TNT HD and TBS HD are pretty useless. It's unforunate that space is being wasted on two channels that, as far as I can tell, hardly ever show anything in HD.

Every time I look at either of these channels, they take whatever program is on, show the 1.33:1 version and simply stretch out the sides to fill in the 1.78:1 screen. My TV has a setting like this for SD programing - The middle is the correct proportion, but the sides are distorted. I've never used it. It just looks too goofy to me.

However, these two channels seem to do this with everything - TV shows and movies.

Just tonight, I noticed that THE OFFICE was on TBS HD. Now I know this show was shot and originally broadcast in HD, so there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't be shown that way on TBS HD. Ha! But no. They actually took the 1.33:1 version, with the black bars on the top and bottom, and stretched the sides of it to fill in the 1.78:1 screen.

Lame! I'm talking Night Court in the 5th season LAAAAAME!!!!

I've taken them off my line-up. Might as well watch the SD version of the channels if there's ever anything I want to see on them. It just cheeses me off that these are two 'HD' channels that could be replaced by a couple of REAL HD channels, like SCI-FI HD and FX HD......

NBA on TNT

There's programming on TNT besides the NBA?

I've been struggling with the decision to convert my Comcast basic analog cable plan to the Digital Starter plan (where you get a set top box, pay another $6.95 and get their HD channel lineup, sans the local stations in HD and the premium channels in HD), and was wondering if these HD channels really offer me much.

I figure I'd get something out of the Discovery HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD channels, and maybe also from TNT HD and TBS HD, but maybe not. The other HD channels: CNN, USA, HD Theater, FSN South, Versus/Golf, MHD, History Channel, Food Network. I could see myself watching a bit of USA, History, FSN South as well.

So, I continue to debate with myself as to whether it's worth the extra $6.95/month...

I have TNT HD and they show a fair bit in High Definition, -shows like "Without A Trace", "Cold Case", and I'm guessing they only show the HD seasons of "ER" and "Law and Order". They show their original series "The Closer" and "Saving Grace" in HD. "Angel" and "Charmed", however, are shown in "Fake-D".

TNT's movies are a mixed bag. Some movies are shown in HD, though most movies in the 2:35:1 ratio are cropped to 1:78:1; and some are not.

Our Charter Cable added History Channel HD and A and E HD and both are pretty horrible, with little or no HD content. They're both terribly inconsistent, too. They'll show an episode of a series in HD, and the very next episode with be "expanded" to fit the frame.

I love the Food Network in HD.

I despise the 1.33:1 TNT/TBS stretch. I really wish they would stop doing this.

Me too! It looks terrible, and there's no way to correct it on my end since it's not uniformly stretched...

TNT has gotten MUCH better since its debut, as it hardly ever shows stuff in stretch-o-vision anymore. TBS, however, does suck.

It's funny... all of these channels when the first launch in HD usually just broadcast 1:33:1 crap ala stretchovision. Then, when they get inundated with complaints, they usually quickly change over to OAR. Not TBS and TNT tho! Nope! they sure are sticking to their guns! Joe-6-Pack Americana must LOVE the way it looks. sigh.

TBS-HD - a joke. Don't watch. TNT-HD, however, we like.

Angel on TNT is even worse -- they take the letterboxed 1.78:1 version, crop it to 1.33:1, then stretch it back to 1.78:1. It's unwatchable.

The only thing that I saw on TBS- HD that wasn't stretched was the baseball playoffs. Other than the two weeks that the playoff's were on- the station is garbage in HD.

Except for a few aforementioned shows, pretty much has value only for sports, and then when you consider one of the sports they have is the NBA, then it has even less value.

TBS and TNT HD are only good right now for sports and original program (at least on TNT, never seen original programming in HD on TBS but I only watch My Boys).

There's a Sci Fi HD channel in the Atlanta area right now (just popped up in the last week) and I assume it will be showing Galactica in HD when it begins airing again.

Universal HD and Mojo are great for old movies, as sometimes you find a real classic like Badlands (on last Sunday night) in HD.

Music HD has some decent stuff, but it seems like they recycle the same 20-30 performances for 6-12 months without anything new.

PBS just went HD in Atlanta and I can't wait for some decent bands to play Austin City Limits.

Discovery (not HD Theater), Nat Geo, History, A and E, CNN HD are all pretty worthless HD channels.

FSN HD shows any game available in HD from channels 48 and 53 in HD; Hawks, Thrashers, and a lot of college basketball.

They've pretty much doubled their HD lineup in the last 2 weeks, and while a lot suck (USA, CNNHD, etc) Sci Fi, FSN, and some random programming on other channels is certainly a benefit.

The thing that is funny is everyone I know doesn't like it either... I helped a friend of mine set up his new HDTV this past weekend, and he has no clue about any of this and doesnt care that much (hes just glad to have a bigger TV now) and he asked, "So no I have to watch all these shows like they are all from a fun house mirror?"

Thanks for the rundown on the HD channels here in Atlanta. I had totally missed that other handful of HD channels in the list of the HD channels included in the Digital Starter package.

THE FOOD NETWORK IS IN HD!!!!???!! Maybe this will let me get quicker approval for the home theatre project from the mrs.

A&E does the stretching too, drives me nuts (I watch intervention in case you are wondering).

Yeah, I wish we had Comcast instead of Charter in the north ATlanta area...my parents have a lot more HD channels with Comcast than I do with Charter.

I agree The Office looks like crap, they must pay for the SD copies to save money and just stretch the screen.

Be VERRRRRRRY careful what you wish for!!!!! (Comcast sucks.)

Food Network and HGTV both look great in HD, and that's coming from someone who isn't all that interested in cooking or interior decorating. Maybe its because they have more colors, but they both seem to stick out more as a great example of high-def.

Its a chicken-and-egg thing. You need HD channels before you get HD programming, and you need HD programming to show before you get HD channels. Something has to come first, so even if there isn't much now, it is just the first necessary step.

This.

TNT used to make me sick, but they've gotten much better lately. TBS is the new TNT though.

Exactly.