Pretty much every major sporting event is telecast in high-definition these days. So where’s the love for the British Open?

TNT and ABC’s coverage of the event from Turnberry in Scotland this week is being broadcast in widescreen, but it’s as a standard-definition upconversion, as the HD Sports Guide duly notes.

So let me get this straight—we get regular-season WNBA games in HD now, but they can’t ship a few cameras to one of golf’s four majors and get us some razor-sharp views of the seaside green landscapes?

Sure, the SD upconversion is really good, I’ll give the coverage that. A lot of people will be completely satisfied with the coverage. Then again, a lot of people are perfectly happy with upscaled DVDs too, compared with Blu-ray.

Having seen a little bit of the coverage, it is satisfactory. Close-ups are decent, but the wider-view shots are definitely softer than the usual crisp golf coverage I’m accustomed to, whether it’s Golf Channel’s, CBS’ or NBC’s tremendous HD telecasts. For those looking forward to watching on their 100-inch screens this weekend, it may be disappointing.

Oh well, we’ll have to wait for next year perhaps.

So what about your gripes with non-HD broadcasts? Are you waiting anxiously for your favorite reality series to go high-def? Favorite news program, or arts and entertainment maybe?

About the Author:
Arlen Schweiger - Managing editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen contributes product news items to electronichouse.com along with his role on the print publication. Got a tip? Send it along!