The high school pigskin program features a cinema verite style with jerky camera movements. The grainy video, which is supposed to add realism, just looks terrible in HD. This is a real shame; it's an interesting show but the poor video and camera tricks are just too intrusive.
4. The View (ABC)
Not much of a view -- and, no, I don't mean the less than attractive visages of the on-air talent. The camera filters, which are obviously installed to protect Rosie and Babs, create such a cloudy view that you think you're sitting in seat 12F in a Boeing 747.
3. NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams
Once again, the show is victimized by excessive camera filtering, apparently to preserve Mr. Williams' image as America's 'handsomest' network anchor. But even worse, the camera rarely comes within a zip code of the chief news reader. The effect is to make the viewer feel detached from the action.
2. Good Morning America (ABC)
More bad camera filtering. Diane Sawyer's close-ups are so blurry that she could be Tom Sawyer.
1. The Today Show (NBC)In studio segments, NBC has installed camera filters and stark lighting that drowns out the details -- and color -- of the faces of the hosts. The effect is to leave their faces looking albino-white, with a bright halo covering their heads from the lower neck to the hairline. And Meredith Vieira? Her face looks weather-beaten as if she's been living out on the prairie for the last ten years.
So speaking for HDTV owners, I say to the networks: Please cut this stuff out.
Check out the February 1st article "Best Shows in HD" in the archives section.
