Exclusive! 3News to Go HD
January 18, 2015 
5 Comments
TV3 is soon to make headlines as the first NZ network to broadcast its news service in HD.
This has yet to be officially confirmed but it could be as early as next month, with the launch of Paul Henry’s multi-platform breakfast show.
It will be broadcast from a purpose-built hybrid radio/television studio at MediaWorks’ Flower Street offices and will replace both Firstline on TV3 and the breakfast show on RadioLIVE.
The initiative heralds the integration of MediaWorks’ TV, radio and digital news operations into a single unit that will include HD transmission of the flagship 6pm bulletin 3News.
But it’s unlikely all field footage will be in 1080i immediately because of the cost and logistics of upgrading cameras and file formats across the company.
TV3 was first to go HD in current affairs, with 3rd Degree. Although the studio links are still SD, the field segments are filmed in HD.
It’s not surprising TV3 would be first to embrace HD for all of its news and current affairs, given it’s traditionally spearheaded new tech ahead of TVNZ (widescreen, 5.1, HD).
Although TV1’s Marae screens in HD, the broadcaster says it has no plans to go HD for its in-house news and current affairs output.
But that could change once viewers discover the improvements HD makes to news broadcasts.
For too long in this market news junkies have been poorly served by the free-to-air broadcasters and Sky.
The latter’s news channels are a disgrace technically, being among its most atrociously compressed.
You’re far better to stream clips and live content from websites run by CNN, Sky News and the like — even in SD they look much sharper on larger displays than Sky’s feeds (especially Sky News UK, which can be streamed in HD).
The switch to HD news and current affairs will give TV3 a clear point of difference over TV1 and coincides with the network’s plans for a 5.30 weeknight HD soap.
It’s due to launch this year and, regardless of how it rates, will still give 3News a much stronger lead-in than the smorgasbord of cooking/reality shows and Simpsons re-runs it’s had to rely on since losing Home and Away to TV2.
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January 19, 2015 at 3:43 pm
YAY, that’s wonderful news Philip. I only watch TV3’s news now 🙂
Wow, this is brilliant and long overdue. Full marks to 3News for finally pushing ahead. As usual, just like with the one-hour news bulletin, TVNZ will follow at some point and let’s hope it ain’t five years. Looking forward to the new TV3 soap and I wish it all the success and this will indoubtedly provide the local production industry with a boost.
This partially makes up for their pitiful new season offerings … I was wondering what happened to 3rd Degree as the quality of the in-studio footage dropped markedly into the first season.
With today’s announcement that Prime is outsourcing its news production to MediaWorks, does this mean is news bullentin will be HD as well, and thus finally marking the transition of Prime to HD, Philip, or am I too optimistic? I mean, won’t both programmes be filmed in the same HD news set?
Yes, they will, Leo, so fingers crossed. I’m confident this will be the year Prime does go HD, for reasons soon to be explained in a post, but probably not as soon as March. In which case, Prime initially will “dumb down” the HD to SD, as it does already with most of its schedule.