Photos of News7 preparing to go HD

New equipment started arriving weeks before the switch from standard definition to high definition.

WDBJ7's news set required some modifications to accommodate the new format.

High definition is much more detailed so our news anchors and meteorologists met with a professional make-up artist for tips on how to look their best.

The make up artist works with Meteorologist Brent Watts.

Brent gets a lesson in "eyebrows".

Art Director, Joel Sink, worked for weeks to change News 7's graphic look from SD to HD.

News 7 Meteorologists get ready for the region's first HD weathercast.

Directors had to prepare to use the HD equipment before it was actually installed.

All three of WDBJ7's studio cameras had to be replaced to shoot the wider format.

On the day of the HD launch, the main control room was gutted just after News 7 Mornin'. The full transition had to be done between the morning news and News 7 at 5.

Chief Meteorologist Robin Reed checks computer configurations before moving equipment to the Skytracker 7 Weather Center.

Most of the cables were run in advance, but last minute work kept the crew busy.

The many computer interfaces News 7 uses to produce a newscast had to be switched over at the last minute.

Jay Webb and Robin Reed reconnect all the weather data sources to the new HD equipment in the Skytracker 7 Weather Center.

Meteorologist turned engineer, Robin Reed.

New HD monitors are installed on the news set while a Roanoke Times photographer looks on.

Studio floor crew get last minute instructions on the new cameras.

News 7's last standard definition newscast was News 7 at Noon.

With the main news control room gutted, News 7 at Noon had to be temporarily directed out of one of WDBJ 7's commercial editing suites.

By lunchtime the new high definition video switcher was in place in the control room.

The crew was working quickly to switch out the entire control room by News 7 at 5.

In the studio work continued to replace cameras.