Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in HD

I watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in HD last night on CBS (1080i). I've seen this Christmas special many times in my childhood but I was in complete awe seeing it again in high definition. The picture quality and detail was amazing. The fuzz on Rudolph's fur, every hair on the Abominable Snowman, and the fabric texture of Burl Ives plaid vest was clearly visible. Rudolph's glowing nose looked like one of those old style red film covered light bulbs. I could even tell that the Christmas trees were made of felt! You could clearly see how everything was constructed. The amount of detail almost takes the magic away from this Christmas classic.

The aspect ratio of the picture was 4:3 which is expected for a made-for-TV special from 1964. Back then everything was recorded directly to film which explains the high level of fine detail. I wonder what other old TV shows will pop up on HD with incredible looking pictures? Frosty the Snowman in HD will be broadcast Friday December 12th on CBS.