There's A Lot To See With Digital TV

Joe Colson is one of the few people in the Triangle who can see true HDTV. He has had a set for about a year.

"The brightness, the clarity, the brilliance of the color is like the difference between black-and-white and color television. It's been wonderful," he says.

CBSoffers 17 shows in high-definition, mostly during prime time.

At WRAL, we have brought viewers Pops in the Park, the moving of theCape Hatteras Lighthouse,John Glenn's return to space, have gone inside the Sistine Chapel, and a documentary on North Carolina'swater qualityand more all in HD.

Dan Oliver produces a WRAL program for and about middle school children calledCentralExpress.comTo Oliver, not only is the HD picture sharper, the format allows him to put more action on the screen.

"I think it gives you more flexibility. I've wanted to shoot in wide screen for 20 years, and I've just kind of been waiting for TV to catch up," he says.

HD programs are sent out through WRAL's master control. Right now it is operating for all but about six hours per day. That will soon change.

"As more people embrace the technology, obviously the program suppliers and program producers will be providing more product in high-definition," says WRAL Station Manager Jim Griffin.

Those shows include our local newscasts and the Super Bowl. The technology also allows us you to see four NCAA Tournament games on one channel.

"So the technology is not only allowing you to see a better picture, it will allow us to send you more programming and more product," says Griffin.

And people like Joe Colson cannot wait.

"I love this high-definition stuff and the more programming options we have, the more we'll watch high-definition," he says.

WRAL's next big HD project will be the Raleigh Christmas Parade, which airs live on November 18.