jbs ... I know that what you're dealing with is becoming more and more common. The company that I work for has converted a few of the larger market stations in our group to HD, but are looking to a 16x9 SD solution for the smaller markets ... mainly due to cost. Basically, we've got a number of ARCs (aspect ratio converters) that are either internal to the video switcher, or are external and can be used for other things in the plant. We still shoot 16x9 SD DVCam in the field, so anything acquired locally at least fills the screen. The ARCs come in handy for taking live 4x3 feeds and adding the side flags. Although we have the ability to add the side flags on the switcher, we didn't want to be limited to sources being defined only as 4x3 to use that functionality. Editors add the side flags in news edit bays based on the needs of the piece that they are editing. That said, each edit booth has an ARC that can either be switched in or out of the edit signal flow. I agree with Rick ... you certainly can spot an SD production a mile away, especially when you cut between truly 1080i cameras in the studio, and upconverted 16x9 SD in the field. Probably the studio cameras and your graphics should take priority, in my opinion. As the field gear is upgraded, naturally it is going to become HD or at least HD compatible. Hope that helps, if even just a little... Matt

[quote="jbs"]So... our old company didn't see any urgency to produce a 16x9 newscast - just no value in it I guess. Then we got sold and our new company wants us to be 16x9 YESTERDAY. We just got a mandate at my shop to produce a 16x9 newscast in three months. None of our equipment can do anything above 480i except for the switcher and one clip player - not even cameras. They say new cameras are in the works but not guaranteed. The current thinking is staying SD and stretching out to 16x9 with everything, and getting a few aspect ratio converters for things acquired outside the plant - hd lite I suppose. I just figured out our switcher won't do sideflags in standard definition so we'll have to get converters that allow for filling in the sidebars with a graphic. But, if we have to drop money on aspect ratio converters then why not just buy tons of upconverters for all the equipment and go 720p RIGHT NOW? That way we're at least in the HD game and our switcher is in 720p mode with sideflag capability. We could even upconvert and re-aspect our cameras by using common sides (but they would REALLY look bad then...). Then when we CAN replace equipment we just drop it in rather than having to downconvert it to "hd lite". Obviously this would cost more money and visually wouldn't be any better than upconverting everything downstream. The third option was my idea: Get one converter and sideflag our entire production before it goes to the transmitter. That way ma and pa can see their whole wide-screen tv filled up without stretchy heads and we wouldn't have to change anything. But management wants to see as few sidebars as possible. I'm sure many here were/are in the same boat. I'm looking for ideas, suggestions and experiences with the processes and equipment purchases to accomplish this. Thanks.[/quote] Are you saying 720p becuase you're an ABC or Fox affiliate? My opinion is to try to go HD in some way. I can spot a "16x9" program a mile away. Looks like crap compared to 1080 (or yes, even the lower 720p).