Watching the Rose Bowl Parade on Discovery HD, I made a couple of observations. One, the picture quality is, as you’d expect with High Def, wonderful. Two, the overall coverage of the parade is miles above that of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade as shown on the broadcast networks. The commentators briefly and unobtrusively describe each float and entry passing by without the sappy banter and celebrity interviews. There are no lip synced musical numbers and when a marching band comes by, you can hear what they’re playing. Fewer commercial interruptions, too, and no breaking from the parade for back stories on dying children or other human interest stories.

Just the coverage of the parade, with fewest possible distractions from what’s passing by. One more reason to avoid the Big Three wen it comes to getting the information that’s important to me. No word on whether Discovery Channel’s coverage will stick around for Cindy Sheehan’s parade of fools.

Update: Best float so far, Honda’s transforming Ridgeline. Best band so far, VMI’s Regimental Band. Gotta love the pipes.

More: A Marine band just came by and got the loudest reception so far from the audience. It’s good to see that kind of response from Americans towards the military. I’m convinced more and more that the Sheehan/MoveOn types are truly the fringe elements in our society.

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