While house-sitting for my brother over the holidays, I had the opportunity to plant my ass in front of his 50-inch high-def television and soak in the HD experience for the first time since the groundbreaking technology hit the market. Let me tell you, once you’ve watched an NHL Hockey game or Ben Hur in high-definition, you’ll be spoiled forever. After returning home to my piece-of-shit 27-inch Zenith, I felt the urge to toss the dinosaur out the window, but I have neighbors and they tend to frown upon behavior like that. Damn neighbors.
Anyway, during my week of HD bliss, I set aside one night to investigate HDNet — the seven-year old channel dedicated to nothing but hi-def programming. Owned by megalomaniac billionaire — and general douche bag — Mark Cuban, HDNet airs original products such as Dan Rather Reports and Inside MMA, in addition to live sporting events and movies, but a chunk of their slate consists of travel series and award-winning documentaries, which is what interested me most.
I’m a film school guy, so I’ve always been enamored with cameras and tech stuff. With that in mind, I’m going to review two of the shows I watched and discuss their visual merits. It’s evident the impact of HD technology is increasing and its presence is changing the way we view television.
Coral Reef Adventure
A stunning documentary about the disappearance of our oceans’ coral reefs, set in the gorgeous blue waters of the South Pacific. Underwater filmmakers Howard and Michele Hall embark on a ten month journey to explore the largely unseen habitat of coral reefs. Using the latest IMAX camera rig, the husband and wife team capture in brilliant detail the dying reefs off the coasts of Fiji and French Polynesia. The clarity of the footage is beyond incredible; if not for their air bubbles, you’d hardly notice they are underwater. There isn’t a hint of grain or blur in any of the images.
A deep ocean dive to depths of 350 feet reveals a foreign abyss cloaked in mystery, where brand new species of fish are discovered. An excursion to the waters encircling the island of Tahiti results in a perilous encounter with a school of reef sharks, in what amounts to an aquatic stampede consisting of 300 rambunctious sharks and three daring divers.
The advancement in camera technology in the last ten years is nothing short of amazing. As I watched the adventure, I became mesmerized by the IMAX camera’s ability to document the crystal clear seas. The colors popped in every frame, the depth of field was endless and the enormity of the oceans was relayed as accurately as I’ve ever seen. Coral Reef Adventure is perfect for anyone who enjoys nature’s inherent beauty and marvels at kick-ass underwater cinematography.
World’s Coastlines From Above
Wow! Holy shit! Fucking unbelievable! These are some of the less profound words uttered while I took in this alluring series. We’ve all seen aerial footage from blimps and helicopters before, especially at sporting events, but nothing compares to 80 minutes of exclusive overhead shots of the French and Italian coastlines.
In film school, we called this type of photography “God’s Eye POV,” due to the direct vantage point from the clouds. Unless you’re a pilot or astronaut, most aren’t afforded the luxury to see Earth from above. The series takes to the skies to provide a unique tour of the majestic coastlines of places like Brittany and Portofino.
From opulent resort villas to tightly congested hillside villages, some of Europe’s oldest and most vibrant coastal communities spring to life in HD glory. Since I’ll probably never be lucky enough to visit cities like Nice and Genoa, I treated both episodes as mini-vacations. The vivid images suck you in with awe-inspiring grace. The sight of the medieval Mont Saint Michel rising from its sandy nest was all it took to steal my attention.
Many people still don’t own a HDTV, but with the digital changeover upon us and technologies evolving by the minute, it won’t be long before high-definition is in every home. Then we’ll all get to experience our fascinating and sublime world like never before. Maybe it’s just me — an admitted film geek — but captivating pictures move me in a way that nothing else can. I can’t wait to house-sit for my brother again; even if it means babysitting his two dogs and two cats.
Clacked by Scott Tunstall 
on Jan 04, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
HDNet World Report is better than any network news series.
I really like the HDNet programming, exept the Art Man show and the bikini travel show…
Thanks for this…I ALWAYS forget to check HDNetMovies for their “sneak peaks” of movies before they hit theaters. Dammit. I wanted to see Special with Michael Rapaport, and it was on in November. Aaarrrggghhh. I have to come up with a way to remember, and you need to come up with a way to get an HDTV!!!
You’re right. I do need to get an HDTV!
Not all channels over here show infomercials or reruns during the night. There is one that simply shows a burning fire, another one shows train rides from the driver’s point of view – and then there’s the bavarian government run channel called Bayrisches Fernsehen, which shows video taken from the space shuttle, the MIR and of course the ISS. They’ve been doing that for over ten years now and you know I can’t remember how many hours I’ve spent simply looking at coastlines, deserts, snow covered mountains, lakes, cites and thunderstorms in the dark. It’s what really made me getting interested in the ISS, space and everything, following every shuttle start on the internet via NASA TV.
I know that they did a couple of IMAX movies on the spaceshuttle. I can’t wait until they switch Bayrisches Fernsehen over to HDTV. I’ll be up night after night just watching those IMAX videos…