From the files of "it's about time," CBS announced today the upcoming 17th season of Survivor would be shot in "high definition."
Production on that season begins this summer with new episodes premiering in the fall. "Sony's XDCAM HD system will start a new era for Survivor," said Mark Burnett, executive producer of Survivor. "The camcorder brings the exotic locales to life brilliantly, creating an immediacy that draws viewers right into the frame. This is something we'd been looking to do for some time, and now it has become a reality."
Apparently the hold-up has been with the equipment. Reality shows cameramen needed cameras that would react on a moments notice, and not take 5 to 10 second to start recording after pressing the record button. Some cameras now work in a record cycle all the time, like TIVO does, so when you press record, you get video from 5 second prior to when you pressed record.