Just when will we see Memphis area newscasts on Hi-Def

That question was posed to me by a person reading my blog.

It was prompted by the fact that Jamey Tucker had mentioned that he was picking up his HD camera on his first day as a VJ at WKRN in Nashville. The writer said “So my question; do you have any inside knowledge as to when Memphis is going to start doing local broadcasts in HD? I have had my HD TV for several years. I was one of the lucky few folks that saw the first HD picture from WMC-DT during the 2002 Winter Olympics. What a sight that was. However, HD programming has been slow in coming. Things are picking up now though. The more you see of HD, the more you want HD to be 100%.”

I will be the first to admit that when it comes to technical issues, I’m sitting at the back of the room. But I told the writer that in Jamey’s case, while the camera is capable of shooting in HD, they might not be shooting video that way. And I'm pretty sure that a story that is shot in HD has to be edited that way as well. I would imagine that studio cameras and other cameras used for input such as satellite and live truck shots all have to be HD or there has to be some sort of conversion. Am I on track here? Somebody help me out.

I know most stations have an HD transmitter on line or are moving in that direction. However, because of the expense involved in a full-scale conversion of a newsroom, I would think there would be no great rush to until necessary to “git-r-done”.

I will admit I don’t have any HD TVs at stately LarkSmith Manor and will wait until it becomes necessary to do so.

So, what is the word out there? When can we expect to see true HD newscasts here in the Bluff City. Which station, when it runs its 75^th Anniversary special will get to say it was first with HD?

Let me know.