled Grand Slam event counts.

That said, I would agree that TGC shows more golf shots that CBS - this surprised me. I always thought TGC was some "commercial-minded", with all their infomercials.

If I have a choice between watching golf with some ads or no golf, I choose A.

Did anyway else catch that once Tiger holed out, the coverage of the final group was not shown? I think that was just wrong! Sure they had no chance to win, but c'mon, it's still the final group

Eh, I don't care. They weren't important to the story at all.

[NCGolfer]

Indeed. This was the first golf tournament I got to watch in HD, and I was happy.

Wait till you see the Masters.

[GoingfortheGreen]

Eh, I don't care. They weren't important to the story at all.

Erik: I disagree with you on this point. Yes, the final group was an afterthought, but what happens if Tiger was in the fifth to last group to finish? Say he has a 10 shot lead, and finishes a half-hour before the final group is done. What do they telecast then, knowing that 99.99% Tiger is going to win?? Sure Buckle and Snedeker folded, but they were still in the final group of the day, which does mean something....that they played their asses off to play in the final group on Sunday on the PGA Tour.

I have a similar pet peeve regarding the non-coverage of the "unimportant" third player in a threesome. I believe on Sunday Matteson played with Tiger and CH3, and they showed him maybe twice. I know he was sucking, but it wouldn't hurt to show some of his better shots or at let us know that he's 'done'....I'd rather see some golf shots than a 50th shot of Tiger smiling and hugging Stevie. BTW, I'm a huge Tiger fan, so this is not an anti-Tiger rant. I would say the same thing if say JB Holmes had wrapped a tournament earlier as well.

[iacas]

Erik: I disagree with you on this point. Yes, the final group was an afterthought, but what happens if Tiger was in the fifth to last group to finish? Say he has a 10 shot lead, and finishes a half-hour before the final group is done.

If Tiger overcame being four groups away from the leaders to win by 10, either he played the best golf anyone's ever seen or 9 other pros absolutely sucked up the joint. In neither of those cases would I care to see someone duffing it around.

Should we have seen more of Retief and Jason Gore when they were shooting 81s at the U.S. Open? No. "The audience" doesn't want to see pros sucking, nor do they want to see guys they've never heard of unless they're critical to the story. You and me - virtually anyone that would go onto a golf forum and participate - are not average golf fans. Television wants to tell a story, they want ratings, and they want to please. Showing Tiger over some sucking pros (at the time) does that.

but they were still in the final group of the day, which does mean something....that they played their asses off to play in the final group on Sunday on the PGA Tour.

It means something to them, and their family, but not to the general audience, no. Clearly they didn't play well enough, and America really doesn't care to remember who came in second. Or ninth.

[GoingfortheGreen]

It means something to them, and their family, but not to the general audience, no. Clearly they didn't play well enough, and America really doesn't care to remember who came in second. Or ninth.

Point taken; I guess it's all about ratings. The networks do not give a fair shake to all players, even if they're playing badly. Tiger about to miss the cut is huge news, and the network will cut (no pun intended) to him for all of his shots. CBS still showed a fair amount of coverage of Phil, even though he was clearly out of it.

Yes, I know Tiger is huge news, but being a golf fan I would like to see other players, and see how they perform. I mean, how else am I supposed to know the rest of the tour if only the Top 10 are featured. Through their performance, I now know who Snedeker, Quinney, and Buckle are....

[georgep]

Golf in HD is the only way to go! Anyone know when the Golf Channel plans to go to HD? I was kind of expecting it to be part of the deal with the PGA, that they had to start broadcasting HD.

[FAHooGolfs]

Did anyway else catch that once Tiger holed out, the coverage of the final group was not shown? I think that was just wrong! Sure they had no chance to win, but c'mon, it's still the final group

I might also add that I think the final group was coming down 18 AFTER CBS' allotted time slot for the golf was over. I seem to remember looking down at my clock as Tiger was holing out and it said 6:01 pm or something close to that. While I agree that they weren't important to the story (and thus I didn't care to see them either), I think CBS also wanted to get the Tiger interview in and then be off to 60 Minutes or whatever is shown on the left coast after golf.

[NCGolfer]

Anyone know when the Golf Channel plans to go to HD? I was kind of expecting it to be part of the deal with the PGA, that they had to start broadcasting HD.

If you scroll to the bottom, it says

here that it would be in HD, but I have yet to see a Golf Channel HD channel. If not this year, I'm hoping soon that it will be in HD. With all that PGA Tour money, they'd be crazy not to do it...I know there are people like me that love watching HD channels/content, regardless of what is on. A HD Golf Channel would be icing on the cake.

[NCGolfer]

More on TGC in HD here .

Looks like it is available, but only by limited carriers. You have to call yours to see if/when they are adding it.

[jrbechthold]

One of the funniest things I saw in last weeks coverage in HD was an interview Ian Baker Finch had with Kevin Sutherland - Sutherland totally had a bat in the cave and with HD, you could see the thing fluttering with every breath... my wife and I couldn't stop laughing.

[LifeIsRuf]

Yes, I know Tiger is huge news, but being a golf fan I would like to see other players, and see how they perform. I mean, how else am I supposed to know the rest of the tour if only the Top 10 are featured. Through their performance, I now know who Snedeker, Quinney, and Buckle are....

Tiger is gigantic news. To be a fan of golf is great but you would be a minority at the tournament. I was at the final round and other than a few spectators and some officials everyone was watching Tiger stick his approach on 17 to 3 feet. It was an incredible shot that put Howell away. I'm a fan of golf too but I was much happier watching Tiger answer every challenge rather than watching Snedeker, Quinney, and Buckle struggle to save par.

ps Tigers 3 wood from 279 to set up eagle was absolutely incredible.

[iacas]

More on TGC in HD

Yes, DirecTV will start doing it later this summer when they get two of their new satellites up. They'll greatly enhance the # of HD channels they have at that time, and I heard TGC was one of 'em, even though Comcast owns TGC.

Still, that doesn't mean we'll see golf tournaments in HD. They might just do their in-studio shows in HD, you know?

[pmcarync]

Still, that doesn't mean we'll see golf tournaments in HD. They might just do their in-studio shows in HD, you know?

I recall reading in GolfWorld that GC will have HD content when CBS/NBC do the weekend broadcasts because of an equipment sharing agreement; so HD is coming out of the tournaments...as others have mentioned, it's still up to the operators (cable or sat) as to whether they carry it to your house.