By Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator
High def, 5.1 surround sound, 16:9. ...
The latest technology jargon sounds more complicated than the Modified Stableford scoring system used at last week's INTERNATIONAL. But high definition television (HDTV) may sound scary, but it's actually quite simple. And it's changing the way fans are watching golf -- and sports, in general.
Basically, HDTV means signals from television shows and sporting events are broadcast in a higher resolution than traditional formats, giving it a crisper and clearer appearance. This week's coverage of the PGA Championship will be shown in the highest format -- 1080 lines of picture resolution with 5.1 digital surround sound.
The bottom line is the HDTV experience makes almost everything on television more exciting. A show on the coast of Italy, for example, appears so real and life-like that viewers ought to get a stamp in their passport for having been there. Even a documentary on the world's best bathrooms can be captivating enough to halt the channel surfing.
Golf is no exception, as the latest in television technology helps bring fans closer to their favorite players and adds intriguing new elements to the way fans view the game.
Ken Aagaard, senior vice president of operations & production services for CBS Sports, explained that golf is a unique sport in many respects, especially when it comes to high definition sports broadcasting. Viewers not only want to see the athletes, but also the venues. The width of the fairway or the undulations on the green is a vital part of bringing the event inside living rooms.
Before HDTV, Aagaard said, "We would try to do it graphically or with all kinds of technical animation and you never really could show what it was like. So when high definition came along, boom! If you are using high definition signals on a high quality monitor anywhere, you will be able to read the green yourself. You will be able to read the fairway. You will be able to see the terrain change. You can basically see every blade of grass."
The PGA TOUR differs from sports like professional football and basketball not only in what viewers want to see, but also in method of play. Aagaard said he at first thought that HDTV would be best for what he calls "east/west" sports. The action travels from left to right in these and he felt that the new, widescreen ratio was especially conducive for sports of that nature.
"Golf, of course, is a sport that goes both east/west and north/south. A lot of the shots are taken from behind the golfer, which is almost a north/south shot. Golf is suddenly now in a 16:9 shot from a camera behind the tee. Not only do you see the golfer, but you'll see the caddie off to the right, the people standing by the tee off to the left and you'll hear them in 5.1 audio if you are listening to a surround system that will give you the feeling that you are actually standing on the tee with the golfer."
Another fundamental difference in golf is the way followers interact with players. At a golf tournament, unlike at many professional sporting events, fans have a chance to get up close and personal with their favorite players. There is no nosebleed section at a tournament, as spectators can stand within arm's reach of everyone from Tiger Woods to the local club pro who qualified.
HDTV compliments this aspect of the game. Can't make the trek to Medinah Country Club in Illinois this week? Then catching the high definition broadcast is the next best thing, as this year's fourth and final major will be broadcast in HDTV for the third consecutive year.
So exactly how much work will go on behind the scenes to show the many hours of golf coverage this week?
It takes a large group of people to coordinate the production. Aagaard estimated that nearly 500 people will be involved in the effort at the PGA Championship. The pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson may be talked about more than the pairings that go on behind the scenes, but Turner and CBS will work together to bring as much tournament coverage to television as possible.
"From a technical point of view and an operational point of view, with an event this size, it's a big deal. We have to mix a lot of equipment and a lot of different trucks," Aagaard said. "The good news now is that there is so much high definition sport's broadcasting that the cameras and recording devices are readily available, as are trucks, so we have a lot of equipment."
Aagaard said it can be difficult to tie the audio together with the video.
"We're in a digital world and, when you get into that, you've got to tie it all together. It is not the video that is a problem, it is the audio," he said. "You have to get that in sync properly and that really takes a huge effort from the crew.
"For an event like this, we are thinking the size and scope of the Super Bowl."
As more fans purchase televisions that support the technology, he suspects that high definition coverage will only increase. In fact, beginning in January of 2007, all golf coverage from CBS Sports will be broadcast in high definition. Aagaard noted that NBC, another television golf partner, is headed that direction as well.
Both the Standard Definition and HDTV telecasts have the same announcers, camera angles, replays and graphics, so there's no need to worry if you are one of those still on the edge about an HDTV purchase.
But make no mistake about it, Aagaard says, the future of television coverage likely lies in high definition television.
