2007-08 Los Angeles Clippers Debut on FSN Prime Ticket in High Definition
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FSN PRIME TICKET, the destination for the most comprehensive Clippers coverage, will televise 45 Clippers games this season. Twenty-five of those game telecasts will be available in HD, including the November 2 event. All Clippers games on FSN PRIME TICKET feature the announcing team of Michael Smith as analyst and Ralph Lawler with the play-by-play.
The X-mo camera system enhances Clipper game telecasts this season on FSN PRIME TICKET. Allowing analysts to explain crucial plays and fans relive unbelievable moments, the super slow motion replay adds to the storytelling of the game.
Former NBA and UCLA standout Don MacLean joins host Michael Eaves for “Clippers Live”. At home and on the road, “Clippers Live” provides the Clipper Nation with the most comprehensive analysis and insight into the team. “Clippers Live” airs prior to and immediately following all Clippers home game telecasts on FSN PRIME TICKET.
About FSN PRIME TICKET
FSN PRIME TICKET and its sister network, FSN WEST, have been providing local sports coverage to Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii for over 20 years. Together, the regional sports networks present more live, local sports programming than any other network or broadcast system in the market, combining to produce over 700 live sporting events and telecast over 5,000 hours of original programming every year. For complete national and regional sports news, provocative opinions, telecast schedules and updated statistics, log-on to www.foxsports.com.
FSN WEST & FSN PRIME TICKET IN HDTV
FSN WEST and FSN PRIME TICKET are committed to providing Southern California sports fans with the crystal clear picture, eye-popping details and brilliant colors that characterize high-definition television (HDTV).
Together, over the next 12 months, the sister networks will deliver approximately 200 events in HDTV. Local MLB HD telecasts on FSN increase 300% to 50 HD games each for the Angels and the Dodgers during the 2007 MLB season. During the past year, FSN WEST/FSN PRIME TICKET delivered a total of 78 HDTV events annually. The FSN HD schedule included 10 Lakers games, 10 Kings games, 10 Ducks games, 17 Angels games, 17 Dodgers games, 7 college football games and 12 college basketball games (including 5 Pac-10 telecasts).
The most up-to-the-minute HDTV offerings for both regional sports networks may be found three ways: log on to www.foxsports.com and type “FSN HD” into the seach subject line; visit www.foxsports.com, search “west” or “prime ticket” and click on the “FSN HD” logo; or, on FSN WEST and FSN PRIME TICKET team partner sites, whenever schedule information is posted.
HD Availability in Southern California Six cable providers, two satellite operators and one fiber optic provider offer HD programming in Southern California as follows:
Bright House (HD Special Events Channel)
Champion Broadband
Charter Communications
Cox Communications
DirecTV (FSN HD)
Dish Network/Echostar (effective April 2007)
Time Warner Cable
Verizon – Southern California (Fios)
Wave Broadband (dedicated FSN HD Channels)
The Basics of HDTV
High-definition television (HDTV) is a television broadcasting system that allows for a very high resolution. HDTV signals are sent in the same 16:9 aspect ratio that is used in cinema to achieve greater scope. By comparison, most televisions are built in a 4:3 aspect ratio and standard-definition television (SDTV) has half the lineal resolution of HDTV.
HDTV comes in two different formats, 720p and 1080i. All HD receivers can process both formats and convert them to the one that is most appropriate for the corresponding television display. The 720p format uses progressive scanning, a method in while a whole picture is painted at the same time. Progressive scanning features crystal clear images and looks similar to a computer screen. The 1080i format uses dense interlace scanning. In interlace scanning, the lines of a frame are displayed in two passes over the frame.
HDTV and Analog
Analog pictures are interlaced, but the interlacing is not as dense as it is in an HD signal. Ever other line of the picture, essentially, is left blank to reduce the bandwidth required to send the picture. The result is a flickering picture on some televisions. The HDTV signal can handle more resolution and avoids the clarity issues that come with interlacing.
The Benefits of HDTV
HDTV provides crystal clear, noise-free pictures and CD-quality sound. The digital signal delivers more realistic colors, because bandwidth is greater; and, a more detailed picture, because gaps between scanning lines are smaller.
Increased detail and clarity leads to a better viewing experience, particularly when watching programming on larger screens. HDTV allows for full surround sound capabilities, since Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is broadcast along with standard HDTV video signals (SDTV signals tend to carry basic stereo audio).
HDTV in Everyday Homes
In order to experience HDTV, a consumer must acquire three components: an HDTV source (i.e. a local, cable, or satellite HDTV station), a way to receive the signal (i.e. an antenna, cable or satellite service) and an HDTV set.
Two types of HDTV-capable television sets are available: integrated HDTV sets and HDTV-ready sets. An integrated HDTV comes with a digital tuner, or ATSC tuner, which allows viewers to attach an antenna to the set and watch any local programs that are available in high definition. An HDTV-ready set, or an HDTV monitor, does not have an HDTV tuner. It usually comes with an NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) tuner which enables viewers to watch analog TV until they can financially commit to HDTV capabilities. The picture quality is still better on these sets than on regular television sets.
HDTV has not yet replaced standard television delivery. The television industry is currently in a transition period during which HDTV and NTSC signals coexist. Contrary to popular belief, there is no date by when all broadcasters must deliver in HD. The mandate applies to delivering a digital signal: while HD has to be digital, digital doesn’t have to be HD.
