HD Fail - Magnum PI Style

Watching yesterday's AFL Grand Final at a friend's place on his HD TV, I was reminded of this time last year, watching the GF Replay between the Pies and Saints, on the same TV.

We were lamenting the fact that despite it was 2010, we're a little backwards here in Aus, and our biggest sporting and TV event of the year was broadcast in grainy Standard Def. Why? Because channel 7 had launched its new HD Channel, 7mate the week prior, after the 1st Grand Final. And because they only had one HD channel, it was used for Magnum PI on 7mate, rather than the GF replay on 7. Seemed a bit stupid, but surely this was a once off....

"Does the 'tache look pimpin in HD?"

Fast forward to 2011, and HDTV is fleeting and distant memory in Aus. Gone the way of VHS and minidisk.  All the networks have switched their HD channels to their secondary channels, which seem to have a standard rule to only broadcast shows made before 1985. We can now relish in television awesomeness including The Love Boat and Mork and Mindy on these HD channels.  So how can there be anything bad about this side splitting hilarity being shown in HD?? Problem is, these shows weren't made in HD, it didn't exist in the good old days!

Which brings me to yesterday's GF, once again shown in SD.  No HD in sight! Don't worry that its the Grand Final, and is probably one of the most anticipated and most watched program on TV, we don't need HD. People don't buy HD TVs to watch Grand Finals and sporting events!

Channel 10 had this year's GF, but didn't simulcast it on their secondary channel, Channel One.  Now Channel One has an ever stricter rule than the post-1985 embargo.  One has a heavily enforced rule to show only fishing shows. Nothing else, just fishing. Must see TV.

So really this post is just scratching the surface of the real question - Why is Mork and Mindy and fishing on TV at all?!?  Is this the best thing available?  Little wonder why Australia has one of the highest TV download rates in the world... That's another blog all together....

So next time you get the latest and greatest TV, make sure you're happy with its performance in Standard Def, because that's all you're getting round these parts!!

Nanu Nanu Y'all!

"Say Mindy, do you think we'll still be awesomely hilarious in 2011?" 

              "Well Mork, we've quite a following Down Under"