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Broadcast Distribution Information
To avoid disruption, PBS will continue to feed The NewsHour
in standard definition (SD) on the same channels and at
the same times it is currently fed. However, starting on
Dec. 17, 2007, the standard definition NewsHour feeds will
be “down-converted” from HD to SD at PBS master control
and will appear to viewers in a “letterbox” format.
Viewers watching The NewsHour on analog channels may find
the switch to letterbox format jarring. We encourage you
to alert viewers to this change.
High Definition Signal PBS will offer three HD
feeds of the NewsHour to PBS stations via the DT3A HD feed
channel at 1800, 1900 and 2000 (ET) each weeknight. As
specified by PBS. The NewsHour HD feeds will be in a “1080i”
HD, full screen, 16:9 video format, with stereo audio and
accompanied by new 16:9-oriented graphics.
Most original field video produced by The NewsHour will
be shot in HD, and we expect to be at the 100% level by
spring. Video from some outside sources, archived material,
etc. will likely be in SD for quite some time. In those
instances, the 4:3 SD video will be “pillar boxed” (colored
bands on the left and right sides of the screen) in order
to fit the 16:9 HD format.
The percentage of HD to SD video on the program will gradually
increase, but in the near term the broadcast will contain
a combination of full screen HD and less-than-full-screen
SD images. This “combination” of material is consistent
with live HD broadcasts currently being produced by such
networks as ABC, CBS, NBC and ESPN with little viewer complaint.
Although your viewers may well be familiar with the mixed
format by now, we encourage you to alert your staff about
these changes to anticipate any viewer and member concerns.
We hope that stations who can,
will air the program on both their digital and analog channels.
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