15. NBA- TV: Better than being courtside. The NBA TV high-def cameras get so close to the action that they should be whistled for a lane violation.
14. Story Tellers: Featuring artists such as Pearl Jam, Green Day and The Pretenders performing before a studio audience, MHD's Story Tellers is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Don't spent your money at Ticketmaster; just get MHD. But be careful holding up your lighter at the end of the show; couches can burn.
14. Story Tellers: Featuring artists such as Pearl Jam, Green Day and The Pretenders performing before a studio audience, MHD's Story Tellers is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Don't spent your money at Ticketmaster; just get MHD. But be careful holding up your lighter at the end of the show; couches can burn.
13. The Today Show: The morning talkfest delivers a bright and vivid broadcast, although the in-studio cameras are 'filtered up' to gloss over the increasingly wrinkled Meredith Vieira.
12. Late Night With David Letterman: Unlike NBC's Tonight Show, which seems to have a cloudy filter on each camera, Late Night offers a sharp and detailed image of Dave and his guests. It's a great program to gaze at the stars.
11. HDNet World Report: Watching the high-def news doc is like being a correspondent in the field. The show has brought its HD cameras to such faraway (and dangerous) spots as Iraq, Afghanistan and early post-Katrina New Orleans. The images are sometimes breathtaking -- and sometimes hard to look at. But that's what TV news is supposed to be all about.
10. NBC Sunday Night Football: The network's premiere season for the primetime NFL broadcast delivered some sensational images. Although there was occasional pixelation during the action, the overall effort was terrific. Loved the overhead HD camera. Great high-def pre-game show, too.
9. Sports Center: The studio shots are so-so, but there's no better place to watch game highlights in high-def than Sports Center.
8. NHL On HDNet: Fox Sports Chairman David Hill calls HDNet's coverage of the National Hockey League "sensational" and I have to agree. The broadcast offers a panoramic view of the ice -- and jaw-dropping close-ups of the players as they bang into the boards. Coupled with incredibly crisp sounds, it's no wonder why the NHL is so excited about how high-def's potential impact on the league.
7. CSI: Miami: The CBS police drama beautifully captures the vibrant colors of South Beach and surrounding Miami. If they could only do something about David Caruso's pasty face.
6. Rome: The Roman Empire was one wild and crazy place and this show realistically depicts the scene. Don't miss the program's opening credits montage; it's a real masterpiece.
5. Dan Rather Reports: The veteran journalist's return to TV has been an unqualified success. Using the high-def cameras to tell more of the story, Rather seems more comfortable than he ever did at CBS. The result is a no-nonsense look at the day's most pressing issues and controversies. Last month's expose of the drug wars on the Mexican border was Peabody-worthy.
4. ESPN's Monday Night Football: The primetime NFL broadcast lost something when it switched from Michaels/Madden to Tony, Tony and Joe. But the images are just as good and the earlier start time doesn't hurt, either.
10. NBC Sunday Night Football: The network's premiere season for the primetime NFL broadcast delivered some sensational images. Although there was occasional pixelation during the action, the overall effort was terrific. Loved the overhead HD camera. Great high-def pre-game show, too.
9. Sports Center: The studio shots are so-so, but there's no better place to watch game highlights in high-def than Sports Center.
8. NHL On HDNet: Fox Sports Chairman David Hill calls HDNet's coverage of the National Hockey League "sensational" and I have to agree. The broadcast offers a panoramic view of the ice -- and jaw-dropping close-ups of the players as they bang into the boards. Coupled with incredibly crisp sounds, it's no wonder why the NHL is so excited about how high-def's potential impact on the league.7. CSI: Miami: The CBS police drama beautifully captures the vibrant colors of South Beach and surrounding Miami. If they could only do something about David Caruso's pasty face.
6. Rome: The Roman Empire was one wild and crazy place and this show realistically depicts the scene. Don't miss the program's opening credits montage; it's a real masterpiece.
5. Dan Rather Reports: The veteran journalist's return to TV has been an unqualified success. Using the high-def cameras to tell more of the story, Rather seems more comfortable than he ever did at CBS. The result is a no-nonsense look at the day's most pressing issues and controversies. Last month's expose of the drug wars on the Mexican border was Peabody-worthy.
4. ESPN's Monday Night Football: The primetime NFL broadcast lost something when it switched from Michaels/Madden to Tony, Tony and Joe. But the images are just as good and the earlier start time doesn't hurt, either.
3. American Idol: I'll be frank --I'm not the biggest fan of this show. But the high-def broadcast offers an equally frank view of the contestants as they reach for stardom. In HD, you can see every lip quiver; eye twitch; and cosmetic enhancement. And that's just Paula Abdul.
2. Lost: Okay, the show's taking a beating among the press corps for its meandering plot turns. But it's still a high-def looker and I still have faith that creator J.J. Abrams will find a way out of his own personal jungle.
1. 24: Wow. The HD 24 brings the drama into your living room. In high-def, you can see the tension in the faces of the characters; the muscles in their cheeks are clenching so hard that I'm afraid that Kiefer Sutherland is going to pop a vein. Particularly when he yells, "Put the weapon down! Now!!"
