11.15.2006
High on HD
When it comes to high definition TV, space is the highest you can get.This blog is not Space TV Probe, but early this afternoon I ducked into into a Circuit City retail outlet in Manhattan to catch the first live HD transmission from space. Lucky for me and some folks doing a bit of early holiday shopping, the Discovery Channel's HD Theater feed of this historic programming appeared on about 55 HD flat panel (plasma and LCD) TV screens all over the store, simultaneously. Pretty awesome.
I missed the beginning but from what I saw, the HD camera on the International Space Station was trained mostly inside. Yes, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria looks excellent in HD, he's got great, high-def-ready skin, too -- I'd guess the zero-G helps a lot there. Of course, we've seen the ISS tours, living in space demos -- eating, exercising, slurping floating bubbles, etc., a zillion times. And while details of the station look sharper then we've ever seen them, what we want to see in HD is the view outside. Did not see enough of that. Next time.
Later, I noticed a lot of folks missed the milestone HD space show because rather than coming inside, they waited on a line forming in front of the store. And guess why. Yup, apparently the Playstation 3 release is scheduled for Friday (in North America), naturally shortages are expected, and folks are prepared to camp out to get one.
(I suppose in the old days to stay current, you stopped by the barber shop, local diner or cafe. Now, for all the hot happenings, hit your neighborhood electronics store.)
By the way, don't tell our hard-working ISS commander about the Sony PS3 or he will beg NASA to get him one and I don't know if they have any connections at Circuit City.
